Senator Gustavo Rivera on Tentative Deal to End Strike Between NYSNA and Montefiore Health System

 

“Today is a great day for The Bronx and New York City. In the last few hours, NYSNA nurses reached a tentative agreement with Montefiore. If ratified by the members, this deal will end the five-week strike.

I’m glad that the parties reached a deal that will ensure the safety of both patients and nurses by improving working conditions.  

No worker wants to go on strike. It is done out of necessity. Nurses dedicate their lives to serve their patients with the utmost professionalism. These tentative deals are the result of these nurses’ commitment and passion to their profession.

 

If ratified, this will be a victory for our borough, nurses in our City, and the labor movement.

I truly hope it is.” 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

What's the deal State Senator Rivera?

MAYOR MAMDANI ANNOUNCES OPENING OF NEW SHIRLEY CHISHOLM RECREATION CENTER IN FLATBUSH

 

First ever rec center in Central Brooklyn and now borough’s largest rec center will serve over 41,000 New Yorkers 

  

For first week, New Yorkers can spend a full free day in the center to explore the indoor pool, dedicated youth spaces, teaching kitchen, media lab, dance studio, and more 

  

Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center tour footage HERE 

TODAY, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening of the brand-new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush. He was joined by NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Kevin Parker, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and Councilmember Farah Louis. The new center is the first new Parks recreation center in over a decade, the first ever in Central Brooklyn, and the largest recreation center in the whole borough. Located in the heart of Little Haiti, the center is expected to serve residents of East Flatbush and Midwood, with over 41,000 New Yorkers living within a 15-minute walk or transit ride of the new center.  

   

The approximately 74,000-square-foot recreation center provides space for swimming, team sports, exercise, educational programming, and even A/V production in a media lab. Like all Parks recreation centers, discounts are available for New Yorkers of all ages, and membership is entirely free for people 24 years and younger.  

   

The center will fully open to the public on Tuesday, February 10. For the first week, all New Yorkers will have the opportunity to use the brand-new center for one free day of their choosing, prior to becoming members. Parks is also hosting guided tours, registration events, and demonstrations to help New Yorkers experience what the new facility has to offer.   

   

“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will soon be alive with possibility — kids learning to swim, cook, and grow their own food; friends coming together on the court; neighbors of every generation creating and connecting, from the gym to the podcast studio. This will be a space where the city meets itself, built to serve the people who call it home,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “Shirley Chisholm believed that politics should be accountable to everyday people. In that spirit, this center will stand as a living tribute to her legacy — proving that when we invest in truly affordable, accessible public spaces, we can build a city that works for all of us.”  

   

“Central Brooklyn, cancel your gym subscription and join us at Shirley Chisholm, where we have state-of-the-art amenities at a fraction of the cost. This new center means that over 41,000 New Yorkers now have an affordable space to exercise, learn, and connect with their neighbors, a fitting tribute to Chisholm's commitment to community investment,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “This recreation center represents the very best of city government. Shared spaces like this make our city more affordable, more livable, and more safe. I am so grateful to our partner agencies for their collaboration, and to City Councilmember Farah Louis and State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn for their tireless advocacy and support, making this center—the first in all of Central Brooklyn—possible. Working together and with the community, we've created a space where all Brooklynites are welcome." 

 

“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center is a huge milestone in construction reform for the City and proves that design-build works,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle. “Using design-build contracting, DDC was able to complete the Center three years faster than would have been possible with traditional lowest bidder contracting. And 36 percent of the budget went to M/WBEs, exceeding our goal of 30 percent on design-build projects. We are proving that construction reform is possible and that design-build is fast and effective. Right now, we’re working, via design-build, on three new recreation centers in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens that will all see similar time savings.”  

  

Now Brooklyn’s largest recreation center, the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center includes brand-new fitness resources for New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds, including:  

   

•   Competition-sized 6 lane pool, including a ramp, chairlift, and stairs so all visitors can comfortably enter the water regardless of ability  

•   Three lane walking track  

•   Competition-sized gym perfect for basketball, pickleball, and volleyball  

•   Exercise rooms for cardio workouts, weightlifting, and spin classes  

   

The center also features spaces for events, classes, and relaxation, including:  

   

•   Teaching kitchen  

•   Afterschool space with its own outdoor play area   

•   Dedicated teens-only space with supervision  

•   Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr. Media Lab with a mixing room for A/V production  

•   Multipurpose rooms for events and classes  

    

The new center is named for Shirley Chisholm, the Brooklyn-born politician who became the first African American woman to serve in Congress, representing Brooklyn in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983.   

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Celebrate Black History Month with VCPA

 

Legacy of Enslaved Africans in Van Cortlandt Park

Saturday, February 21 at 1pm

Join VCPA and Van Cortlandt House Museum for a program exploring the legacy of enslaved Africans in Van Cortlandt Park featuring two guided tours:

First, Pathways to the Past Walking Tour, led by Ashely Hart Adams (VCPA), focusing on the Enslaved African Burial Ground and the broader landscape of memory, history, and labor within the park. Followed by Van Cortlandt House Museum Tour, led by Nick Dembowski (VCHM), highlighting the site’s 18th-century history and its connections to enslavement.

Join the Waitlist

Van Cortlandt House Museum

 

Reimagining Memorial Spaces: A Black History Month Conversation

Monday, February 23 at 6:30pm

Join VCPA for a live, virtual conversation with designers Immanuel Oni and Jeremiah Olayinka Ojo exploring the project, Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park, and the importance of working thoughtfully with memorial spaces.This conversation will focus on process, examining how artists, designers, and communities engage with sites of memory, trauma, and legacy, and why intentional, community-centered approaches matter when shaping public spaces of remembrance.

RSVP Now

Virtual

 

Enslaved African Legacy Tour

NEW DATE: Saturday, February 28 at 11am

The frigid weather forced us to cancel our previously scheduled date, so we’ve rescheduled. Join VCPA’s Arts Integration Strategist, Ashley Hart Adams, on a guided walk that will enlighten participants on the true history that shaped Van Cortlandt Park.

The walk will be approximately 90 minutes long with stops throughout to talk.

RSVP Now

Van Cortlandt House Museum

Black History Month events are part of Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s REIMAGINING initiative. In partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space and Immanuel Oni, Liminal Sp, VCPA invites the community to reimagine the park’s Enslaved African Burial Ground site as a memorial space that fosters long-term healing and restoration. This project is supported by a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.

Support Our Work in Van Cortlandt Park

 

Make a Donation

The park is really big. Our staff is really small. Only with your help can we grow our capacity, hire more staff, and take on projects to improve Van Cortlandt Park… for YOU!  Please consider a gift to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance today.

Donate!

VCPA Merch Shop!

Show your love for Van Cortlandt Park while supporting the Alliance!

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Become a Member

Members get VCPA merch and invitations to member only hikes while supporting their favorite park!

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Our Contact Information
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org

Permits Filed for 528 East Fordham Road in Belmont, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 12-story mixed-use building at 528 East Fordham Road in Belmont, The Bronx. Located at the intersection of Bathgate Avenue and East Fordham Road, the lot is near the Fordham Road subway station, served by the B and D trains. Ralph Martucci is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 119-foot-tall development will yield 94,852 square feet, with 68,497 square feet designated for residential space and 26,355 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 99 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 691 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar but no accessory parking.

Robert Bianchini of ARC Architecture + Design Studio is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

February Art Workshops and Classes at BRAC!

UPCOMING FEBRUARY WORKSHOPS

Hearts and Arts

with Tammy Wofsey

Friday, February 13 from 5 - 8pm

Enjoy the magic of designing, and printing your very own personalized valentines cards with artist Tammy Wofsey using printmaking techniques! All materials are included, just bring your creativity! Light refreshments and snacks will be provided. Pricing: $12 (Youth), $20 (Adults), $35 (Pairs) Purchase Tickets for Workshop Saturday Ceramics Classes with Colin Harvey February 14 & 28; March 7, 14 & 28 from 1 - 3pm In this introductory class taught by Colin Harvey, we will focus on making sculptural plant pots by collaboratively generating ideas and playing a series of group hand building games to learn about the structural qualities of clay, before delving into individual work on a long-term final plant pot.  Pricing: $135 (Youth/Teen), $200 (Parent & Child), $225 (Adult)  With Discount*: $87.75 (Youth), $130 (Parent & Child),  $146.58 (Adult) *use code BRACWINTER26  Purchase Tickets for Ceramics Class Not interested in ceramics? Join one of our Painting and  Multimedia classes such as Thursday's Expressive Watercolor  Painting or a Youth and Family class like Paper Mache Mask  Masking! Also stay tuned for news on our series of mid-winter  workshops!