Editorial: The Kingsbridge Ice Center, and Cuomo the Sorcerer

Could the curse of the Kingsbridge Armory be lifted? For decades, it seemed any time there’s some headway in turning it into a promising venue, a barrier gets in the way. There was the failed attempt to repurpose the enormous castle into a public school and then a mall by the Related Companies. The latest proposal that’s within reach of reality is the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC). And even then, that project has hobbled along, facing lawsuits along the way. But Governor Andrew Cuomo appears to have broken the spell. Even as the now-approved Fiscal Year 2018-19 $153 billion

HEALTHFIRST HONORED 11 WOMEN who’ve risen to prominent positions in the private and public sector at a March 30 ceremony at Maestro’s restaurant in Morris Park. Among the honorees is Brooklyn Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (second from right), who shares a moment with (l-r) Gaye Anderson, manager, Community Engagement Healthfirst; Council Member Vanessa Gibson; Sheimyrah Mighty (performer); and George Hulse, VP Community Engagement, Healthfirst. Photo by Jessica Gordon

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Hello Loyal Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering all things Norwood and its surrounding communities, is out with plenty of news you can use. We begin, of course, with page 1, and a front cover story on issues within the city Education Department’s Gifted and Talented programs. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., and his counterpart in Brooklyn, Eric Adams, have a task force underway that’s examining these inequalities. Read the lengths parents are willing to make to ensure their kids are in a program that’s seen as a ticket to specialized high schools, which help pave a

Just more than $3 billion in residential, commercial and institutional projects have been pumped into the Bronx in 2016, according to a newly released report, signaling a continued trend of a Bronx on the mend. But the report hedges its bets somewhat, throwing in its report the Kingsbridge National Ice Center project, which was mired in delays and near extinction last year. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., which drafted the report and presented it at a forum focusing on development projects in the Bronx, included the $350 million project in the report nonetheless. The KNIC project stalled after developers

By DEBORAH CRUZ

Mixed emotions engulfed a recent Community Board 7 Housing/Land Use and Zoning Committee meeting when the Stagg Group, a housing development firm, sat down to present plans for a 13-story building to be built at the crossroads of Norwood and Bedford Park. Mark Stagg, CEO of the Stagg Group, and the firm’s executive vice president, Adolfo Carrion, laid out the plans for the Mosholu Grand, a 153-unit residence to be built at 150 Van Cortlandt Ave. The building gets its name from its proximity to Mosholu Parkway and the Grand Concourse. “We think this is a tremendous opportunity at the

Participatory Budgeting is once again under way in Councilman Andrew Cohen’s 11th Council District, which includes Norwood and Bedford Park, partially shifting a process that’s usually tasked by elected officials in a representative government and placing it into the hands of the electorate. The question posed to the public is simple: If you had $1 million to put towards physical improvements in your neighborhood, what would they be? For the past six months, a handful of residents have bounced that question around, coming up with a list of projects that can benefit their communities. During the last week of March,

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID GREENE

With the recent closing of the CVS Pharmacy in Norwood, this week we asked readers their thoughts on the future of brick and mortar business and the impact the Internet is having on local businesses. I’m a cook professionally; businesses are always going to take losses regardless. Even in the cooking industry when you order food, you have to automatically look at that. Yes, businesses are in danger because people rely on technology too much. So what’s going to happen is people won’t be able to take care of their families, because there’s not going to be any work. We’re

Participatory Budgeting Residents age 14 and over, and living within the 11th Council District, which includes Norwood and Bedford Park, can vote for up to five construction projects proposed for the district under Participatory Budgeting. To vote, log on to http://council.nyc.gov/pb/. Immigration Forum The Legal Aid Society will host a Know Your Rights immigration forum on April 3 at 9 a.m. at Montefiore Health System’s Moses Campus, Cherkasky Auditorium, 111 E. 210th St. (East Gun Hill Road entrance). Free Gardening Classes The New York Botanical Garden will host a free home gardening program on April 2 from 9:30 to 11

By DAVID CRUZ

A major sewer project in Norwood is slated to have round the clock work taking place to speed up the process, which could be disruptive to residents’ sleep and their drinking water. Community Board 7 members approved the idea by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, where crews from the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) have spent seven months excavating roads to replace century-old sewer pipes along Bainbridge Avenue. The approval clears DDC to obtain a nighttime work permit from the New York City Department of Transportation, which holds oversight on any work happening