Photo by Adedamola Agboola
Businesses lining the commercial corridor on Bainbridge Avenue between East 205th and East 208th streets will receive cleaning services through a nonprofit agency that helps to beautify the neighborhoods.
“When I got elected, the number one issue people in this district complained about are the quality of life issues,” said Councilman Andrew Cohen, who represents the 11th Council District, which covers Norwood.
His support to improve the Norwood strip came in the form of a $65,000 council grant for Fedcap, a Bronx based workforce agency. Under Fedcap is the WildCat Service Corp., which runs the Neighborhood Improvement Program. The service provides cleaning services using employees who are ex-felons or the downtrodden. The program started in early October, with workers maintaining the commercial area three days a week. Their employment complements the work by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), which will continue picking up trash there.
“We act as the first employment contact for people who are newly entering the employment market from the Department of Corrections and other agencies,” explained Mario La Rosa, manager of Fedcap Operations. “The program also helps those we hire to develop marketable skills before they head up to another job.”
The services mirror that of a Business Improvement District (BID), a commercial area that exclusively receives cleaning services through a special tax property owners pay towards the private service. The BID eases the daily stress of business owner, who can be hit with heavy fines by DSNY for improperly maintaining the sidewalk adjoining their store. At any given day, trash can accumulate considerably, turning off potential shoppers.
The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated by next June and might be renewed by Cohen, though that’s largely determined by how well the program did. “[W]e’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Cohen said of whether he’ll renew the grant.
The $65,000 is part of the $103,921 Cleanup NYC grant awarded to each City Council member for cleaning services including street sweeping, litter pickup, and graffiti removal.
“Through this initiative, Fedcap will help ensure that residents enjoy the dynamic neighborhoods they call home, while welcoming visitors to experience all this community has to offer,” Cohen wrote in a statement. “I look forward to working with Fedcap to enhance the cleanliness of our shopping corridors.”
Editor’s Note: Residents are encouraged to call Councilman Andrew Cohen’s office to alert them of areas requiring a cleanup. They c an be reached at (718) 549-7300.
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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.
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I have just finished reading the article about the cleanup program on Bainbridge avenue. I live on Bainbridge avenue at 3166. It is sorely needed. There has also been an influx of merchants setting up fruit stands, which take up many feet of the sidewalk, and are also very dirty. They keep the fruit on the street 24-7. Another concern of mine is the store that opened up over the summer right next to our building. It’s called the People’s pharmacy at 3176 Bainbridge avenue. They have speakers set up outside the store that blare announcements from 9 in the morning until 9:30 at night. I have tried everything in my power to get them to stop or at least lower the volumn. I have complained to the owner who totally disregards my concerns, I have called 311 numerous times to no avail, and I have also complained to the community affairs officer at the 52nd. pct. who told me a number of times that she would take care of the problem. The problem still exists. I can hear this all day in my apartment. I have lived in this neighborhood since 1971 and have never had to deal with this quality of life issue. Imagine having to listen to this 11 hours a day. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely EDelcastillo
I concur with your concerns. Instead of having a fruit stand there, there should be a bench for the public to sit across from that area. I also find those announcements very irritating.