The Concourse Yards Development proposal is an innovative idea but not the first time that this airspace has been looked at to become something more for the Bronx.

For years, a number of projects similar to Diaz’s current proposal languished in development, with starts and stops that cost the city millions, or ignored completely. It’s a fate that could or could not mar the proposals this time around.

An original proposal dates back to 1961 when a plan to create a platform over the Concourse Yards in Bedford Park was proposed by Bronx Community College (BCC). The platform would have served as the foundation to build an expanded campus.

According to a New York Times article published in December of 1961, an expansion of BCC was needed to keep up with the popularity among the growing student population. The project cost was estimated to be more than $10 million and located between Jerome and Paul avenues.

In the original plans, BCC wanted nine buildings, a swimming pool, gymnasium, theatre, auditorium and places to house administrative, academic, medical, science and recreation rooms.

The first sign of trouble came in July of 1969 when it was reported that the New York City Department of Education (DOE), then known as the Board of Education, had rejected all the bids. Only two contractors ultimately submitted their proposals, with the lowest bid valued at $103 million, surpassing the projected budget of $45 million.

In February 1970, a groundbreaking ceremony, also covered by The New York Times, was held for the new campus priced at $61 million. Dropping from nine buildings to six, the campus was expected to be move-in ready by September 1973.

But during preliminary construction it was discovered that the structural columns, costing $840,000 each, were not the right size, costing the project more delays.

Three years and $16 million later the project was officially abandoned and funds were instead used to renovate the existing BCC campus.

Fast forward to the 1990s when Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, now representing the area that holds Concourse Yards, proposed building an additional school to the DOE. Dinowitz believed that adding schools in the area would relieve some overcrowding issues, given the size of the Concourse Yards.

Although the DOE didn’t adopt his idea, Dinowitz seemed to be overjoyed that the Concourse Yard will finally be taken advantage of.

“[T]here is just tremendous opportunity and potential for those rail yards, so I am very pleased [Borough President] Diaz is doing this,” Dinowitz told the Norwood News.

Despite the previous failures, Diaz is returning to the Concourse Yards with a proposal that according to Dinowitz, “is a once in a generation opportunity for the Bronx to do something that is really going to have a positive effect.”