Last week, the city released a request for proposals for the old Fordham Library in the Bronx, which has sat mostly vacant since it was shut down in 2005.

Since its closure, which coincided with the opening of the Bronx Library Center two blocks away, local advocates have called for the 25,000-square-foot building to be turned into some kind of community center that caters to youth and seniors, something the immediate area lacks.

The request for proposals, or RFP (embedded below), released on July 9 is generally very broad in scope, but does call for developers to “reactive the Site through potential neighborhood-serving purposes.” Among the “Development Goals” in the RFP, it says the project should be “an asset to the community” and “ensure the uses are designed to serve the community.”

Those goals, however, don’t rule out some kind of commercial development, although zoning regulations currently wouldn’t allow for a home maintenance or repair shop. The RFP also calls for the new project to be “financially feasible” and have a “reliable revenue stream.”

Because the building, which was built in 1923 at 2556 Bainbridge Ave., was designated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, any changes to the building would have to be approved by the state’s historical preservation office.

In 2008, the city turned the old library over to the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, which was then mandated to turn the building into a full-service animal shelter. That mandate was dropped in 2011 by the City Council. The agency has been using the facility for administrative and storage purposes, according to the RFP.

Before the health department took over, two different groups — Sistas and Brothas United (the youth arm of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition) and New Life International Church (led by pastor and current 14th District Councilman Fernando Cabrera — the building is in the 15th District) — staged multiple rallies urging the city to turn the building over for community purposes.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. told the Daily News he wanted to see some kind of science and technology center or a recreational hub at the former library.

Diaz played a heavy role in securing the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, which is near the old library, as the world’s largest ice sports complex.

The deadline to submit proposals is Sept. 12.

Editor’s note: Next Tuesday, July 23, the Economic Development Corporation, which is managing the project, will be holding an information session and site visit at the old Fordham Library, 2556 Bainbridge Ave. Those who want to attend should RSVP by contacting
FormerFordhamLibrary@nycedc.com on, or before, 4 p.m. on Friday, July 19.

Below, you can view the RFP in its entirety.

Former Fordham Library RFP FINAL

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.