By DAVID CRUZ

In a State of the Borough speech packed with pomp, ambition and proposals, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. talked of the Bronx on the mend, powered by a list of accomplishments and tempered gravitas.

In his annual State of the Borough speech that encompassed his overarching master plan, Diaz offered a narrative of a Bronx leaning in the right direction, marked by rapid development throughout. In the 41-minute speech that earned 67 rounds of applause, Diaz spoke largely on the burgeoning business boom that continues in the borough.

“The Bronx has never been more open for business,” said Diaz. “If you’re looking to invest, the time is now.”

Successes have trickled down to Bronx residents who’ve now found jobs easily. It’s contributed to a five percent unemployment rate, the lowest in years.

Development served as a primary theme in his agenda-driven speech, foregoing the theme of the “New Bronx” from last year. He delivered his speech before a packed crowd at the new Bay Plaza shopping center in Baychester. The setting served as a symbolic reminder of some progress the borough has seen in the last year, which also saw several other marquee projects lining up, which include online grocer FreshDirect.

Diaz touched on what lied ahead for the Bronx, including a film production company in Soundview, a massive freezer facility in Hunts Point, an expansion of the Hutchinson Metro Center campus and major development changes for the South Bronx waterfront. The Bronx General Post Office in Mott Haven is now slated to become a retail center by developer Youngwoo & Associates.

He also announced an assessment of possible decking several major train yards in the borough–149^th Street, the Grand Concourse near Lehman College and the yards by Riverdale and Kingsbridge—to spur more development. He even took a jab at Mayor Bill de Blasio, who eyed the borough of Queens for a decking plan for future development. That proposal was later rejected by residents, and received little support from Albany.

“Mr. Mayor, if they’re not interested in Queens, why not try the Bronx,” said Diaz.

While projects have been completed, Diaz made little mention of any advancement within the Kingsbridge Armory, slated to be repurposed into a massive ice center. In his speech, Diaz mentioned the project is nearly “progressing.” When asked to elaborate further in a news conference shortly after the speech, Diaz offered little insight aside from a court ruling that allowed the Kingsbridge National Ice Center project to advance.

There were several adlibbed moments during the speech that hinted at the newfound pull bestowed to him, namely his allegiance with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. Mid-way through the speech, Diaz praised Albany and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to move forward with a plan to bring four Metro-North stations to the east portion of the Bronx, but he emphasized the need to seal the deal.

“Wink, wink, Mr. Speaker,” Diaz publicly told Heastie.

In State of the Borough speeches, problems are often paired with solutions. Diaz certainly followed that track on several issues. For housing matters involving seniors in the LGBT community, Diaz pledged funding to create housing specifically to that population. To fix the open more education opportunities, Diaz proposed the New York City Department of Education offer equal access to preparation courses for the specialized high school exams.

To fix the potential of a rent increase to seniors, a team of Borough Hall employees will fan out to inform residents of the rent freeze laws. To make buildings environmentally friendly, Diaz will partner with Councilman Andrew Cohen to pick eligible buildings for an “impact investment”—using a revolving fund with private monies to spur the greening of large residential properties.

But darker, more complicated issues were barely mentioned, including a heroin epidemic that continues to linger in the Bronx. In 2013, the borough saw the most heroin-related deaths than any other part of the city, a trend that exists primarily in central and south Bronx.

Notwithstanding its decades-long problem, resolutions to fix the heroin crisis remain on the outskirts.

Still, the Borough President suggested the Bronx’s better days are ahead, capping his speech with a “We can. And we will. Because we deserve it.”

Editor’s Note: To read the full speech click here.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.