Group Plans Massive Housing Complex for West Farms Road

Editor's Note: This story first appeared in the latest issue of the Tremont Tribune, out now.

A development group is proposing to build a series of high-rise apartment buildings and retail shops in West Farms and Crotona Park East, in what the city is calling one of the largest private rezoning projects undertaken in the Bronx for several decades.

Signature Urban Properties, a real estate group headed by former New York City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, purchased the five-acre site, which runs along West Farms Road and the Sheridan Expressway and north and south of the Cross Bronx Expressway.

The group has requested that the city rezone the 11-block area to allow for residential development in order to construct 10 buildings, each approximately 15 stories high made up of 1,325 apartment units, 663 of which would be affordable housing.

Bronx News Roundup, April 24

The SoHo offices of the Atlantic Development Group, which has worked on several Bronx housing projects and donated thousands of dollars to former Bronx B.P. Adolfo Carrion (as well as several other borough officials), was raided yesterday morning as part of a probe by the city's Department of Investigation.

The Daily News reports that the investigation may revolve around, among other things, whether Atlantic illegally influenced local politicians to win support for their projects. (Atlantic was also in the running for the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project, but lost out the Related Companies, more on the Armory project later.) More on the raid here.

Earlier today, the Voice's Tom Robbins linked to Hunt's Point Express reporter Joe Hirsch's story about the unhappy tenants of an Atlantic building.

New evidence in the Deutsche Bank building manslaughter case against three construction supervisors has emerged that might help the defense. Two of the supervisors facing trial worked for the John Galt Corporation, which has its headquarters here in the northwest Bronx on Webster Avenue.

The Post reports on some the cuts the Bronx Zoo is preparing to make to bridge its $15 million budet gap. The deers, lemurs, caimans, porcupines, foxes and antelopes could all be shipped out.

A BID for Burnside Avenue

Davidson Community Center, working with Mount Hope Housing Company and others, is hoping to establish a Business Improvement District, or BID, on Burnside Avenue.

On April 2, Bronx elected officials, community organizations, and local residents, will gather for a "Taste of the BID" event to announce the beginnings of a campaign to bring on board 116 area business owners. The Atlantic Development Group will hold a steam blasting/graffiti removal/sidewalk washing exhibition - a demonstration of what local merchants could expect with a fully functioning BID. The event begins at 10 a.m. in front of Foot Locker (on Burnside between Jerome and Walton).

According to a provisional press release, the BID will revitalize the shopping district. "As with other commercial strips in the Bronx, the Target Area has too many 99 cent/discount stores, no major national chain, (only fast food national chains)," the release said. "Residents of the Target Area complain of the lack of variety in goods and services which prompts them to shop in other locations in the Bronx or other boroughs in the city." More about BIDs here and here. There are currently six BIDs in the Bronx. In the west Bronx there's Fordham Road and Jerome-Gun Hill.

Photo taken from the Burnside Avenue subway station at Jerome Avenue, looking west.

The BID aside, change is already coming to Burnside Avenue. Morris Heights Health Center is building a new center on an abandoned lot on the corner of Harrison Avenue. St. Barnabas Hospital is in the process of demolishing the former Elks Lodge at Burnside and the Grand Concourse, and building a 10-story outpatient facility. East of the Concourse, near Valentine Avenue, the Atlantic Development Group is building affordable housing. (Atlantic were/are in the running to develop the Kingsbridge Armory but have possibly/probably lost out to another developer.)

UPDATE: The event is being held April 2, NOT March 26 (as was published earlier today. Apologies for the confusion)

Report: Related Wins Armory Contract

An article in the Daily News says the Related Companies, one of two possible developers (the other being Atlantic Development Group), has won the contract to renovate the Kingsbridge Armory.

This doesn't come as a surprise. The Norwood News has heard this rumor for some time now, but has yet to confirm it with more than one source. The Daily News article cites anonymous "sources" from Community Board 7.

Related was long thought to have an advantage because its CEO has a close relationship with former Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff. Both developers contribute heavily to Bronx politicians.

The Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which is handling the project, maintains that they have not reached a decision on a developer. Many local community leaders and residents wonder what the hold-up is in making an announcement.

As we've been doing for nearly 15 years, the Norwood News will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Will New EDC President Impact Armory Redevelopment?

Mayor Bloomberg just promoted Seth Pinsky from Executive Vice President to President of the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC). He replaces Robert Lieber, who became deputy mayor for economic development following the departure of Dan Doctoroff.

The EDC is in charge of redeveloping the massive Kingsbridge Armory. Right now, the EDC and the mayor's office are trying to choose between the Atlantic Development Group and the Related Companies to decide which developer takes control of the Armory project.

Initially, the EDC said they would choose a developer by October 2007. It's now February 2008 and the EDC says it still needs more time to conduct its "due dilligence."

With new leadership at the top, this may delay the decision and the redevelopment project even longer.

News Roundup for July 2

Daily News reports that two Bronx boys were crushed and critically injured as a 10-foot stretch of parapet collapsed on them at 2260 Grand Concourse, near 183rd Street, Sunday morning.

NY1’s Dean Meminger reports the progress of the plan for a charter school in the old borough courthouse in Melrose. Building owner Henry Weinstein and Reverend Timothy Birkett, of the Urban Youth Alliance, who with Imagine Schools has applied for a charter, believe they’ll find the funding where many others have failed in the 30 years the building has been vacant.

Commercial Property News details a new development project in the Melrose section of the Bronx, backed by the Atlantic Development Group, which is one of the two main competitors on the armory project, and Boricua College. The 4.5-acre project, “slated to one of the largest and most ambitious community revitalization in the Bronx in recent years,” includes a new Bronx flagship location for the college and low and moderate income housing.

State Senator José Serrano blogs about his visit to Washington with Minority Leader Malcolm Smith as they prepare for the 2008 election. The Democrats need just two seats to overtake the Senate, and they’re looking for all the help they can get.

Armory Bidder's Political Muscle on Display?

According to the New York Post, the Atlantic Development Group, one of the three bidders for the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project, got a Bronx councilwoman, Marial del Carmen Arroyo, to press city housing officials to withdraw their decision to award a housing redevelopment project to developer Gerald Migdol so Atlantic itself could get the job. Atlantic is not named in the lawsuit brought by Migdol against the city, but the Post said Migdol fingered Atlantic as the culprit.
Atlantic, owned by Peter Fine, has a controversial record of developing low-income housing around the city. The Norwood News profiled Fine, who has close ties to Bronx Democrats, and Atlantic last summer in this article.