Torres: Home Seizure Program Has Sights on Black and Hispanic Homeowners

By DAVID CRUZ and MICHAEL TURAY

A city program that takes away distressed homes from owners is doing more harm than good, robbing its owners of its home valued at millions of dollars in market assets, according to an investigation by the New York City Council. And their findings have found the Bronx is among those hardest hit. “Our investigation found that out of 420 properties, 210 of them had no financial distress. The legal standard for financial distress is a 15 percent lien-to-value ratio, those 210 properties on average had a 3 percent lien-to-value ratio,” said Councilman Ritchie Torres at a news conference outlining his findings

Empty for More Than a Decade, Developer Looks to Build on Perry Avenue Lot

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

The empty lot at 3067 Perry Avenue has been vacant for over a decade, taking up 2,500 square feet of the Norwood neighborhood. At a time when developers have swept into Norwood and its adjacent neighborhoods, building at a rapid clip during this construction boom, the demand for space is critical. The owner, Joe Quintessenza, purchased the lot with a plan to construct a seven-story apartment building with 32 units and a parking garage on the ground floor. But when zoning laws downsized the area, Quintessenza’s plans fell through. “We were planning on building 32 units eleven, ten years ago,

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fifteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into and share. We’ve packed 24 pages of news from this corner of the Bronx, capturing a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story looks at the possible implications behind the Bronx Bus Network Redesign Plan, that could knock out several bus routes cutting through Norwood. Read what residents have to say about the news, and what can be done about it. Inside the cover you’ll find a piece on the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The grand opening of the new Van Cortlandt library, a quarter mile from its old site, took place on July 15, having officially closed its former smaller premises in June. To mark the occasion, colorful helium balloons swayed in the summer breeze and attendees tucked into a celebratory buffet while a human-sized, furry lion mingled playfully among staff, children, visitors and elected officials including Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Andrew Cohen, and Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “This was in the making for many years,” said Dinowitz. The new library, once a two-story apartment

New Senior Residence In the Works Along Webster Avenue

By MICHAEL TURAY

The years-old rezoning of Webster Avenue could advance once again with the construction of a 12-story affordable housing senior residence near Bedford Park looming. The property at 2850 Webster Ave. by Bedford Park Boulevard is expected to see a 189-unit property exclusively for seniors. The property was recently owned by the New York Botanical Garden before selling it to Douglaston Development. The units, once built, will have an average size of 499 square feet. The development group applied for permits that are still pending before the Buildings Department. The building is expected to stand at 113 feet yielding 107,158 square

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fourteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into and share. There’s plenty of news to report in this corner of the Bronx, and we’ve captured a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story focuses on the results of the latest Community Board 7 elections, with board members going a different direction in voting for a new chair. Read about the new agenda for Emmanuel Martinez, the newly installed chair of Community Board 7 by myself and Síle Moloney.

By MICHAEL TURAY

Empty Amstel Light beer cans and used cigar wraps still lie scattered across the front porch of a multi-family home at 306 E. 206th St. between Bainbridge and Perry Avenues, despite the home ordered to be vacant. But there are tiny signs of improvement for a house that has been an eyesore in the Norwood neighborhood. The front door is barricaded by a large piece of wood as three garbage bags filled with trash sit on the porch. Empty buckets for plaster are assembled, mismatched pieces of wood rest against the house, and a disconnected pipe lies on the lawn.

CB7 Sees Mix of New and Veteran Members to Executive Dais

By DAVID CRUZ and SÍLE MOLONEY

Community Board 7 saw a shift in civic power, as Jean Hill, who presided as chair of the northwest Bronx board, was voted out in favor of 31-year-old Norwood resident Emmanuel Martinez, a relative newcomer to the board. Several familiar faces have stayed on the executive dais, likely adding a mix of fresh ideas and institutional knowledge. Martinez currently serves as chair of CB7’s Veterans’ Committee, having recently hosted the annual Veterans’ Day Brunch, now in its third year. It’s unclear what the vote tally was as CB7 continues to ensure the proper vote count was met but 33 board

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their thoughts on the sweeping new rent laws passed last week in Albany, and if these new laws will affect and protect local residents. The new rent laws are very good; I mean, rent is too exorbitant now. It’s a serious problem. You need two people, [each with a job], just to pay the rent, otherwise you can’t survive. The new laws will protect people from being thrown out by a landlord, so it’s good that the new laws protect us. Teddy Equal Norwood I have been looking for an apartment and I’ve got