City Council Subcommittee Approves Soundview Development Including Church with Modifications

Zoning Subcommittee approved a proposed 286-unit fully affordable housing complex in the Bronx’s Soundview neighborhood. On May 30, 2017, the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee voted 5-0 to approve an application submitted by Azimuth Development Group, LLC, to develop four attached buildings with residential, community facility and retail uses. The applicant sought to up-zone most of the 63,000 square foot development site and to designate the site as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Area.


Mayor Announces $50 Million Redevelopment of Orchard Beach Pavilion

Elected officials announced new investment into Bronx beach pavilion reconstruction. On May 26, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio, alongside Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., announced a $50 million investment to redevelop the Bronx’s Orchard Beach pavilion in Pelham Bay Park. The money would go to restore the currently closed pavilion. The Mayor has committed $20 million in capital funding, and $10 million has been committed … <Read More>


Planning Commission Okays 206 New Affordable Units in Unionport

The City Planning Commission approved the construction two new joined buildings to contain 206 affordable units in the Unionport neighborhood of the Bronx. On April 5, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application from Westchester Mews LLC. The project would result in a new mixed-use development at 2044 Westchester Avenue and 2035 Newbold Avenue in the Bronx’s Unionport neighborhood. The applicant proposed amending the zoning map and zoning text to … <Read More>


Wayne Barrett, R.I.P.

Wayne Barrett, who passed away on January 19, 2017, was in fact a “fierce muckraker” as described in the New York Times’ laudatory obituary published the day of Barrett’s death. Barrett’s unparalleled research scared the political people he wrote about, and his long articles in the Village Voice based on those facts frightened them even more.

Wayne Barrett had no peer when it came to ferreting out the full story of politicians’ tricks, compromises and … <Read More>


$93 Million to Fund Universal Legal Access in Housing Court

The Mayor’s Administration and City Council move to create universal access for tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. On February 12, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito jointly announced that the City government will now fund universal access to legal services for tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. The City will allocate an additional $93 million to this effort—effectively doubling the existing fund for Housing Court legal services. This announcement … <Read More>


Mayor Bill de Blasio Announces Deepening of Affordable Housing for Seniors, Veterans and Lowest-Income Families

The Mayor’s Administration moves to deepen affordability of housing for lowest-income families and to aid more senior citizens. On February 10, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced two new housing initiatives to help seniors, veterans and families who are suffering the most from the housing crisis. The Mayor intends to increase by 10,000 the number of apartments in Housing New York serving households earning less than $40,000 a year. Of those additional 10,000, the Mayor … <Read More>