Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 18

The trial for the four men accused of plotting to bomb two Riverdale synagogues will begin next June 14. At the hearing where the trial date was set, lawyers for the accused, who are pleading not guilty, said that their clients were entrapped by a federal government informant. They also said that key evidence -- recorded conversations in which the defendants allegedly discussed the bombing plans -- doesn't exist. More on this, including courtroom sketches, from NY1 and Daily News.

NY1's Dean Meminger examines the impact of the new Gateway Center mall, which the Related Companies the mayor's office and other elected officials are touting as a huge boon for the south Bronx. From the interviews, local residents seem to think it's been a valued addition as well. Related is facing opposition to its plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into another mall because they have not entered into a Community Benefits Agreement.

Not surprisingly, Maria Baez failed to show up for the first post-primary City Council meeting, "keeping intact her hold on the Council's worst attendance record," writes the Times' Ray Rivera. She said on Tuesday night that she was going on vacation for a few days.

An assistant principal at a middle school in Morrisania was arrested for driving drunk on Thursday morning at 7 a.m. Her 10-month-old baby was in the back seat.

The Bronx Democrats have thrown their weight behind John Liu for comptroller after their original choice, Melinda Katz was beaten soundly in Tuesday's primary.

A fire ripped through a Morrisania area grocery store and mosque early this morning.

Rape charges against five Hoftstra students, three of whom are from the Bronx, have been dismissed.

Bronx News Roundup, September 8

Bob Kappstatter of the Daily News was unimpressed with the performances of 14th District City Council candidates Fernando Cabrera and Yudelka Tapia during last week's televised debate, which was sponsored by BronxTalk and the Bronx News Network.

Tomorrow, 18 new schools across the Bronx will open their doors to a new class of students. Four of these new schools are charter schools, five are elementary schools, seven are middle schools and two are high schools. According to the DOE, these schools will give families more schooling options, encourage smaller class sizes, and improve academic performance. Also, in an effort to help parents with school children, the Bronx BP and Advocates for Children will host a series of education workshops this fall.

As the District 12 City Council Democratic primary election approaches, incumbent Larry Seabrook remains confident about his chances of winning the City Council seat despite multiple accusations of financial violations over his years as a public servant. View our post about Seabrook's controversial past here. Seabrook's two opponents in the primary are Andy King and Jerome Rice.

The New York Times claims that the new Gateway Mall "may be the maraschino cherry topping a revival of Mott Haven and other neighborhoods of the South Bronx." High quality, low price merchandise at stores such as BJ's and Target are already attracting customers and improving the surrounding neighborhoods.

A runaway 17 year-old teenage girl, Jamia Hazel, was found stabbed to death in an alleyway in Mount Hope on Saturday. Police have arrested and charged her ex-boyfriend, Darrell Spencer, with the murder.

A water scooter accident on the Hutchinson River in the Bronx left a Bronx man dead and three teenage girls with minor injuries.

Bronx News Roundup, September 2

Yesterday, an unnamed owner of the recent Mega Millions winning lottery ticket claimed their prize of $166.5 million. The winning ticket was purchased at Fordham Grocery and Convenience Store on West Fordham Road.

As the new Gateway Mall in the South Bronx begins to open big-box stores such as Target and Home Depot this summer and fall, local residents and politicians have expressed different views on the success of the development. While some store managers in the mall are happy about their new profits, other Bronx residents, such as Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. believe that the high price of parking will drive away customers.

A new, innovative theater performance presented by the Foundry Theater Company is set on an unpredictable stage--a tour bus traveling through the South Bronx. The performance, "The Provenance of Beauty," allows the audience to view past and present South Bronx landmarks while listening to actors tell their stories of the area via headphones. Of course, the performance requires a considerable amount of improvisation due to traffic and weather conditions, but this makes each showing of "Provenance" unique. Performances are scheduled to take place on the weekends through October 25. Click here for more information and tickets.

In the past week, there has been a series of three assaults against men in Tremont. In each instance, the attackers voiced anti-Mexican slurs. On Sunday, the victim of one of the assaults, a 53-year-old man, was stabbed.

After viewing a hit-and-run incident in Pelham Bay Park, a tow-truck operator chased the driver in the accident eight miles throughout the Bronx before he succeeded in holding the driver for the police.

Bronx News Roundup, September 1

The Espada chronicles continue: Yesterday, Senator Espada fired his deputy chief of staff, Onix A. Sosa, after the New York Times discovered that he supervises 35 low-income buildings in Manhattan and the Bronx that are in violation of over 7,oo0 housing codes. City Officials have declared over 1,000 of these violations to be immediately hazardous. Furthermore, Sosa's real estate brokers license was revoked in 2004 due to his failure to return rental deposits, but he continued to manage buildings. Espada claims that he knew nothing of Sosa's property managing record.

Sosa was also 14th District City Council candidate Yudelka Tapia's former campaign manager. Click here for our post about how Sosa left Tapia to work for Espada.

Since the Department of Homeless Services began moving homeless families with children into a new emergency shelter near Westchester Square, multiple business owners and local residents have voiced their frustration with New York City agencies cramming social service programs into their area. The Department of Homeless Services failed to notify the community before moving families into the new shelter. Currently, there are around 20 social service programs in the Westchester Square area.

Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. recently declared that the BOEDC handled their funds from the Community Benefits Agreement at the Gateway Mall correctly despite not accounting for $1.6 million out of the $1.8 million given to them by the developer, Related Companies. Read more here.

Yesterday, Charles McDowell, a Bronx resident was charged with the murder of Amadou Ndiaye, one of the Bronx livery cab drivers killed in a series of cab driver murders. McDowell was arrested for an attempted robbery when police found his gun to match the murder weapon used to kill Ndiaye. Police plan to protect cab drivers in the future by using "Operation Safe Cab," a program in which police search cabs for dangerous passengers.

Bronx News Roundup July 16

Tonight, Bronx pols will gather at Marina del Rey for the annual Bronx Democratic County Committee dinner.

A Daily News columist questions the rational behind putting a big box supermarket in the Kingbridge Armory.

Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. is looking into allegations that his office's economic arm - the Bronx Overall Economic Devolpement Corp - mishandled funds from the Gateway Mall's Community Development Agreement.

In a case that's generated more media coverage than most murders, a Bronx girl has pled guilty to roasting to kitten to death in a 500-degree oven.

Six Bronx men have filing a lawsuit against the NYPD for allegedly being beaten and unjustly arrested by the police after they had called 911 for a friend of theirs.

Two people were killed and one injured on Tuesday night in a traffic collision between a cab and SUV at the Laconia and Waring Avenues intersection in the Bronx.

City Island residents are trying to get the police to pay attention to prostitution in their community.

The union that represents workers at the Stella D’oro cookie factory in Kingsbridge has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, in an effort to prevent the factory's closure.

Compiled by Ashley Villarreal and Idalmi Acosta

City Seeks Industrial Development for Zerega Site

The city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has issued a request for proposals for an approximately 100,000-square-foot site in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx. The EDC, which also managed the Gateway Mall project and is currently shephereding the Kingsbridge Armory project, is looking for a developer to acquire and redevelop the site for industrial uses.

The site is made up of two city-owned lots at 535-537 Zerega Avenue, and is currently being used as a community garden, which they say will be relocated.

According to EDC President Seth W. Pinksy, the request is intended to find industrial users that would maximize the potential of the property and create quality industrial jobs for the community.

The EDC says it will use a variety of criteria to evaluate potential proposals, including economic impact on the city’s economy, land use and design, financial feasibility and relationship to the surrounding community. In addition, each proposal must also submit a Green Building Plan identifying the project’s sustainable-design goals.

Bronx News Roundup, May 22

Hundreds of people showed up to the Bronx County Building to apply for a job at the new Target that will open at Gateway Mall.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was sworn in at Lehman College yesterday.

Mayor Bloomberg honored the first responders of the attempt to bomb a synagogue in Riverdale.

Yankees fans can start using the new Metro North stop at 153rd on Saturday