Car Crash at Fordham Road and Bainbridge Ave [Updated]

A livery cab crashed into a department store on East Fordham Road near Bainbridge Avenue this afternoon, killing one woman and injuring approximately seven others, according to reporter David Greene, who was on the scene and took these photos.

The car smashed into Cee & Cee Department Store, at 331 E. Fordham Road, pinning one woman underneath the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital, Greene said.

Survey for Rezoning of Fordham Road

Community Board 6 is asking residents to fill out the following survey (see below) for ideas on how to rezone a portion of East Fordham Road, between Bathgate Avenue and Cambreleng Avenue. Read more about the plans in this month's issue of the Tremont Tribune, here. 

Completed surveys should be mailed to 1932 Arthur Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457, or sent by e-mail to brxcb6@optonline.net. Forms are also available in Spanish, Italian and Albanian; call the Board at (718) 579-6990 for more information.

Fordham Road Rezoning Survey in English

Healthfirst Opens New Office in the Bronx

At the opening ceremony, left to right: George Hulse (VP, External Affairs, Healthfirst), Angel Caballero (Executive Director, Davidson Community Center), Aurelia Greene (Bronx Deputy Borough President), Patricia Wang (President & CEO, Healthfirst), Keith Gordon (SVP, Sales and CMO, Healthfirst) and Joe Ithier

Healthfirst celebrated the grand opening of its new full-service, community-based Bronx office at 412 East Fordham Road and Webster Avenue on March 4.

Potential and existing members can come here to meet with Healthfirst staff members and are able to either enroll or complete the re-certification process. In person Member Services are also available .

Healthfirst will be hosting monthly community outreach events for Bronxites including family days, senior seminars, re-certification days and will also provide health education events throughout the year.

Representatives from most Bronx hospitals as well as providers and community partners attended the grand opening. Bronx Deputy Borough President Aurelia Greene also joined Healthfirst in its festivities commending them on their commitment to Bronx residents.

For more information you can call 1866-GO-FOR-HF or visit http://www.healthfirstny.org/.

Public hearing sparks zoning debate

A zoning war broke out last night at a public hearing over a medical center's plans to build a 13-story mixed use building in Belmont.

Medalliance medical center is hoping to change zoning in the area, which currently allows buildings of up to four-stories high, to expand its location at 625 East Fordham Road.

Owner Sean Daneshvar is already constructing a three-story expansion to the center’s current building, but wants to add an additional 10-stories of residential apartments above it.

Residents who expressed hesitation about the rezoning clashed with supporters of Medalliance, who came out in droves, chanting and waving signs that read “Better for the Bronx,” and “More Jobs, More Health.”

Supporters of Medalliance rallied at a Feb. 3 public hearing in favor of rezoning.

Theresa Kemp-Castro, a patient at Medalliance for the past four years, came to show her support, crediting the doctors and nurses at the clinic with saving her life after an accident that left her partially paralyzed.

“I’m where I am today because of Medalliance,” she said, adding that an expansion of the center would increase the number of health services available to the community. “There are a lot of elderly and sick people nearby that need a clinic. It would mean a lot.”

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 6

Two NYPD detectives were injured in a friendly-fire incident last night during an attempted Fordham Road drug bust. Detectives Thomas Guarino and Thomas McHale are being treated for bullet grazes at Jacobi Medical Center after their partner fired at a charging pit bull.

A lawsuit claiming $750 million in misspent money aimed at decreasing class sizes in overcrowded public schools is being held at the Bronx Supreme Court.

Tenants of Riverview Apartments in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx cheer on a victory over rent hikes and regulation, citing a deregulation ruling from March for Manhattan's Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village.Tenants are still waiting on a response to their complaint about the landlord's right to read submeters, rather than ConEdison.

Shelter for struggling families hosts ceremony for the expansion of their children's library, thanks to the donation of hundreds of books from Kumon learning center.

The Bronx Underground, a music booking and promotions company, announces brand new hourly and monthly rehearsal space for Bronx musicians. Open House and launch party will be held on January 16th. There will be live music and refreshments will be served.

Starry Starry Night

I made this picture on East Fordham Road a few days ago.