MELROSE—When it opened in the summer of 2017, Porto Salvo quickly became a neighborhood favorite and gathering place for both locals and those who work in the neighborhood.
While the South Bronx had its share of Italian restaurants that have been around for decades, Porto Salvo quickly stood out with its menu not so much focusing on Italian American cuisine but on continental Italian food as you would have if you were in Italy.
Grilled octopus (below) and bruschetta funghi e fontina are some of the perfect appetizers to get you started.
Couple that with an excellent wine bar and a slate of tasty cocktails and you quickly understand why this is such a popular place to gather.
The menu is heavily influenced by owner and chef, Luigi Ghidetti’s hometown of Terracina, Italy nestled on the coast between Rome and Naples. Growing up on the coast, you soon understand why the restaurant has a nautical feel to it including its menu.
The whole branzino is a classic at Porto Salvo and a must-have.
From favorites like the branzino al vino bianco or the whole branzino roasted for those hungry enough to eat an entire fish to the caciucco, a Tuscan-inspired seafood stew, there are enough tasty dishes that you’ll want to try them all.
Classic steak and eggs with rosemary roasted potatoes is also a big hit
And even better, they’re open on Saturdays and Sundays for brunch where you can snag five different types of Italian-inspired omelets, steak and eggs, waffles and fresh fruits, chocolate pancakes, or a bunch of other tasty brunch classics.
The meatballs are a must have and are a family recipe of Chef Luigi Ghidetti’s grandmother
Check out the excellent video below and if you haven’t checked them out, head over to Porto Salvo at 424 E 161st Street between Melrose and Elton Avenues.
Applications are now being accepted for 119 brand-new apartments located at 980 Westchester Avenue in the Foxhurst neighborhood of The Bronx.
This is another affordable housing development where the units are actually affordable for local residents.
980 Westchester Avenue aka Tiffany Court Plaza
Known as Tiffany Court Plaza, the 7-story building has units for households making 30, 50, 60, and 70% of the Area Median Income with rents as follow for each category:
30%
$362 a month for studios for households making $14,915-$28,650
$465 a month for 1 bedroom units for households making $18,789-$32,220
$569 a month for 2 bedroom units for housholds making $23,246-$38,670
$650 a month for 3 bedroom units for households making $26,949-$44,400
Typical kitchen and layout / Via Housing Connect
50%
$683 a month for studios for households making $25,920-$47,750
$865 a month for 1 bedroom units for households making $32,503-$53,700
$1,050 a month for 2 bedroom units for housholds making $39,738-$64,450
$1,205 a month for 3 bedroom units for households making $45,978-$74,000
60%
$843 a month for studios for households making $31,406-$57,300
$1,065 a month for 1 bedroom units for households making $39,360-$64,440
$1,290 a month for 2 bedroom units for housholds making $47,966-$77,340
$1,482 a month for 3 bedroom units for households making $55,475-$88,880
Typical bathroom / Via Housing Connect
70%
$1,003 a month for studios for households making $36,892-$66,850
$1,265 a month for 1 bedroom units for households making $46,218-$75,180
$1,530 a month for 2 bedroom units for housholds making $56,195-$90,230
$1,760 a month for 3 bedroom units for households making $65,006-$103,600
Please note, for each unit, there are further income requirements depending on household size so please refer to the website and application for further details.
Amenities are minimal with a shared laundry room and bike storage listed as well as outdoor and outdoor terrace listed in shared amenities. This building is also listed as smoke-free.
The development is located just a few blocks from the 2 and 5 subway at Simpson Street and a short walk to the 6 train at Hunts Point Ave. Also located within close proximity is shopping along Westchester Avenue and Southern Boulevard.
Lottery ends on February 10, 2022, so you have a little less than a month to apply. You can apply either online or by mailing in an application but not both. If you apply more than once, you may be disqualified.
To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to 980 Westchester Apartments c/o Wavecrest Consulting LLC, 87-14 116th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418.
As with this and any other real estate development, please do not contact us as we cannot help you as we are not affiliated with this or any real estate development. We are simply sharing the news on its availability.
When Salim Drammeh set out to raise funds for the Gambian Youth Organization for the victims of Sunday’s deadly fire at Twin Parks North West in the Fordham area of The Bronx, he set out with a $200,000 goal.
In less than 24 hours, that $200,000 goal was surpassed on GoFundMe and within less than 48 hours it has reached over $800,000 thanks in part to over 16,000 donors.
According to Drammeh, all donated funds will be distributed to the victims and will be distributed by the Gambian Youth Organization which is located just a few blocks away and serves many families impacted by this tragic event.
Over 50 donors have contributed $1,000 or more including $3,000 from Ghetto Gastro and $1,000 from Webster Locksmith, two local Bronx institutions.
An anonymous donor generously contributed $8,000 to the fund pushing it over the $800,000 mark earlier this morning.
And help is pouring from all corners of The Bronx.
Lynne Corry, founder of Giving Friends, stayed up all night on Sunday bagging toiletries, brand new coats, hats, and clothing for the victims of the fire. Monday morning she went straight to work and during her lunch break, she went over to Council Member Oswald Feliz’ office to drop off the donations.
Lynne Corry of Giving Friends
Bronx Dems, in partnership with Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, and Congressman Ritchie Torres, is accepting donations at various locations for new and unworn clothes, coats, underwear, and socks along with other items.
The Arches, a luxury development in Port Morris is also asking residents for donations for those impacted by the fires.
Meanwhile, Chocobar Cortés, a recently opened Puerto Rican restaurant in Port Morris, is donating all proceeds of sales of their hot chocolate this week to The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City set up to help those impacted by the fire.
“We may be new to the Bronx community, but we are heartbroken over the tragic loss of lives and the pain and suffering of the families who have lost loved ones and who have been displaced by the fire,” said Carlos Cortés, Executive Director of Chocobar Cortés. “We hope our small gesture of compassion will help them.”
The restaurant will also have a donation jar for those who just simply want to make a donation.
Another Port Morris business, Beatstro, the hip-hop-themed restaurant on Alexander Avenue, partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide hundreds of hot meals and will continue to do so in the coming days for the families of 333 E 181st Street.
Orthodox Jewish volunteers on the scene helping feed victims of the fire / via Chaskel Bennet on Twitter
Even folks in Brooklyn have come to the aid of these families. Orthodox Jewish volunteers were at the scene feeding and providing supplies for those in need.
In the midst of enormous tragedy, the heart of NY'ers shines through. Orthodox Jewish volunteers from Shomrim organizations across NYC, Masbia & others are in the Bronx tonight helping shattered families pick up the pieces. G-d bless the FDNY & today's victims. #WhoWeArepic.twitter.com/mFMEI02Y82
For those that want to drop off needed items, you can do so at the below drop-off locations listed in the images below.
The Bronx spirit is strong and is not easily broken nor will it ever be as long as we continue to live to help and protect our neighbors and that’s something we do very well even when our communities may not have sufficient resources, we’re masters at pooling what we have together for the greater good.
Claudia Irizarry Aponte and Greg B. Smith, THE CITY
This article was originally published on Jan 10 at 9:15pm EST by THE CITYFatma Barow lost her 19-year-old cousin in a Bronx residential building fire that killed more than a dozen people, Jan. 10, 2022. | Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
In 2018, a year after a fire in a residential building killed 12 in his district, then-Bronx City Council member Ritchie Torres co-sponsored a bill mandating that all residential buildings must have self-closing doors by mid-2021.
Now a congressman, Torres announced on Monday a federal, state and local task force to examine residential building fire safety standards — including enforcement of the local law mandating self-closing doors he championed in the Council — after a deadly fire killed 17 people in the Twin Parks tower in Fordham Heights.
“We have to ensure that the housing stock is brought to the 21st century when it comes to fire safety — and The Bronx is no stranger to deadly fire,” said Torres, noting that the borough has seen New York City’s four deadliest blazes in the past 30 years.
A Twin Parks tenant reported as recently as last month that their self-closing entry door did not shut: Tenants in unit 6K submitted a complaint to the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development about their door on Dec. 6.
And another tenant told THE CITY that her apartment had door trouble for years.
“That door has never closed by itself,” Twin Parks tenant Yamina Rodríguez, who lived in unit 12J, said in Spanish. “I’ve lived here since 2004 and I’ve always had to close that door myself.” A spokesperson for the property owner, Bronx Park Phase III Preservation LLC, said they had not received any reports of issues with that door.
Kelly Magee, the spokesperson on behalf of the joint venture that owns the building, said the problem reported Dec. 6 was fixed within 24 hours. The city housing code website reports that inspectors contacted the tenant, who told them the problem was fixed.
On Monday, city officials revised their figure for the number of deaths from 19 to 17, confirming some double-counting initially. But the scope of the catastrophe still made it the worst fire in New York City in three decades, whose victims include eight children dead and another 32 tenants hospitalized.
City fire commissioner Daniel Nigro asserted in a Monday press conference alongside Mayor Eric Adams that the front door in the third-floor apartment where the fire started “malfunctioned” and did not close.
FDNY Chief Daniel Nigro speaks about a deadly fire at a Bronx residential building on East 181st Street, Jan. 10, 2022. Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
“The door was not obstructed: The door, when it was fully open, stayed fully open because it malfunctioned,” he said, noting that severe smoke inhalation caused the majority of deaths and serious injuries.
Nigro added that another open door, from a stairwell into a corridor, spread the smoke: “the 15th floor became quite untenable.”
Stiffened Penalties
The 2018 city law requiring self-closing doors built on an existing state statute that had a lesser penalty for violations.
It amended the city housing code to require all owners of properties with three or more apartments to install and maintain self-closing doors or add devices to existing doors to accomplish that task for all doors providing access to interior corridors or stairs.
Councilmember Joseph Borelli (R-Staten Island) sponsored the legislation in 2018 following a series of Bronx fatal fires that resulted in 15 deaths and 29 injuries.
Borelli did not respond to several phone calls from THE CITY seeking comment.
Before the new law, a door that failed to close was a Class B “hazardous” violation with minor penalties. The new law ramped up the punishment: owners are now supposed to receive a Class C “immediately hazardous” violation — the most severe — and be required to get up to code within 21 days.
Under the old law, HPD issued 22,000 citations for this violation in the year that ended July 2021, with 18,000 closed as corrected. The department said Monday that following the new law, the checklist for housing inspectors now includes self-closing doors as an item that must be reviewed during inspections.
HPD said at Twin Parks, the most recent self-closing door violations were issued in 2017 and then another in 2019. Both citations were reinspected and observed to be corrected by August 2020, they said.
“Self-closing doors are essential to fire safety, which is why HPD proactively checks to ensure compliance at every apartment it inspects, regardless of the initial complaint,” HPD spokesperson Anthony Proia said.
“Yesterday’s fire was a devastating tragedy, and our hearts go out to all the families affected by the worst kind of loss. We urge residents to report malfunctioning doors to property owners or call 311 if issues are not corrected and HPD will respond.”
Asked about the law he co-sponsored, Torres said Monday: “The law is only as good as its enforcement. No matter what law we have, we’re gonna have to ensure that we have enough building inspectors and fire inspectors and housing inspectors to hold landlords accountable. We need rigorous code enforcement.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) speaks about working with local leaders to help the victims of a deadly fire at a residential building on East 181st Street, Jan. 10, 2022. Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
He added that the task force, which he announced alongside Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and city Councilmembers Oswald Feliz (D-The Bronx) and Pierina Sánchez (D-The Bronx), will also investigate manufacturing standards for electronic space heaters, as well as sprinklers and smoke alarm systems.
Heat Issues
Several longtime tenants who spoke with THE CITY on Sunday and Monday said Twin Parks had persistent heat and fire safety issues for years.
Rodríguez, 52, said she and her daughters often resorted to using space heaters, because the heat in the building was “inconsistent,” she said in Spanish.
And Miguel Henríquez, 67, told THE CITY on Sunday that “no one” at the building “paid attention” to the building’s fire alarms because they rang at all hours of the day.
The state’s Homes & Community Renewal agency has oversight of the building, monitoring whether it’s in compliance with health and safety regulations. On Monday, spokesperson Brian Butry responded by email to THE CITY:
“HCR is currently conducting an internal review of records related to this building. We will make any relevant information public as soon as it is determined to not interfere with the ongoing FDNY investigation. HCR’s immediate focus has been on the health and safety of the residents and helping them find stable housing while they have been displaced.”
On Monday the owners said there were no open violations for problems with self-closing doors, but they acknowledged that on July 27 maintenance staff had to repair the lock on one of the entry doors for the apartment where the fire started, and checked to make sure the self-closing mechanism functioned properly.
More than 100 families were displaced after one of the deadliest fires in city history took place in a Bronx residential tower, Jan. 10, 2022. Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
The building was built in 1972 under the state’s Mitchell-Lama affordable housing program and was purchased in January 2020 by a joint venture that includes Rick Gropper, a member of Adams’ transition committee, and Andrew Moelis, the son of for-profit affordable housing developer Ron Moelis.
Sprinklers are installed only in the basement compactor room and laundry room, circumstances that are allowed under city housing code because its ceilings and floors are poured concrete and it’s fire doors are sufficient to make the building qualify as “non-combustible,” a spokesperson for the owner said.
The scope of the destruction caused by the fire is extensive. Of the 120 units, HPD has issued vacate orders covering 27 apartments with five inspections pending, building records show.
Gambian and Dominican Communities Devastated
Repercussions from the fire devastated the area’s Gambian and Dominican communities, which many Twin Parks residents hailed from.
Dawda Docka Fadera, a Gambian ambassador in the U.S., said in a press conference alongside Adams on Monday that the majority of the 17 victims had roots in the west African country. A representative for the consulate general of the Dominican Republic was also in attendance.
“Our country is currently in a state of shock,” Fadera said.
A fundraiser set up by the Gambian Youth Organization, a 20-year-old community group headquartered just steps away from Twin Parks, had raised more than half a million dollars in direct aid for the fire victims just 24 hours after the disaster.
Momodou Sawaneh, the organization’s founder, said on Monday afternoon that “100%” of the funds would go directly to the victims: “cash payments, transportation, funeral expenses. The only thing we can guarantee is that the funds are going to go to the people who deserve this.”
Shawaneh added the organization is in contact with Adams and Gibson’s offices, who offered to help distribute the funds.
The city set up a donation and shelter site at Monroe College in The Bronx after a deadly fire in a nearby residential building, Jan. 10, 2022. Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
About 50 families were receiving services from the group, the majority of them from Latin America, he said. He said that only “about 10%” of families who had reached out to the group hailed from Gambia.
At GYO’s modest headquarters on East 181st Street, piles of coats, clothes, foods and water bottles grew faster than volunteers, some of them from the Bronx chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, could stock them. Cars unloading supplies often clogged traffic on the narrow street that afternoon.
“This is not limited to one community, but every community,” he said. “We serve everyone.”
The Bronx, yet again, finds itself at the center of another tragic fire that has claimed a record number of lives unseen since the Happy Land Social club arson that killed 87 in 1990.
Nineteen lives perished, including nine children as a result of a fire that broke out at Twin Parks North West located at 333 E 181st Street in the Fordham neighborhood of the borough around 11 AM.
The fire itself was contained to a small area of the 19 story building but black smoke soon overwhelmed the building darkening hallways and stairwells and as a result, it appears many of those who perished was a result of the resulting conditions and not the actual fire itself.
via USA Today
Many are asking how and why could a fire claim so many lives.
The FDNY stated that the fire seems to have begun due to a faulty space heater and the situation got out of control as a result of someone not closing the door to their apartment as they fled but is this really where the blame should go?
Apartment and common doors in apartment buildings must close automatically as per building and fire codes. Clearly, that didn’t happen in this situation if a door was “left open”.
According to NBC News, a statement from the owner of the building indicated that the building has self-closing doors as required. But if that’s the case then why was a door left open cited by the FDNY as the cause of the gravity of this tragedy?
A child was returned with their parent by a firefighter at the scene of a fire in a high-rise building in the Bronx. The devastating fire claimed the lives of at least 19 people, including nine children. https://t.co/bInWnljwDxpic.twitter.com/WWbbyJ9Qp7
Then we have the space heater. Why was a space heater needed in the first place? In The Bronx, we know the answer: Landlords skimp on heating units properly.
Heat complaints had been filed in the past year at 333 E 181st Street and that’s just those who actually took the time to complain. Many wonder why people wouldn’t complain and there can be many reasons from apathy because nothing is ever really done to tenants perhaps fearing being evicted for reporting such conditions.
It’s important to note also that not every unit is heated the same. Some units are warmer and some units are colder, it’s just the nature of not having centralized heating for each unit so while you may get some tenants saying heat wasn’t a problem, there are others that will complain to the contrary.
While all of this is speculation and we admittedly do not have all the details, as Bronxites, we speak from experience when it comes to landlords and lack of sufficient services especially in low-income housing.
And this isn’t the first fire in recent years that claimed a horrific number of lives.
Just a little over 4 years ago, a fire broke out at 2363 Prospect Avenue in Belmont which killed 13 people. It was the city’s deadliest blaze since the Happy Land arson in 1990 until yesterday’s tragic event.
Many of these deaths are preventable with proper building code enforcement but without the political will to actually do something about it, it will be only a matter of time until The Bronx once again sets another grim record as a result of a fire.
For those who would like to help out with donations, check out the needed resources and where you can drop off your donations below:
The Bronx finds itself once again at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic as positivity rates hit 27% in the borough, the highest in New York City as the Omicron variant proves to be highly more contagious than the original and subsequent variants.
And leading the city is the 10468 zip code, which covers parts of Fordham and Kingsbridge, and has a 46.89% positivity rate.
In fact, nine Bronx zip codes are in the top ten for highest positivity rates in New York City including, 10457, 10453, 10452, 10456, 10458, 10474, 10460, and 10467
While the trends are significantly higher during this record-breaking surge, hospitalizations and deaths are relatively low compared to when the pandemic first hit almost two years ago and thousands of Bronxites lost their lives.
This may be due to more people being vaccinated as well as the fact that the Omicron variant appears to be milder compared to the initial wave and the Delta variant which hit last year.
But even with lower hospitalization and death rates, The Bronx still leads in these categories as well, and perhaps it may be the case given that what we do know of COVID, people with comorbidities such as heart disease and diabetes or asthma are at much greater risk for more severe symptoms and even death as a result of the disease.
And while Omicron does appear to be milder, it by any means shouldn’t be a reason to let your guard down. There’s still much not known about possible long-term effects and we should still continue to do our best to not only protect ourselves but the most vulnerable within our communities.
Last week Tuesday, December 28, the Soundview Ferry line was officially extended to Throggs Neck adding a much-needed transportation alternative to a transit-starved area at Ferry Point Park.
For commuters in the area, the trek to Wall Street, where the ferry line ends, can take over 90 minutes by bus and subway as there is no subway line within walking distance but now the commute is just under one hour on the ferry.
And at $2.75 a ride, it is significantly cheaper than riding the express bus (and a much nicer ride) offering financial savings as well as time.
Mayor de Blasio at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Throggs Neck Ferry stop/ Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
Also, for an added bonus, this particular stop in The Bronx is served by a shuttle bus and has parking making it easier for those who want to drive to the ferry and hop on.
According to the president of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation, “NYC Ferry ridership has outpaced expectations since the system first launched and ridership has recovered from the COVID crisis faster than any other mode of transit. We are proud this system is serving all five boroughs with safe, reliable, daily service, as we keep more New Yorkers with limited public transportation options moving.”
These numbers are encouraging but the routes still remain Manhattancentric.
Now that we have two stops within The Bronx, we need a direct connection to Queens and Brooklyn without the inconvenience of having to go through Manhattan.
The fact of the matter is that the majority of the economic growth in New York City continues to be in the outer boroughs so while we wait for a TriboroRx subway line to happen, we can start connecting The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn at a fraction of a cost with a ferry route.
While we’re at it, we can add a few more ferry stops say at City Island and/or the South Bronx and make robust use of our waterfront, and offer alternative ways of connecting our communities across the city.
This is a no-brainer and we must push our elected officials to make it happen.
Oh and by the way, although NYC Ferry is calling the stop “Throgs Neck”, we refuse to acknowledge that and will call it “Throggs Neck” with two “gs”as it should be!
The blight once known as Spofford Juvenile Detention center in the Hunts Point neighborhood of The Bronx is no more and in its place a massive 740 unit, four building mixed-use development is rising.
Located at 720 Tiffany Street, now, the first building at The Peninsula, as the development is called, is accepting applications for 164 truly affordable apartments.
720 Tiffany Street/Via Housing Connect
While we often write about affordable housing units that are available and how they are usually not truly affordable for the immediate local community, this phase of The Peninsula is not one of these.
Apartments are available to households making 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80% of the Area Median Income with rents starting as low as $396 for studios, $503 for 1 bedrooms, $597 for two bedrooms, and $683 for three bedroom units.
Rendering of The Peninsula/Via Housing Connect
Rents gradually increase at the higher income ranges but overall are still well below market rate.
Amenities include a community center, a children’s playroom, a gym, outdoor terraces, and bike storage lockers.
A kitchen at The Peninsula/Via Housing Connect
There will also be a 54,000 square foot plaza open to not just residents but the rest of the Hunts Point Community.
Once the development is complete, it will also include a black-box theater, art studio space for up and coming artists, space for The Point CDC and another location for Urban Health Plan, two institutions that have decades long roots within the Hunts Point community.
Living Room/Via Housing Connect
5% of units are set aside for individuals with mobility issues and 2% for those with vision and hearing impairments. A preference of 50% of units are for area residents living within Bronx Community Board 2 and 5% for NYC employees.
You have until February 21, 2022 to apply and you can do so online or by requesting an application by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to: Peninsula Building 1B C/O MHANY Management Inc. 470 Vanderbilt Ave. 9th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11238 but remember you can ONLY apply once either online or by mail but NOT both. Applying more than once can and will have you disqualified.
Open space plan at The Peninsula/Via Housing Connect
Also, please remember, do NOT contact Welcome2TheBronx regarding this or any other development. We are not connected with this or any real estate development and are simply reporting the news.
A brand new affordable housing development in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx is now accepting applications for sixty of its units.
Called Jerome Avenue Apartments, the development is located at 1769 Jerome Avenue at 176th Street, directly in front of the 176th Street Station on the 4 line, and is yet another development made possible by the massive Jerome Avenue Rezoning which was approved back in 2018.
The brand new 16 story development replaced a one-story building that previously occupied the lot before it was demolished.
Jerome Avenue Apartments has a range of amenities like bike storage rooms, air conditioning, hardwood floors, an in-building gym, recreation room, outdoor terrace, security cameras and security guards, as well as a shared laundry room.
Rendering of 1769 Jerome Avenue/Via Housing Connect
Available units via New York City’s affordable housing program are targeted towards households making either 60 or 80% of the Area Median Income.
At the 60% range, depending on household size, there are 16 studio units available at $947 a month for household incomes ranging from $34,972 to $57,300; 3 one-bedroom units at $1,192 a month for household incomes ranging from $43,715 to $64,440; 15 two-bedroom units at $1,420 a month for household incomes ranging from $52,423 to $77,340; and 1 three-bedroom unit at $1,420 for household incomes ranging from $60,583 to $88,800.
Rendering of a typical kitchen at Jerome Avenue Apartments/Via Housing Connect
The remainder of available units are set aside for households making 80% of the AMI and are as follows: 6 studio units at $1,163 a month for household incomes ranging from $42,378 to $76,400; 2 one-bedroom units at $1,465 a month for household incomes ranging from $53,075 to $85,920; 14 two-bedroom units at $1,770 a month for household incomes ranging from $64,423 to $103,120; and 3 three-bedroom units at $2,037 a month for household incomes ranging from $74,503 to $118,400.
As with the 60% range, the household income ranges at the 80% level depending on household sizes so make sure you carefully check the listing on housing connect to see if you qualify.
Although there’s a preference for 50% of the units to go to residents currently living within Community Board 5 where this development is located within, these income requirements aren’t reflective of the average household in the area.
According to data from New York City, 58.3% of residents within Community Board 5 are rent-burdened with households paying more than 30% of their incomes towards rent and 35.6% are living below NYC’s poverty line. The median household income in the area is $32,025 and the per capita income is $16,174 according to data from Census Reporter which clearly puts these units out of the reach of those who need it the most in the neighborhood.
While there are some developments that are truly affordable for most local residents, this doesn’t appear to be one based on available data.
If you want to apply, make sure you do so either online or by mailing in an application by January 18, 2022. To request an application you can send a self-addressed envelope to Jerome Avenue Apartments c/o Bronx Pro Group, 1605 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Bronx, NY 10453 but remember, you can ONLY apply once either online or by mail. If you apply more than once, you can be disqualified.
Good luck to those who apply and remember that we are NOT affiliated with this or any development or real estate listing and cannot offer you any help so please do not contact us about this development.
Two years ago, ‘Fordham Landing’ was proposed as a massive redevelopment of the Harlem River Waterfront in The Bronx directly south of the University Heights Bridge at Fordham Road that would bring thousands of residential units to the area.
Now, the developer has filed plans for the first building in the development which would rise 17 stories at 320 W Fordham Road at the foot of the University Heights Bridge with 602 residential units spread across 582,122 square feet.
And this is just the beginning for the development.
An initial rendering of Fordham Landing was released in 2019 when the development was first announced
Originally planned as a 2,800 residential unit development that would include a hotel and an upgraded Metro North Station at University Heights, the project has been scaled down to 2,400 units and a price tag of $2 billion rather than the original $3.5 billion original estimate.
The proposed development would spread across 30 acres on the Harlem River Waterfront and include half a million square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of community space according to Crain’s.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2022 with an estimated completion time around 2024-2025 for the first building. 30% of the 602 units will be set aside as “affordable” meaning that this development will be market rate and not targeted at the local, existing population in the surrounding area.
Site of proposed ‘Fordham Landing’ at 320 West Fordham Road
While construction for the initial residential tower at 320 W Fordham Road does not require city approval, the remainder of the development requires zoning changes so plan on this development taking a considerable amount of time to be completed.
With a $2 billion price tag, Fordham Landing will dwarf the South Bronx’s Bankside which is currently the borough’s most expensive development costing just shy of $1 billion. That development, which is almost halfway complete, will bring 1,350 units of luxury housing to the South Bronx Waterfront at the foot of the Third Avenue Bridge.
As proposed, it would also be the largest development in New York City since Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side and it’s this very comparison that brings concerns to what this may do to the area.
Rendering of Fordham Landing
The proposed development is located in Bronx Community Board 7 where 27.4% of residents are below the NYC Poverty Line and only 16.6% have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
As of last year, Community Board 7 was listed second in New York City as the area with the greatest risk to affordable housing where 65.8% of residents are severely rent-burdened paying more than 30% of their income in rent alone.
Of the roughly 2,400 units that are proposed for this development, 30% would be set aside as affordable housing or roughly 720 units.
Luxury housing on the waterfront will not help improve these conditions for existing residents but will only put more pressure on their already precarious situation. We’ve seen how this plays out across other neighborhoods in New York City and it seems that University Heights’ fate will now face the same.
When Nilka Martell, a local Bronx resident and founder of Loving The Bronx, first mentioned to people that the Cross Bronx Expressway should be capped to create more parkland and re-stitch the communities it severed so long ago, people said she was crazy for thinking it could ever happen.
She, like thousands of Bronxites who live near the expressway have witnessed first hand the deadly consequences that the intense pollution from one of America’s busiest highways brings with it.
Residents of The Bronx suffer from some of the highest rates of asthma in the nation and some of the highest hospitalization rates in the city and many such residents live in close proximity to the Cross Bronx.
Nilka Martell, founder of Loving The Bronx, spoke about her dream of capping the Cross Bronx at the press conference held yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
Add to that, when the highway was constructed, it ripped apart and separated communities across the borough leaving a scar that would never quite heal leaving The Bronx susceptible to greater issues.
Despite the fact that capping the expressway and create parkland over it to help remedy these issues, people still thought Nilka was crazy.
But not everyone thought so.
New York State Assemblywoman Karina Reyes, who represents the area, was the first elected official Martell discussed her vision with and Reyes immediately threw her support behind the idea.
Imagine placing a deck over portions of the Cross Bronx and placing parks atop the polluting roadways
Even with support from local elected officials and community leaders and despite a study conducted by Peter Muennig, MD, MPH at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in 2018 that identified 2.4 miles of the expressway that could be capped over and thus creating more greenspace, the idea still remained a pipe dream for many.
However, now with the passage of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill, there is hope that what seemed impossible will indeed become possible.
To that end, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer came to the Bronx and was joined with Congressman Ritchie Torres to announce that they have been in conversations with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to provide funding for the first phase of capping parts of the expressway which would be a study to determine feasibility.
The Cross Bronx Expressway, built by Robert Moses, is both literally and metaphorically a structure of racism, with diesel truck traffic polluting the air black and brown kids breathe everyday. @SecretaryPete: Cap the Cross Bronx! https://t.co/etb4r3qyqj
In the infrastructure bill there is a fund called the “Reconnecting Communities” fund which according to the White House will be the, “…first-ever program to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure. The program will fund planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure through $1 billion of dedicated funding.”
Up to $2 million from the grant will be awarded which is where the feasibility study comes in to determine what can be one in the 2.4 mile stretches of the Cross Bronx that have been identified where a platform can be constructed across the highway and creating open spaces and re-stitching the communities it tore apart.
Assemblywoman Karina Reyes (left), Congressman Ritchie Torres, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Nilka Martell
When the initial study by Columbia University came out several years ago, the estimated price tag of the project was $757 million dollars and according to Congressman Torres could be as high as $1 billion.
There is hope that the project can be funded by the federal government or in combination with state and local funds.
For The Bronx and its residents, this is a moment on the verge of history if funding is indeed provided to push this project forward to rectify the damages that for far too long have impacted the borough.
The study by Columbia University stated in 2018 that creation of such deck parks over a highway would positively impact the lives of over 200,000 Bronx residents and adding up to 2 months to their life expectancy not to mention the improvements of the overall health of area residents which would far outweigh the cost of implementing such a plan in the long run.
Our community deserve to breathe clean air, this isn’t a luxury but a right. It is no surprise why The Bronx became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic as the virus greatly impacts those with upper respiratory conditions such as asthma thus proving what the initial study found.
Still, with all the recent headlines this year surrounding the capping of the Cross Bronx, many residents have voiced their skepticism across social media platforms that the project will get done.
But at the towards the end of the press conference, Nilka Martell had words for the skeptics who told her no and that it was a crazy idea.
She ended her speech by quoting Margaret Mead who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”.
Yesterday’s elections in New York City were historic on many fronts. Democrat Eric Adams easily beat out Curtis Sliwa for major and will become America’s largest city’s second Black mayor in history.
Vanessa Gibson, The Bronx’s next and first Black and female borough president
On a more local level, Democrat Vanessa Gibson sailed to victory and will become the first female and Black borough president in Bronx history.
But that’s not all.
Also for the first time in history, The Bronx will be represented by a female majority in the New York City Council as five of the nine seats were won by women in yesterday’s citywide elections.
Council Member Diana Ayala
Diana Ayala (D) easily won her reelection bid for City Council District 8, which is half in the South Bronx with the rest in East Harlem, as she ran unopposed. Ayala will be joined by a cadre of newly elected women come this January when the new administration takes over.
Marjorie Velasquez
In the East Bronx, Marjorie Velasquez (D) won her bid to represent City Council District 13 which covers Morris Park, Country Club, Pelham Bay, Throggs Neck, City Island in the only race in The Bronx where a Republican candidate, Aleksander Mici, gave a Democratic candidate a run for their money. With almost 96% of precincts reporting as of this writing, Velasquez is at 55.24% vs Mici at 44.55% ensuring her victory to replace outgoing Council Member Mark Gjonaj.
Pierina Sanchez
Over in the West Bronx, Pierina Ana Sanchez (D) sailed to a landslide victory in City Council District 14 to replace outgoing Council Member Fernando Cabrera.
Althea Stevens
Next, we have Althea Stevens (D) also cruising to victory in City Council District 16 to replace Vanessa Gibson who will become our next Borough President.
Amanda Farias
Finally, back in the East Bronx we have Amanda Farias (D) who also easily won her bid to represent City Council District 18 and will replace Ruben Diaz who, like his son the current Borough President, will be retiring after his term is up at the end of the year.
But women won’t just only be the majority in The Bronx but they will now be the majority come January in the New York City Council 30 women will likely be elected to the legislative body by the time all votes are counted.
This is a victory for Melissa Mark-Viverito, the former New York City Council Speaker who represented The Bronx and made it her mission to get more women elected to the council who was concerned at the decline of women in the legislative body after she was term-limited in 2017 and that number dropped to 11.
To that end, Mark-Viverito started an initiative called ’21 in 21′ with a goal of electing 21 women to the city council in this year’s race. Her organization not only met that goal but exceeded it and made history for New York City.
The incoming members are also the most diverse in our city’s history and representative of its residents so perhaps we shall see a more equitable city in the future.
