Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Community Resources & Updates

 

Dear Neighbor,

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

In partnership with the Bronx Economic Development Corporation, we are searching for a healthcare professional in our borough who has demonstrated exceptional service to be added to our Bronx Walk of Fame alongside incredible Bronx luminaries. Click here to nominate a healthcare leader!

On Thursday, March 7th, we are hosting our Bronx Higher Education College Fair in partnership with our Bronx Higher Education Task Force at Bronx Community College. Perspective students will speak to representatives from various Bronx colleges and universities, obtain information on financial aid and scholarships, and learn more about workforce development and degree programs. Then in the evening, we are partnering with the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. for our Annual Garifuna Heritage Month Celebration at Bronx Borough Hall for a night of fun and entertainment. We hope you can join us!

We are also excited to announce that our Community Board application deadline has been extended to Friday, March 8th. Please continue to encourage your friends, neighbors, and loved ones to apply. You can click here for more information.

Lastly, identity thieves are increasingly using devices known as “skimmers” that attach to ATMs or credit card machines and steal consumers’ credit card and PIN numbers. The device is typically a simple plastic sheath placed over the card slot that appears to be part of the machine and that reads the magnetic strip on your card and then transmits the account information or saves it until the device is retrieved. You can click here for more information on how to keep you and your families safe from potential credit card scams.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

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IN THE COMMUNITY

We were proud to join Dr. Janine Adjo and Dr. Vanessa Louis for an important discussion at St. Barnabas Hospital on the Black Maternal Health crisis and how elected officials and healthcare professionals can work together to address the issue.

Even in 2024, your race can affect your quality of care and the likelihood of experiencing maternal complications or death.

We are grateful for our partners who understand this issue and work tirelessly alongside us and our Bronx Maternal Health Consortium (BMHC) to eliminate racial disparities in our healthcare system.

In partnership with School District 8 and Judge Cynthia Isales, we were proud to host the My Sister’s Keeper D8 Legal Professionals Luncheon to connect our middle school youth with legal professionals working at Bronx Borough Hall.

Our young girls will help shape the future of our borough and it’s important that we provide them with the tools to be successful leaders.

Stevenson Square represents an opportunity for us to reimagine housing in our borough by ensuring accessibility, affordability, homeownership, and support for our most vulnerable residents are at the forefront of our housing priorities.

This project will help transform the Soundview neighborhood and ensure our seniors can age in place with dignity and respect, residents living with disabilities will have units dedicated to their unique needs, and families can have ownership of where they live and enjoy building amenities without having to leave their neighborhood.

I want to thank Camber Property Group, my colleagues in government, and everyone else responsible for bringing this project one step closer to completion.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIRE SAFETY

Last week, I presented testimony to the New York City Council in support of legislation to strengthen our fire safety laws in New York City.

RESOURCES

MAYOR ADAMS CELEBRATES CITY PLANNING COMMISSION’S APPROVAL OF “CITY OF YES FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY” PROPOSAL

 

Proposal to Support Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Economic Growth Will Deliver  Largest Overhaul of City’s Commercial and Manufacturing Zoning in 60 Years 

 

Proposal Now Goes to City Council for Hearing and Final Vote 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today celebrated the CPC’s vote in favor of “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity,” a set of citywide zoning changes that will further fuel New York City’s economic recovery and pave the way for a more inclusive future. Together, the 18 proposed changes will help businesses find space and grow, support entrepreneurs and freelancers, boost growing industries, and enable more vibrant streetscapes and commercial corridors. City of Yes for Economic Opportunity is the second of the Adams administration’s three “City of Yes” initiatives — the first being “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality,” and the third being “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.” 

 

“To continue driving New York City’s economic recovery forward, we must look to the future and not be bound by the past,” said Mayor Adams. “So many of our old zoning rules simply made no sense, but ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ will deliver long-overdue, sensible zoning changes that will unlock family-sustaining jobs for our neighbors, inclusive growth in our communities, and a vibrant future for our city. New York City isn’t coming back — we are back, and ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ will help take us to new heights.” 

 

“Today's City Planning Commission vote in favor of ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ is an important step towards creating a more dynamic and prosperous future for New York City,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “The zoning of 1961 is not serving the needs of 2024, and replacing outdated regulations with clear and sensible rules will help boost small businesses, growing industries and commercial corridors. We look forward to working with our partners in the City Council to advance this important proposal and help sustain our economic recovery into the years ahead.” 

 

 “New York City’s entrepreneurs, small businesses, and commercial corridors have been held back for too long by outdated zoning rules,” said CPC Chair and DCP Director Garodnick. “With ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity,’ we’re bringing these rules into the 21st century so they reflect how people and businesses work today. Thanks to today’s vote by the City Planning Commission, we’re one step closer towards setting New York City’s economy on a more vibrant and prosperous path.”  

 

“We are proud to support the ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ by redesigning our streets to not only support critical housing needs, but also small businesses with elements like outdoor dining, Open Streets, new plazas, and bike and bus lanes — all of which have shown to help businesses thrive,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “When we build welcoming streets that people want to visit, spend time on, and shop through, everybody wins.”  

 

“As the agency charged with enforcing the city’s Zoning Resolution, we are glad to see the City Planning Commission agrees that the status quo can be overhauled to support small businesses without negatively impacting the quality of life for New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. 

 

“‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ greatly enhances this administration’s ability to ensure all New Yorkers have multiple ways to access healthy, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food,” said Mayor's Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “These zoning changes will open opportunity for many food businesses to operate in commercial corridors and update rules to enable current businesses to thrive. ‘City of Yes’ will result in a stronger food system that’s sustainable now and into the future.” 

 

“The Office of Nightlife at the New York City Department of Small Business Services celebrates the City Planning Commission advancing the ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ plan, and finally repealing the city’s antiquated Cabaret Law,” said Office of Nightlife Executive Director Jeffrey Garcia. “These are commonsense, long-overdue changes that will support small businesses and the thousands of jobs they provide across the city. These changes fulfill a key priority from the Office of Nightlife’s 2021 recommendations and will go a long way towards helping our world-class nightlife scene in its continued recovery following the pandemic. We are grateful to the commission and countless advocates across the nightlife community who continue to push for equal access to dancing for all New Yorkers. This process is the culmination of a true collective effort.” 

 

“‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ is a huge opportunity for the Adams administration to take a major step forward to drive economic growth across New York City, while enabling more vibrant public spaces and revitalizing some of our commercial corridors,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “These important zoning changes are critical to supporting key industries — like clean manufacturing — growing small businesses, and helping create a more vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers.” 

 

“The City Planning Commission supporting the ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ is an important step in updating the zoning regulations that impact development across the Bronx and New York City,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.  “I want to commend the Department of City Planning and Chair Dan Garodnick in finding ways of streamlining the current zoning regulations while ensuring the intent of zoning, which is to promote and protect public health, safety, and general welfare. I encourage the City Council to support these regulations by voting to incorporate the proposed changes into the zoning resolution.” 

 

“We must move with the urgency of now to address the generational, intersectional crises facing our families. By creating jobs, enhancing our manufacturing capabilities and supporting our small businesses — the lifeblood of our communities — we can economically uplift countless families and put our city on track to continue our healthy post-COVID recovery,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “As the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity moves through the review process, I will continue to work with our city partners and Queens residents to ensure this proposal is as successful as possible.” 

 

“The City Planning Commission’s vote on the ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ text amendment brings us one step closer to clearing the hurdles that keep our city’s businesses from growing, adapting to changes, and thriving,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.” I applaud the Department of City Planning for crafting this extensive proposal, and the City Planning Commission for its thoughtful consideration of this application and look forward to seeing its enactment.” 

 

The proposal includes 18 sensible policy changes that would expand options for businesses to locate near their customers, support growing industries and sectors, foster vibrant neighborhoods and commercial corridors, and provide businesses with clear zoning rules. Among these changes are policies to:  

• More than double the space available for clean manufacturing, allowing small producers, such as microbreweries, apparel makers, and ceramic shops, to open and grow in commercial corridors in all five boroughs for the first time; 
• Create new zoning tools to allow more than 17,000 businesses in industrial areas that are currently prevented from adding space to grow their businesses; 
• Expand the number of businesses able to open in ground- and upper-floor spaces; 
• Eliminate outdated rules that prohibit dancing, comedy, and open mic nights in restaurants and venues in commercial areas, and instead govern venues by size and volume; 
• Create a process to allow new corner stores in residential areas, as approximately 265,000 New Yorkers currently live in areas where a new corner store could not be located within a quarter mile of their home; 
• Update 1960s-era rules that limit where amusements are allowed, so experiential retail and family-friendly activities can be located closer to where New Yorkers live; 
• Modernize how zoning regulates laboratories so life sciences research can flourish in offices and near universities and hospitals; 
• Remove outdated restrictions on indoor urban agriculture; 
• Fill empty storefronts by fixing decades-old rules that ban businesses from setting up in certain long-term vacant facilities; 
• Allow a wider range of businesses, including barbers and interior designers, to be based in homes; 

• Jumpstart local small businesses by helping them expand local delivery capacity; and 
• Facilitate adaptive reuse of commercial buildings by modernizing loading dock rules, among other critical updates.  

In the lead-up to the CPC’s approval, City of Yes for Economic Opportunity received positive recommendations from 21 community boards, as well as from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens borough presidents. It will now go to the New York City Council for a public hearing and a final vote in the coming months. Of the community boards that offered component-by-component recommendations, 16 of the 18 proposals received at least 50 percent approval with conditions.  To be responsive to community concerns heard throughout the process, several changes were made to the initiative during the CPC’s review. For example, to address worries that allowing commercial uses on the upper floors of mixed-use buildings could create conflict with existing apartments, the plan was modified to ensure that spaces occupied by existing homes could not be converted to upper floor commercial uses.   In response to concerns that home business expansion might create quality-of-life issues, the CPC made modifications to clarify that such businesses must be limited to an individual’s dwelling unit and cannot occupy residential common areas, such as hallways or lobbies. A 1,000-square-foot cap for home businesses was also reinstated to deter the combination of residential units for business activities.   Other modifications include clarifications about which types of businesses qualify to newly locate in commercial zones and the required environmental protection standards for life sciences facilities. Several other small modifications were made to clarify parts of the zoning text for practitioners, developers, and enforcement by the New York City Department of Buildings.   City of Yes for Economic Opportunity is the second of Mayor Adams’s three “City of Yes” initiatives to foster a greener, more affordable, and more prosperous city by updating outdated zoning rules. The first — City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality — was adopted by the City Council in December. The third — City of Yes for Housing Opportunity — will be referred for public review by community boards and borough presidents this spring and be put to a vote by the City Council before the end of the year. 

Statement from NYGOP Chair Ed Cox on Super Tuesday results

 

“Congratulations to President Trump on his decisive victories. President Trump is uniting our party the right way – at the ballot box. In New York and nationally, a united Republican Party will take the fight to Joe Biden and win. Under President Trump, we had peace through strength, prosperity without inflation and secure borders. Under weak President Biden, we now have wars with spreading involvements, the cost of living clobbering paychecks and wide open borders for unvetted migrants.  

 

“We look forward to working hard with President Trump's winning team to add to our majority-making NYGOP House delegation; to send Mike Sapraicone, President Trump’s endorsed candidate, to the US Senate with a new Republican majority; to have big wins in the Albany legislature; and to put President Trump back in the White House.”  

 

IN EARLY DAYS OF PETITIONING, SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ANNOUNCES BROAD LIST OF DIVERSE, LOCAL AND CITYWIDE SUPPORT FOR RE-ELECTION

 

Major local groups, NY Working Families Party, Unity Democratic Club and 504 Democratic Club endorse Senator Gustavo Rivera for re-election.   

Senator Gustavo Rivera announced a broad list of local and citywide support in his re-election campaign for State Senate District 33. These diverse groups will rally around him in the coming weeks to get Senator Rivera on the ballot. Endorsees include the Unity Democratic Club, 504 Democratic Club, and Working Families Party, which represent a growing coalition of Bronx residents who are supporting Senator Gustavo Rivera to continue to represent them as a champion for working families and as Chair of the Senate Health Committee.   

“The Unity Democratic Club is proud to endorse Senator Gustavo Rivera for re-election to represent Senate District 33. Senator Rivera has demonstrated a proven commitment to serving his community in Albany by fighting for the issues that matter most to Northwest Bronx residents. We look forward to continuing our work with him to create a better future for our neighborhoods,” said Betsey Knapp, President of the Unity Democratic Club.