A full year after the city promised to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to develop the Kingsbridge Armory, officials say they cannot predict when that will happen. In order to bid out the decade-long development project, the city needs to gain full control of the East 195th Street annex to the rear of the Armory, which still houses two National Guard units.
It appears that there is one final hitch in getting things going on the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory. For the project to include schools, the National Guard units that occupy the buildings on the northern perimeter of the facility need to find another home.
The latest print edition of the Norwood News is making its way into Bronx libraries, schools, community centers, hospitals, medical offices, laundromats, grocery stores and more. In this issue, you'll find: primary election coverage, including local results and controversies; a story about hockey legend Mark Messier and his new role as head of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center at the Kingsbridge Armory (the project was approved by Community Board 7 on Tuesday night; the story behind the suicide attempt inside a Norwood Catholic church; health tips for allergy sufferers, our Out & About arts and entertainment guide and more. If you can't make it out to pick a copy up of your own, no problem, just download the digital version at any time. We'll start rolling out the print edition stories here on Breaking Bronx on Friday.
Those wishing to donate goods to help with the ongoing storm relief effort caused by Hurricane Sandy can bring non-perishable food, bottled water, blankets, batteries and clothing to the Kingsbridge Armory, west entrance on Reservoir Avenue between West Kingsbridge Road and West 195th Street. If you want to volunteer, call (718) 473-6993.
As you read this, the Norwood News is being delivered throughout the northwest Bronx neighborhoods of Fordham, University Heights, Kingsbridge Heights, Van Cortlandt Village, Fordham-Bedford, Bedford Park and, of course, Norwood. If you can't wait to pick up your print copy and you have power, read the PDF version online. We've got storm coverage, general election updates (Vote Nov. 6!), Kingsbridge Armory buzz, police-community relations news, our Be Healthy section, new Neighborhood Notes, our guide to free and affordable programs, services and events, the extensive Out & About section, our hyper-local arts, recreation and entertainment listings and more. Enjoy.
If you read the post from earlier today, the headline pretty much says everything. The motion to dismiss Community Boart 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado, the only item on tonight's agenda, was shot down 15 to 10 with three abstentions. More on this in the coming days. But the question now becomes: How does the board move forward after such an obvious rift between not only the board chair and the district manager, but also the disparate factions of members who wanted Tirado out and those who supported him? The move to oust Tirado was, as far as we can tell, completely unprecedented. With several big issues facing the board, including the coming redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months. Stay tuned...
After nearly two years of campaigning and many significant revisions, the City Council on Monday passed a version of the controversial Living Wage bill, which was introduced by two Bronx council members and born out of a 2009 fight over wages at a shopping mall proposed to fill the Kingsbridge Armory.
The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, sponsored by Bronx Council Members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma, would require developers of projects receiving taxpayer subsidies of more than $100,000 to pay workers $10 an hour with benefits, or $11.50 without. The bill, which sprang from the living wage fight that derailed a plan to develop the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall, has the support of every Bronx Council member, with the exception of James Vacca, who had said he was waiting for a hearing on the issue before taking a side. “He’s wary of any legislation that might prevent jobs, and I’m not sure he’s convinced,” said Vacca spokesman Bret Nolan Collazzi, in a phone interview after the hearing.
In Kingsbridge Heights, they asked about the plan for developing the Kingsbridge Armory and alienating parkland. In Mt. Hope, they asked about the mounting murder count. And in Van Cortlandt Village, they asked about the Indian Hills nuclear power plant, just a few dozen miles up the interstate. This spring, in a departure from recent history, local elected officials are holding town hall meetings throughout the northwest Bronx and asking residents to voice their concerns, questions and conundrums.
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