New Bedford Park Development at 189 East 205th Street

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The owners of 189 East 205th Street in Bedford Park, The Bronx filed an application with the New York City Department of Buildings on Feb. 23, for the construction of a new eight-story residential building at the address, as reported by YIMBY, the architecture, construction, and real estate website announced on Thursday, Feb. 25. Located between Grand Concourse and Lisbon Place, the interior lot is three blocks north of the Bedford Park Boulevard subway station, serviced by the B and D trains. Richard Hertz under the 189 & 193 East 205th Realty LLC is listed as the owner behind

By SÍLE MOLONEY

An affordable housing lottery has been launched for new units at 2885 Marion Avenue, an eight-story mixed-use development in Bedford Park, The Bronx, as reported by New York YIMBY, the architecture, construction, and real estate website. Designed by OCV Architects, the 118,000-square-foot building will yield 114 units. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 97 units for residents at 50 to 110 percent of the area median income, ranging in eligible income from $38,743 to $155,100. YIMBY representatives write that residential amenities include a shared laundry room, a community room, and a rooftop garden terrace. Units include LED light fixtures,

By DAVID GREENE

A three-alarm fire in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx has injured one firefighter and destroyed two businesses according to the FDNY. Meanwhile, one of the business owners told the Norwood News that four families living in four, separate apartments, above the damaged businesses, have been displaced. According to the FDNY, the fire was reported at 8.34 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 15, inside the basement of the Katonah Family Deli and Grocery, located at 4293 Katonah Avenue. A fire department official said the fire extended to the first floor of the apartment building, and that 138 firefighters from

By DAVID GREENE

At least one resident of a Dekalb Avenue building in Norwood had a close call after he said his kitchen exploded for no apparent reason, prompting a substantial response from police, firefighters and paramedics. According to the FDNY, the incident was reported at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. In an initial call from an NYPD dispatcher that was rebroadcast over the Citizens App, the dispatcher reported, “52 precinct, unconfirmed 59-explosion, 3521 Dekalb Avenue.” The dispatcher added, “Explosion in the kitchen; cabinets have been blown out.” Video from the Citizens App showed several fire trucks and an NYPD

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY

When members of the Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) held their usual, virtual, monthly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6, concerns were raised over the impact of New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) plans for two new housing developments at East Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue, which form part of a 2011 re-zoning plan to revitalize 88 blocks of Webster Avenue. According to Barbara Stronczer, president of BMCA, and as reported by the Norwood News, the $93 million housing and retail project was due to incorporate 188 reduced-income apartments for seniors at 2856 Webster Avenue in 2020. This was to

By DAVID GREENE

Just days before Christmas, some 15 families renting apartments in one Norwood residential building received a letter from One Vesta Property Management, on behalf of the new landlord, advising them they had to move out on or before Mar. 31, 2021, as their apartments are being sold. According to Real Estate Weekly, the impacted rental cooperative apartments, located at 3245 Perry Avenue in Norwood, are among 255 units located in nine different buildings in the Bronx and Manhattan, which were purchased in November 2020 as part of a $23 million deal by Glacier Equities, a real estate investment firm led by

Mayor's Coming to the Bronx, and He's Bringing City Hall With Him

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio presented the City’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2022 (FY22), on Thursday, Jan. 14. The preliminary budget is $92.28 billion and the mayor said after the one of the most painful years in the City’s history, it charts a path to recovery while making responsible choices in light of steep revenue losses due to COVID-19. “President-elect Biden will help our recovery by increasing FEMA reimbursement,” the mayor said. “And new Democratic majorities in Congress must move us forward with a federal COVID relief package that includes direct local aid.” Officials from

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The following story is an extended version of the one published in our latest print edition. Marcos Sierra’s lived experience is unique compared to his fellow candidates in the 11th City Council District race. As a front-line healthcare worker, a survivor of gun violence, and a dad guiding his daughter through the trials and tribulations of remote learning, he said all these factors have helped shape his political outlook. If elected to the now, vacant 11th District seat, following the resignation of former Councilman Andrew Cohen on Dec. 31 to take up a Supreme Court judgeship in

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Last month, on Dec. 30, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) announced they were soliciting submissions from companies which could come up with alternative ways of helping renters in City and HDC-sponsored affordable housing to pay their required security deposits when signing a lease. The Security Deposit Alternatives RFEI program identifies eligible companies that could potentially offer alternate solutions to the traditional, lump-sum deposit requirement which plagues many low and medium-income renters. The program is part of the City’s broader plan to create alternate ways