
Rendering of the proposed development at 656 East 176th Street. Image Credit: NYC CPC
The building will have 24 apartments for formerly homeless individuals and families. On December 5, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for an application for the construction of an eleven-story, low residential building, at 656 East 176th Street in the Bronx. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Proxy Estate, Inc. brought the application, requesting a zoning change and disposition of city-owned property to facilitate the project. The proposed project site is currently being used for parking lots. (more…)
New district to include over 352 businesses. On May 21, 2008, the City Planning Commission approved an application by the New York City Department of Small Business Services to create the Belmont Business Improvement District, located in the Bronx in the neighborhood generally known as Little Italy. The Belmont BID would be bounded by East Fordham Road to the north, Lorillard Place to the west, East 183rd Street to the south, and Southern Boulevard to the east. It would be the second such district in the area, complementing the Fordham Road BID, which lies adjacent to the proposed boundaries of the Belmont BID.
The Belmont BID would represent 352 businesses, including a concentration of Italian restaurants and specialty stores located along Arthur Avenue. The 267 properties that comprise the BID are developed primarily by mixed-use buildings with ground-floor retail. Property owners can expect the BID to provide certain services to the area such as graffiti removal, security patrol, holiday programming, and marketing. (more…)

Construction begins on Bedford Green House II in Fordham Heights. The project is one of ten to receive a part of an over $390 million investment from the state to preserve affordable and supportive housing statewide. Image Credit: HPD.
On January 19, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that over $390 million was awarded through bonds and subsidies for affordable and supportive housing statewide. With additional private funding, over $600 million is expected to be invested to preserve over 1,600 units in ten projects across the state, including four projects within New York City. The four New York City projects are Bedford Green House Phase II in Fordham Heights in the Bronx; Shepherd Glenmore in East New York, Brooklyn; Crotona Belmont Senior Housing in East Tremont in the Bronx; and River View Towers in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan. (more…)

Image Credit: New York City Department of Transportation
On July 19, 2022, the NYC Department of Transportation issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking concessionaires “for the development, operation, and maintenance of an outdoor market” at Fordham Plaza. The plaza is located at the intersection of Fordham Road, Third Avenue and East 189th Street in the Bronx. (more…)

The Open Streets initiative provides more open space for pedestrians by limiting vehicular traffic. Image Credit: CityLand
The Open Streets and the new Play Streets initiatives encourage New Yorkers to go outside. On July 24, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Play Streets, an initiative provided by the City, the Fresh Air Fund, Building Healthy Communities, and the Police Athletic League to provide children with fun, socially-distant outdoor activities on twelve Open Streets throughout the City. The Open Streets initiative provides more outdoor space for pedestrians and cyclists by limiting vehicular traffic on specified streets. Mayor de Blasio also announced some streets that will be added and removed from the Open Streets program. (more…)