The Real Deal has reported that two adjacent development sites along the Harlem River are being sold as a package deal.
According to the brokers for the deal, the site is the largest development site in NYC on the market at the moment.
Last month, 399 Exterior Street was reported to be on the market for $30 million and just this week it was announced that about 60,000 square feet of that lot was seized by the City of New York via eminent domain to create a new waterfront park.
399 and 335 Exterior Street are now being sold together offering up to 600,000 square feet of potential development space and is located directly south of the 145th Street Bridge just blocks away from several developments.
The combined lots offer up to 600,000 square feet of potential development as per current zoning regulations for the Special Harlem River Waterfront District subset of the Lower Concourse Rezoning which was approved back in 2009.
They also have over 700 feet of frontage along the waterfront.
The big question now is, will someone buy this property and if so, what will go here? Whatever is built, be it “affordable” housing or market-rate luxury, it will continue to add fuel to the new fire in the South Bronx that is gentrification.
After 45 years of shining bright and ushering in the holiday season along Pelham Parkway, it seems the Garabedian Bronx Christmas House may be lit for the last time.
For decades, the famous house at 1605 Pelham Parkway has been dazzling Bronxites and visitors with their extravagant Christmas displays that rival Macy’s holiday windows but the past several years the show has been starting later and later.
This time, local Bronxites in the area began to buzz on social media across several Facebook groups that it didn’t feel like Christmas as it was already December 3rd and the house wasn’t lit up yet.
It’s usually lit by Thanksgiving much the joy (and maybe chagrin) of its neighbors causing traffic back-ups as people passing by (and making pilgrimages to see it) slow down to catch a glimpse of the bright spectacle.
The current drama surrounding the fact that the house is barely a shell of its former self is so intense that even Gothamist trekked up to The Bronx to check it out for themselves.
They write:
This year, though, its light has dimmed. On December 3rd, we noticed a disclaimer posted to the house’s Facebook page. “We have had a delay in finishing the Christmas house; however, we are hoping to have the house ready to go soon!” reads a message written 11 days after Thanksgiving, the day the full panorama traditionally makes its seasonal debut. “We will put up a post on Facebook when the house is officially ready. Thank you for your continued love and support.” At time of writing—with just under two weeks to go until Christmas—no updates had been posted.
Undaunted, we pressed forward with our search for answers. Gothamist photographer Tod Seelie made his way to 1605 Pelham Parkway on December 5th, and upon arrival, confirmed the sad truth: The house had only been halfway finished, and further, its owners did not seem even a little inclined to discuss the delay. “We were able to get the attention of the owners through a window to ask if they could turn the lights on briefly, and were answered with an abrupt lowering of (admittedly festive) window shades,” Seelie reported upon filing his photos, seen above.
A reporter from the Gothamist ended up going back the next day and said it was mostly dark sadly.
Even News12 The Bronx showed up but they were able to speak with the owner, Gary Garabedian who said they’ve been delayed due to family problems and then the cold weather hit but promised the house would be lit by this weekend so only time will tell.
Even if it does get lit, we, like many others have noticed that the past several years it’s been delayed more and more.
So we ask, is this the end of a Bronx Christmas tradition I’ve known all my life like many others?
If it is, Christmas in The Bronx will never be the same.
One of our favorite neighborhoods in The Bronx is Little Italy in Belmont.
We’ve written about this gem of a neighborhood on numerous occasions and it’s simply because it’s one of the most unique enclaves in New York City and honestly because we have the best and only REAL Little Italy in the city.
NY1 took a look into the area and talks about why we’re still thriving up here while Manhattan’s more famous Little Italy is simply a shell of its former self.
You can watch the NY1 video here (sorry we can’t embed it like other videos because they’re restrictive with sharing).
Puerto Rican born and Bronx raised icon, Rita Moreno, ushered in her 87th birthday dancing mambo!
The legendary actress and entertainer has a career that stretches over 70 years and this week’s birthday celebration showed us a woman who we love and adore with no signs of stopping now.
Watch the video below and let’s wish Rita a happy birthday!
The remnants of the beloved old City Island Bridge, which was closed off to traffic on December 18, 2015 before being dismantled, are headed to the Atlantic Ocean.
After serving residents of The Bronx for 114 years, the bridge will now become part of an artificial reef off the coast of Long Island.
Hempstead Reef is located about 3.3 miles south of Jones Beach measuring 744 acres in size and is one of 12 such artificial reefs managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
This project is part of New York State’s largest expansion of these reefs in state history according to a press release from Governor Cuomo’s office.
“These concrete and steel bridge materials will enhance the local marine habitat and fishery populations, benefitting both anglers and divers frequenting New York’s artificial reefs,” Commissioner Seggos said. “Governor Cuomo recognizes that expanding Long Island’s artificial reefs is an innovative way to reuse materials for the benefit of the environment and our economy. I commend DEC’s marine resources staff for their work in this ongoing, historic reef expansion effort.”
While we miss the beautiful old City Island Bridge which was replaced with that ugly causeway, at least it will live on now under the sea and home to marine life.
What a fitting end to a bridge that once transported us over the water to now rest under the Atlantic Ocean.
Crown Diner has been serving the South Bronx community under the shadow of Yankee Stadium (both old and new) for the past 35 years.
Now, thanks to greed, the 24 hour spot closed on Sunday after the landlord refused to renew the lease.
Back in 2013, JP Morgan Chase purchased the building for $17,500,000 and according to the owner, the bank wanted the to leave them but they stood put and figured they’d negotiate a lease once it expired.
But that never happened.
According to one of the owners at Crown Diner, they weren’t given an option to renew because the bank has intentions to expand their existing branch just two stores down in the same building.
Many longtime residents on social media expressed their sadness at their beloved institution’s abrupt departure but sadly we noticed some recent transplants (read: gentrifiers) rejoicing that the space was closing and hoping that a Trader Joes or, “…something more nice”, would open up.
We can’t begin to state how gross those sentiments are. So Crown Diner may not have been the best establishment around when it came to food but it was a place that was pretty busy employing dozens of workers.
This past Friday, local residents and area employees ate their last meals at Crown Diner before shutting its doors for good on Sunday.
It was still a place where many in the local community would go for a meal and affordable for many in the area.
These comments are a perfect example why gentrifiers are so toxic to communities, especially those of color because they generally want to white wash everything out of existence and turn it into their own vision regardless of what’s been there for decades.
The owners will continue to operate Court Diner across the street but who knows how long they have there as well as rents continue to rise in the area.
In the meantime, keep enjoying your favorite local small businesses while they last.
Former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who represented the South Bronx, is running for New York City Public Advocate and today launched a 4-point plan, called Weed for Rails, which calls for the legalization of marijuana and utilize no less than 50% of the tax revenue from its sale to fund much needed improvements to our transit infrastructure.
If Mark-Viverito’s plan were to succeed, this would mean that if this potential is reached, it would provide $650 million to the cash-strapped MTA.
This morning, former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and candidate for Public Advocate for the city, launched her Weed for Rails program/Image via Monica Klein
This is a revenue stream that wouldn’t require raising taxes.
At a press conference this morning, as part of Weeds for Rails, Mark-Viverito also called for righting the historical wrongs that communities of color have suffered under the criminalization of marijuana use.
“And it’s far past time to legalize marijuana—because for years, white New Yorkers have smoked marijuana with no repercussions, while black and brown New Yorkers have been arrested.” said Mark-Viverito at today’s press conference.
And indeed Mark-Viverito has a strong record on correcting these wrongs. In 2014 as City Council Speaker, she was one of the first elected officials in New York State to publicly call for the legalization of marijuana and also championed and passed the Criminal Justice Reform Act which reduced the number of summonses issued for low-level offenses, yet another system that once impacted communities of color disproportionately.
With the upcoming special election this February for New York City Public Advocate, we strongly believe this is yet another reason why Melissa Mark-Viverito would make the perfect Public Advocate not just for The Bronx but for all of New York City.
You can read the entire 4-point plan here (PDF document).
RDC Development, along with Wavecrest management snagged a $120 million loan to make upgrades to the 1,088 unit NYCHA Betances Houses development in Mott Haven.
Just last month the de Blasio administration announced that Betances Houses had been transferred into a Section 8 program called RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) where a private developer would make necessary repairs and upgrades to the development and manage them for a 15-20 year period.
The Real Deal reportsthat permits have also been filed for construction of a 15 story residential building on property owned by NYCHA at Betances Houses which currently is a 1 story commercial building at 472 Willis Avenue.
According to Department of Buildings filings, the development will be a 90,000 square foot building with 101 residential units and 7,500 square feet of commercial space.
No further details on what exactly the development will be but it will most likely follow the trend of “affordable” housing construction on what is deemed “excess” land on NYCHA property.
472 Willis Avenue, which is part of Betances Houses, is currently a single-story commercial building occupied by a furniture store. The deli has been closed for some time now and permits have been filed to erect a new 15 story building at this site with 101 residential units.
While all of this might sound good on paper, many residents and activists fear that this is simply just a step towards full on privatization of public services like NYCHA.
Sadly, the government has given us plenty of reasons to be distrustful based on past experiences of further marginalization of low income communities especially those that are predominantly Black and Brown.
We have experienced first hand what disinvestment and planned shrinkage is like here in the South Bronx and that trauma has set in generations deep so it’s hard to shake that off when that’s what you knew all your life.
Betances Houses is a sprawling development of 39 buildings with a mixture of pre and post war developments.
Only time will tell but time is running out and NYCHA residents can’t wait and continue to live in horrendous conditions.
We don’t have the answers to solve this and I don’t think honestly anyone fully has the right answer. NYCHA’s crisis is simply too huge for a one-size fits all situation and perhaps such partnerships like at Betances will be needed while other solutions may work elsewhere.
In some conversations we have had on Twitter, activists have called for things like full tenant control or even turning NYCHA developments into tenant-owned cooperative and condominiums as was done in Sweden as mentioned by Shawn Garcia, East Harlem resident and activist (you can read more here about Sweden’s program but warning, it’s a pdf).
I would say a mobilization of tenant to launch a campaign to demand federal support and the open to buy in like a coop. Similar to how housing projects are treated in Sweden 🇸🇪
This is a scene you would not expect to see in the City of New York, let alone America.
Hundreds of residents were forced to fetch water from a fire hydrant this past Sunday as water to eight buildings was shut off without warning.
But according to the Legal Aid Society, about 4,000 residents in total were impacted by the neglect.
PIX11 News reported, “I turned on the sink in my 93-year-old grandmother’s house, and there was no water,” resident Clarissa Alayeto said. “So I started rolling on my cellphone. People need to see this is how we are living in NYCHA.”
Yesterday at a press conference with concerned tenants, activists and local elected officals, former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito who’s a candidate running to the city’s first Latina public advocate issued strong words on this and all the issues that have been plaguing NYCHA.
“Is it because it’s a low income community? Is it because Black and Brown people are living here? Is it because it’s in The Bronx?” asked Mark-Viverito at the press conference.
And indeed one must ask these questions even if we already know the answer. We know that The Bronx is short-changed constantly. We know that historically our government simply does not care when it comes to low-income communities of color living in such conditions.
In fact, it’s usually through deep systemic racist policies that our communities face such deplorable conditions.
Some buildings at Patterson Houses have been using portable boilers for heat and hot water for some time now.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr said something we agree with. “If the city and state could negotiate a deal for Amazon … (they) can find the money for heat and hot water,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr according to amNY.
There’s money for a company that doesn’t need run by the richest man in history, Jeff Bezos but they can’t work on our crumbling infrastructure? They can’t adequately house the poor?
Our City and State needs to get off their asses and do something already. People shouldn’t have to suffer and be treated worse than animals.
With $50 million pledged to restore the landmarked Orchard Beach Pavilion the next phase in bringing this beauty back to its former glory is happening tomorrow, Tuesday December 4 at Lehman High School.
Please be a part of the conversation of what you think the 200,000 square foot historic building should be utilized for at tomorrow’s meeting starting at 6:30PM until 8PM.
Orchard Beach Pavilion/Photo by Nilka Martell
Most of the pavilion has been off limits for years due to safety issues as the art deco masterpiece continues to deteriorate due to decay and neglect but those days are coming to an end as we reclaim one of our borough’s most iconic structures.
Today we’re happy to share this video done by Historic District Council highlighting this gem which is a living landmark and testament of resilience of our people of The Bronx.
In a neighborhood that is rapidly changing once again, this time not to disinvestment but through gentrification and developers building and not burning, it is increasingly important to document such historically and culturally significant spaces before they disappear.
We once used to think along the lines of “if” they disappear but now it’s just simply a matter of when.
Tell us what you think and please share this important video widely to keep the legacy of this place alive! Even better, stop by Casa Amadeo for yourself and support a local living landmark!
They’re located at 786 Prospect Avenue right at the 2 and 5 train station at Prospect.
It’s been almost 10 years since the Lower Concourse in Mott Haven was rezoned back in 2009 during the Bloomberg administration.
But now interest in along the waterfront is heating up.
It might not look like much but 399 Exterior Street, at almost 3.5 acres, is on the market for $30 million.
399 Exterior Street, at almost 3.5 acres between 144th and 146th Street along the Major Deegan Expressway is up for sale for a whopping $30,000,000.
This particular area of the rezoning area is a separate special district called the Special Harlem River Waterfront District (aka SHRWD) that was rezoned and designed to provide better access to the waterfront for Bronxites as well as encourage residential development.
Although it sits on the waterfront and that might sound ideal, it directly abuts the Major Deegan Expressway and that is your entrance into the property if a residential building was constructed: Right under a highway where cars and trucks race by with no care in the world.
This is what the street entrance to the lot looks like…future residents will look forward to walking underneath a highway to get to their homes!
Just a block away and across the street from the site, one particular block has been completely transformed as a result of the 2009 rezoning.
What was once vacant lots and small commercial buildings is now home to a Holiday Inn and two affordable housing developments with two additional developments under construction.
Truck traffic is generally heavy along Exterior Street.
Keep going south along Exterior Street and onto 135th Street and you’ll come across the construction site of the South Bronx’s first residential high rises.
The face of the South Bronx and indeed our borough is changing thanks to gentrification.
What was once the forgotten and unwanted borough of NYC is now front and center and the main dish for greedy developers who care nothing about the existing residents and culture they want to appropriate.
The new City Island Bridge is just a causeway without any character like the old bridge/©James T Breen
