Rendering of 700 Gerard Avenue/Image Credit: Partners for Architecture and Historic Preservation Consulting, LLC.

The new building would be the first new development in the historic district. On September 17, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness to construct a new five-story school building on a lot at 700 Gerard Avenue, Bronx which is located within the Grand Concourse Historic District. The lot, located on the east side of Gerard Avenue between East 153rd and East 157th Streets, is currently used as a parking lot and is above an existing underground subway tunnel. The new building would house the American Dream Charter School, a sixth to twelfth grade dual language charter school. Partners for Architecture is the architectural firm for the project.

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New district encompasses 78 properties and includes examples of Art Deco and Moderne architecture. On October 25, 2011, Landmarks voted unanimously to create the Grand Concourse Historic District. The district includes 78 buildings along or near the Grand Concourse between 153rd and 167th Streets.

The four-mile long “Grand Boulevard and Concourse,” designed by French engineer and Bronx resident Louis Risse, was completed in 1909 and connected Manhattan residents to the Bronx’s expansive green space. The Grand Concourse underwent a period of rapid development between the two World Wars as a result of inexpensive land, generous tax exemptions, and the City’s extension of the IND Concourse line into the area.

The first phase of the building boom was characterized by a mix of architectural styles, such as Gothic, Tudor, and Renaissance Revival. In the 1930s, Art Deco and Modernestyle apartments dominated new development. Many of these apartments featured rounded or jagged bays, asymmetrical facade compositions, and corner windows. These buildings also incorporated novel materials including polychrome brick, glass brick, and mosaic tiles. Developers took advantage of the area’s large plots to create blocksized “garden apartments” that maximized tenants’ exposure to light and air by building around large, landscaped courtyards.  (more…)

Elected officials,residents,and preservationists supported Landmarks protection for proposed district’s 73 properties. On June 22, 2010, Landmarks heard testimony on the designation of the Bronx’s Grand Concourse Historic District. The district would encompass 73 properties along the Grand Concourse between 153rd and 167th Streets and portions of Walton and Gerard Avenues. The “Grand Boulevard and Concourse” was designed by French engineer Louis Reiss and completed in 1909 to connect Manhattan residents to the Bronx. The area is known for its variety of architectural styles, including a collection of Art Deco and Moderne-style apartment buildings. 7 CityLand 11 (Feb. 15, 2010).

At Landmarks’ public hearing, Wilhelm Ronda, director of planning for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., testified that Diaz supported the designation. Ronda noted that many of the area’s buildings were undergoing insensitive renovations and that Landmarks’ oversight would ensure that “change is managed in an appropriate manner.” The Historic Districts Council’s Simeon Bankoff supported the designation of what he termed the “Bronx’s Champs-Elysees.” (more…)

Buildings lining the “Grand Boulevard and Concourse”represent a variety of architectural styles, including Art Deco and Moderne structures. On December 15, 2009, Landmarks moved to calendar 73 properties along the Bronx’s Grand Concourse, the first step toward designating the proposed Grand Concourse Historic District. The proposed district would include a section of the Grand Concourse between East 167th and East 153rd Streets and properties along Walton Avenue, west of Franz Sigel and Joyce Kilmer Parks. Significant structures within the proposed district include the Thomas Gardens apartments, the Concourse Plaza Hotel, and the Bronx County Building.

French engineer Louis Reiss envisioned the “Grand Boulevard and Concourse” as a thoroughfare connecting Manhattan’s residents to the Bronx’s expansive parks. Reflecting the urban planning ideals of the City Beautiful movement, the Grand Concourse featured landscaped medians and waysides, and ornate overpass bridges. The Grand Concourse developed rapidly as the City expanded the subway and elevated rail line to reach the area’s relatively inexpensive and undeveloped property. Revivalist architectural styles dominated the Grand Concourse’s initial development, but by the mid-1930s, Art Deco and Moderne style apartment buildings characterized the area. Developers took advantage of the area’s large lots to build block-sized apartment complexes organized around large, landscaped courtyards, referred to as “garden apartments.” (more…)

Public School 31 in 2014 before its demolition./Image Credit: Google Maps

The landmarked building featured many late Gothic details. On December 10, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to rescind the individual landmark designation of a vacant lot, located at 425 Grand Concourse, Bronx. The lot was formerly the location of Public School 31, which was demolished in 2015.

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