Tag: Lower Concourse Rezoning District

EXCLUSIVE: Special Harlem River Waterfront District Just Moved One Step Closer To Becoming Reality

Could thousands of waterfront units along the South Bronx’s Lower Concourse Rezoning District reaching heights of up to 40 stories be far away? Picture gentrification of the South Bronx Citibikes, a Fairway market, cafes, high-tech and web design companies, bakers/caterers, artist work space, and professional/incubator space along the waterfront. Parks and esplanades tying commercial, residential (both affordable and market rate as well as supportive housing), retail all together.

If SoBRO and property owners in the district get their way, it can be what the future holds.

Yet Another Luxury Hotel Coming To The South Bronx

While the well-established and world-renowned Marriott Hotel chain seems to be having problems and delay after delay in opening its first Bronx hotel in the East Bronx, developers are taking advantage of the transportation rich neighborhoods of Melrose and Mott Haven.

Welcome2TheBronx has just learned from our friends over at YIMBY that plans have been filed for a 75 room luxury hotel at 335 Grand Concourse and East 140th Street.

Billions Spent In Melrose & Surrounding Area in New Construction In Less Than 10 Years

Over $2 billion has poured into the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx as well as adjacent areas in new construction — whether residential or new commercial — in less than 10 years easily out pacing the entire borough.

The bulk of the money has been centered in the many developments in Melrose such as La Terraza, Boricua College & North Rose Apartments, St Ann’s Terrace, Via Verde as well as the proposed 950 unit La Central Development which is currently estimated at $345 million.

Another Boutique Hotel To Open In Melrose Adding More Lodging Options In The South Bronx

Melrose and The South Bronx are experiencing a boom in the hotel industry.

First the luxury boutique Opera House Hotel opened on 149th street between Brook and Bergen and now coming this fall is the Umbrella Hotel. Located at 681 Elton Avenue between E 153rd & E 154th Streets right off 3rd Avenue, the 7 story building will house 56 rooms with rates varying from $129 – $159 per night said one of the owners and Bronxite, Manny Chadah of AMG Elton LLC.

Development Site For Sale on E 149th Street for $3 Million

Real Estate in the South Bronx is heating up.

A tiny 4,100 square foot lot in the Lower Concourse Rezoning District of the Bronx is currently listed for a whopping $3,000,000. The property at 100 East 149th Street at Exterior Street is located just across from the the Special Harlem River Waterfront District and at the foot of the 145th Street Bridge into Manhattan. With a zoning of M1-4/R8A, the site can be developed into a 10-12 story residential building.

A Walk Through The Lower Concourse Rezoning District In The South Bronx

The other day I decided to take walk around the Lower Concourse Rezoning District so that I can document the area before it starts changing and buildings are either demolished or converted.

What struck me the most was the number of available signs for entire buildings or lots to be developed that weren’t there before. It seems that owners are starting to pay attention to the media coverage and beginning to market their properties.

After One of The Roughest Winters In Recent Memory, PS 31 Still Stands In The Bronx

On November 8, 2013, New York City’s Department of Buildings issued an emergency demolition order for the landmarked ‘Castle on the Concourse’ aka PS 31. They cited it as a public safety issue and were concerned that it wouldn’t survive another Sandy-like weather event.

After a winter with record snowfalls and several buildings suffering major roof collapses due to the tremendous weight of all that snow, PS 31 still stands.

Morris Court, First Development In The Lower Concourse Rezoning District, Nearing Completion

Morris Court, which began construction two years ago after demolishing almost an entire block (only one property owner did not sell), is nearing completion as the first development to take advantage of the Lower Concourse rezoning approved back in 2009.

The $69 million complex, when complete, will include 201 mixed low & middle income units for families with incomes ranging from approximately $28,595 to $90,700 per year. 25% of the units will be set aside for families that were formerly homeless.

The South Bronx Deserves Better Than A 21 Year Old Environmental Impact Statement

Yesterday, on Thursday, March 27th, the Appellate Division of New York ruled in favor of FreshDirect and, “Bloomberg-era Industrial Development Agency decision to provide $80 million in subsidies to Fresh Direct to move its trucking operation to a South Bronx waterfront flood zone…without any requirement to assess or address the environmental impact of an additional 1,500 daily diesel truck trips on our asthma-plagued community.”

New CDC Study Reveals Link To Increased Childhood Leukemia Incidences In High Traffic Urban Areas: Another Reason To Say No To FreshDirect Move To The Bronx

Dear Mayor De Blasio, Council Speaker Mark-Viverito, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, New York City Council members:

The Center for Disease Control has just published a study in the April 2014 issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine citing a deep connection between a rise in incidents of childhood leukemia and pollution in high traffic areas — traffic pollution which already exists in the South Bronx that contributes to children having 8 times the national rate of asthma.

Can we afford FreshDirect with thousands of more truck trips barreling through our roads in the South Bronx, worsening the traffic situation? Is the empty promise of jobs worth the risk of exposure to our children — a company with dubious labor practices where they are currently being sued by their own drivers? Do we sacrifice our future over corporate greed and over $130 million in tax breaks and subsidies?