Jerome Avenue Approved for Massive Rezoning

By MARY MELLON

After three years of back and forth talks, the Jerome Avenue Rezoning Plan was approved, opening the door for the rezoning of 92 blocks of Jerome Avenue, ushering in 4600 units of affordable housing, of which 1500 will be permanently affordable. The rezoning plan is the largest since the 1970s, and can jeopardize the neighborhood’s existing automotive sector. The plan represents a major win for City Council members Vanessa Gibson and Fernando Cabrera, whose districts cover the area to be rezoned. They believe rezoning will allow current residents to remain in place while adding to the stock of affordable housing.

By DAVID GREENE

A special fund created to help the family of an M.S. 280 student who died in a horrific fire in Belmont has so far raised $5,000 and hopes to raise a total of $15,000. Jordan Conde, 14, was a 7th grader at the Norwood school. According to the posting by an unknown author, “Jordan was the class clown that everybody loved,” adding, “[Jordan] was able to attract everyone’s attention in the entire school.” The blaze broke out on the first floor of an apartment building at 2381 Hoffman Street at 1:30 a.m. on March 5, where the Conde family lived on the

No One Seriously Injured in Norwood Blaze

By DAVID CRUZ

Three people, including two firefighters, suffered minor injuries in a fire that displaced one family in a sixth-story apartment in the Norwood section of the Bronx. The fire happened just before noon at 55 East 208th St., between DeKalb and Kossuth avenues, sending families fleeing out the building. Plumes of smoke wreaked out the sixth floor for at least 45 minutes, according to one resident. Odors of smoke could be picked up for a least a quarter mile. “It looks like a possible plumber’s torch on the fifth floor–lit a fire which got into the large space underneath the roof and the

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Free Commercial Lease Help Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition offers free legal help to small businesses in negotiating commercial leases with their landlords. Businesses have to be in New York City, must be non-franchise, have a household income below 500 percent of the federal poverty guideline, and have a new or renewal lease. For more information, contact Evy Viruet at (718) 584-0515 ext. 100. GEDs and Paid Internships Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers the following for young adults ages 18 to 24: free classes and tutoring sessions to prepare for the exam to get their GED (orientation/registration sessions are

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the northwest Bronx, is out with its latest edition for 2018. We welcome you to check out plenty of stories featured in this year’s sixth edition. We begin, of course, with page one and a story involving a back-and-forth battle between a Norwood resident and a developer building right next door to his house. Hear this ping-pong of a story and why both sides remain at an impasse. Inside the cover you’ll find the latest on the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, where the founder of the mega-project stopped to

By DAVID CRUZ

Just what would become of a plan to rezone a large chunk of Jerome Avenue remains to be seen. The New York City Council’s Land Use Committee voted to approve the rezoning on March 6. The rezoning paves the way for developers to build as much as 4,000 units of affordable housing by changing zoning rules between 184th and 167th streets, allowing for buildings as high as 19 stories. It’s now cleared to go to the full New York City Council, which could approve or reject the rezoning come March 21. If it goes through, city policy dictates that the

KNIC Founder Reaffirms Commitment to Build Project (Thumbnail)

By DAVID CRUZ

Kevin Parker, founder of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center project, told community stakeholders at a closed-door meeting today that the massive project is under way despite being stalled for four years. The meeting, held at Concourse House just blocks from the Kingsbridge Armory, the expected home of the center, was organized by State Sen. Gustavo Rivera. “I felt confident going into the meeting and I feel much more confident after I left the meeting that the project is going forward,” Rivera told the Norwood News several hours after the meeting wrapped up. “Is the [project] happening tomorrow? Sadly, no.” Much of the

By DAVID CRUZ

Whether in grueling heat-filled days or frigid temperatures, a cadre of activists has been fighting for their communities’ soul. Their communities lie in the heart of Jerome Avenue between 184th and 167th streets. It’s there where the city looks to rezone 92 blocks, the largest rezoning for the Bronx in years. For the last three years, the valley-like neighborhoods—from Mt. Hope to the Grand Concourse—have been studied by the city. They’re home to a largely low-income Hispanic bloc and a concentration of auto mechanics that do business below the rumbling 4 subway line. Hispanics from all backgrounds make up more

By DAVID CRUZ

The fifth edition of the Norwood News, primarily covering the northwest Bronx, is out with plenty of community news. We have 16 pages full of news for you to share with your friends, family, and make you the smartest person in the room! We begin with page one and a quality of life inconvenience that is being addressed: loud parties and spurts of violence at Devoe Park in University Heights. Reporter Niall Ridgley reports that it’s the off season now, and Councilman Fernando Cabrera has ordered gates to be installed at nine of the park’s entrances. Hear what residents have