Public & Community Meetings

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will host its general board meeting Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St. CB7 committees are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St. at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Public Safety & Quality of Life Feb. 4; Education/Libraries & Youth Services Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.; Housing/Land Use Feb. 8; Environment & Sanitation Feb. 9; Senior Services Feb. 10; Parks & Recreation Feb. 10 at 7:15 p.m.; Traffic & Transportation Feb. 11; Veterans committee Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call

Blood Drive St. Brendan’s Church, 333 E. 206th St. presents the annual “After Super Bowl Blood Drive” on Feb. 14 at 10 a.m., in the rectory. Donors are required to eat a full meal and drink plenty of water before donating. For more information, call (718) 547-6655. BMCA Seeks Flea Market Donations The Bedford Mosholu Community Association is accepting donations for its annual flea market set for March 5. Bring new and used items (except clothes) to 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy. So., apt. B1 (lobby floor) on Wednesdays, Feb. 17 and 24 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Feb. 27 from

[URIS id=20221] In his third State of the City address, that once again captured the tenor of inequality, Mayor Bill de Blasio offered a synopsis of citywide initiatives while unveiling a short list of goals specific to the Norwood and Mott Haven sections of the Bronx. Presenting his evening address at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx, the first for de Blasio, Mr. de Blasio summarized policies that he points have raised quality of life for New Yorkers, particularly the city’s downtrodden. Without the help of a teleprompter, Mr. de Blasio’s speech seemed to be refresher on

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

Though federal and city officials officially cut the ribbon on Fordham Plaza earlier this month, neighborhood residents shouldn’t expect vendors to move into the enormous concession area and kiosks for at least a year. The $34 million plaza in the largest transit hub in the Bronx includes a new bus depot, access to the Metro-North and a sitting area for pedestrians. The plaza also features a main concession area near the Metro-North stairways, and three smaller, newsstand-style booths, as well as a bathroom. The plaza could stand as boon for the BID, given the near 80,000 people who travel through

The Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) is edging close to actual construction at the Kingsbridge Armory, with progress in the form of the state’s financial support towards the project. Not much of a sound was heard about the Armory in 2015, though developers insisted plenty was going on behind the scenes. That’s true, and it’s thanks to the working relationship between Governor Andrew Cuomo and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Since the early part of 2015, the pair has forged an ever-strengthening bond that’s allowed Diaz to check off some items (though not yet achievements since certain projects haven’t

Hello readers! As usual, as promised, and right on time–the latest edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of Bronx community news for you to share. This week the paper heads to Bedford Park for a proposal by the New York Botanical Garden to convert its large space into a multi-used site, with the possibility of a hotel added to the fold. Only residents worry any new development could knock out the existing supermarket. Find out what one top official from NYBG has to say about that. We move from one development to another in Kingsbridge–the Kingsbridge National Ice

Young Public Servant Dons CB7 District Manager’s Cap

By DAVID CRUZ

Even before Andrew Sandler was to officially become the new district manager for Community Board 7, his schedule was beset with meetings focusing on issues impacting the neighborhoods CB7 covers. “I’m meeting, reading, and going to meetings,” said Sandler, 29, who begins his first day as DM on Feb. 8. He represents the fourth district manager at the Board since 2012. It’s been a non-stop lead up to the job essentially tied to keeping the pulse of the Board’s coverage area, namely Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham and University Heights. He’s been doing his homework so far, even reading

By DAVID CRUZ

The Bronx’s commercial landscape is becoming home to a growing number of chains across the borough, according to a recent report by a New York City-based think tank. But while some stores have firmly placed their commercial footprint in the Bronx, other establishments are leaving it altogether. The Center for an Urban Future, a nonprofit research group, reports that the presence of national retailers – defined as a retailer having at least two locations in New York City and at least one location in another state – rose by three percent, or 30 stores in the Bronx last year, the

By DAVID CRUZ

In the last days of December, New York City Council members Andrew Cohen and Ritchie Torres toured Webster Avenue with a burning question in mind: What will it take to spur more commercial development along the avenue? It has been seven years since a major push by community stakeholders ultimately resulted in the official rezoning of eighty blocks of Webster Avenue between E. Gun Hill Road and Fordham Road, considered a key but underutilized artery of the Bronx. New zoning laws in effect on Webster Avenue offer tax credits to developers who build affordable housing with a first floor storefront.