Newly elected AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, the nation's top labor leader, touched down in the Bronx on Tuesday afternoon to stand with local activists and union members in their ongoing struggle to exact significant concessions from The Related Companies, the developer of the Kingsbridge Armory project.

In a sharp break from his predecessor's lenient approach to development in the borough, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz has applied the brakes to a city-backed proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall.

The Bronx News Network, in conjunction with BronxTalk, the cable television talk show hosted by Gary Axelbank on BRONXNET on Aug. 31, held a debate between Fernando Cabrera and Yudelka Tapia, candidates in the 14th District City Council race.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz refused to sign off on The Related Companies' proposal to transform the borough's largest indoor public space into a shopping mall.

He did the right thing.

The Bloomberg administration and its chosen developers expect communities to give carte blanche to projects even when they include massive chunks of prime public real estate and hand over considerable taxpayer subsidies to private companies. And they expect officials like Diaz to sign on the dotted line before negotiating Community Benefits agreements.

Adolfo Carrion, Diaz's predecessor, went along, but with this action Diaz has set a different tone early in his new administration, as we urged him to do in a July editorial.

The borough president's vote is advisory and the City Planning Commission, the majority of whom are mayoral appointees, is virtually certain to ignore it. But Related's proposal will then head to the City Council.

While the Council rarely bucks the mayor on development issues, Diaz's move puts pressure on the borough's Council delegation, especially Council Members Maria Baez, whose district the facility is in, and Oliver Koppell, who has taken a keen interest in the Armory even though it's just outside his district.

If the Bronx delegation votes "no," then Council members from other boroughs will almost certainly defer to its decision.

The Norwood News' 2009 primary voter's guide. Take a look at the candidates in the area's two competitive City Council races: the 11th and 14th Districts. Find out how and where to vote. And see who's running in the citywide races.

In a sharp break from his predecessor's lenient approach to development in the borough, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz has applied the brakes to a city-backed proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall.

The Bronx News Network, in conjunction with BronxTalk, the cable television talk show hosted by Gary Axelbank on BRONXNET on Aug. 31, held a debate between Fernando Cabrera and Yudelka Tapia, candidates in the 14th District City Council race.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz refused to sign off on The Related Companies' proposal to transform the borough's largest indoor public space into a shopping mall.

He did the right thing.

The Bloomberg administration and its chosen developers expect communities to give carte blanche to projects even when they include massive chunks of prime public real estate and hand over considerable taxpayer subsidies to private companies. And they expect officials like Diaz to sign on the dotted line before negotiating Community Benefits agreements.

Adolfo Carrion, Diaz's predecessor, went along, but with this action Diaz has set a different tone early in his new administration, as we urged him to do in a July editorial.

The borough president's vote is advisory and the City Planning Commission, the majority of whom are mayoral appointees, is virtually certain to ignore it. But Related's proposal will then head to the City Council.

While the Council rarely bucks the mayor on development issues, Diaz's move puts pressure on the borough's Council delegation, especially Council Members Maria Baez, whose district the facility is in, and Oliver Koppell, who has taken a keen interest in the Armory even though it's just outside his district.

If the Bronx delegation votes "no," then Council members from other boroughs will almost certainly defer to its decision.

The Norwood News' 2009 primary voter's guide. Take a look at the candidates in the area's two competitive City Council races: the 11th and 14th Districts. Find out how and where to vote. And see who's running in the citywide races.