GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS FOR THE SOUTH BRONX'S CIVIC CENTER NEIGHBORHOOD AS PART OF $10 MILLION AWARD

12 Downtown Revitalization Initiative Projects Connect Commercial and Cultural Nodes within the Civic Center, Support Economic Growth and Opportunity, and Preserves Borough's Unique Heritage

 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 12 transformational projects in the South Bronx as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award. The strategic investments in the South Bronx will connect the commercial and cultural nodes within the Civic Center to create a unified downtown that provides a high quality of life for residents and visitors; supports inclusive economic growth and opportunity and preserves and promotes the borough's unique heritage and identity. The investments are part of the Governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the Bronx and create more opportunities in the Bronx Civic Center Downtown neighborhood.

 

"The Bronx Civic Center neighborhood is the heart of the bustling Bronx and it must be showcased," Governor Cuomo said. "These projects will advance the Borough by leaps and bounds, increasing amenities to existing South Bronx residents and bringing further investment and community pride to the Bronx."

 

The Bronx Civic Center neighborhood was named a DRI Round 2 winner. The neighborhood includes the area bounded by 144th Street on the south, 165th Street on the north, the Harlem River on the west and St. Ann's Avenue/East-Third Avenue on the east. The South Bronx is one of New York City's most rapidly evolving areas. Neighborhoods like Mott Haven, Concourse Village, Melrose and Morrisania have undergone dramatic, grassroots and community driven transformation. The South Bronx is booming with private and public investments in affordable housing, cultural facilities, retail and other sectors. Many local policies enabled this growth of activity, such as the South Bronx Initiative and Melrose Retail Strategy, and the resultant Lower Concourse rezoning.

 

The specific projects to be funded through the DRI include:

 

Expand the Andrew Freedman Home Cultural Art Center: Renovate the Andrew Freedman Home Cultural Art Center to accommodate theater, visual arts, music, dance, and other art productions, and space for workforce development and after-school programming. Refurbish and enhance the outdoor areas to increase public awareness of programming inside the historic center. ($1,720,000)

 

Convert the 149th Street Bridge into a Public Plaza: Create an expanded, programmable sidewalk plaza on the 149th Street Bridge that will connect the Lower Concourse to the Hub, and provide space for vendors, art, and other activities. ($2,592,000)

 

Beautify Streetscapes at the Hub and 149th Street: Invest in a series of streetscape improvements on Third Avenue, Melrose Avenue, and 149th Street to foster a stronger local identity, improve safety, and encourage private investment. ($1,040,000)

 

Create a Business Improvement Fund: Create a Business Improvement Fund available to business owners and property owners to fund façade and storefront improvements, upper-floor renovations, and development of full-service restaurants and cafés along the DRI area's major commercial corridors. ($1,000,000)

 

Complete an Upgrade of the BronxWorks Public Swimming Pool Facility: Build on recent investment in a community swimming pool located at BronxWorks' Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center on the Grand Concourse. Improvements to the pool area would include an air handling system, new ceiling tiles, and refurbished locker rooms. ($429,000)

 

Support the Opening of the Bronx Kreate Space Artist-Maker Hub Provide gap funding to build out artist-maker co-working space in Mott Haven at the new Bronx Kreate Space. Planned improvements include gallery space, a café, low-cost workspace, artist studios and communal facilities. ($595,000)

 

Improve Community Gardens at Melrose Common: Improve three community gardens in Melrose Commons with solar power, enhanced lighting, wi-fi access, and rainwater harvesting to strengthen the area's open space network, community resilience, and sustainability. ($630,000)

 

Activate the New Roberto Clemente Plaza with Outdoor Cafes: Install two outdoor cafes in the soon-to-be-completed public space at the Roberto Clemente Plaza to provide additional dining options for local workers and shoppers. One of the cafes will serve as an incubator for local food entrepreneurs. ($520,000)

 

Enable Construction of a New Pregones Theater Space: Demolish the existing, out-of-code, wood-frame house at 571 Walton Avenue to enable the Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) to develop a modern facility that will serve as an organizational headquarters and house artist rehearsal, studio, and performance space. ($260,000)

 

Expand Low-Cost Broadband Access in Melrose Commons: Create a point-to-multi-point, rooftop-based wireless broadband network serving residents, businesses, and visitors in Melrose Commons. The network would offer free wi-fi in and around select public spaces; free access to an internet-enabled local resource portal for residents within networked buildings; and low-cost broadband service for residents within networked buildings. Initial fiber access would be provided by Nos Quedamos at two buildings it owns. ($437,000)

 

Refresh the Bronx Walk of Fame with Updated Signs and Branding: Refresh the Bronx Walk of Fame by redesigning, replacing, and regrouping signs along the Grand Concourse between 149th Street and 167th Street, and creating a digital directory to draw visitors. ($250,000)

 

Create a More Welcoming Gateway at the 161st Street Station: Create a modern, attractive gateway to the Bronx outside the East 161st Street - Yankee Stadium subway station by enhancing existing concrete medians with improved plantings. This project will complement other investments in the area. ($227,000)

 

The Bronx developed a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize the South Bronx with $300,000 in planning funds from the $10 million DRI grant. A Local Planning Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders, and other stakeholders led the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan for the South Bronx examined local assets and opportunities and identified economic development, transportation, housing, and community projects that align with the community's vision for downtown revitalization and that are poised for implementation.

 

"We have opened a new chapter for the Bronx Civic Center community with investment through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and this new round of funding will strengthen the Bronx economic success story," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "The projects awarded today will improve quality of life in the Bronx and invest in the future of this diverse community. Our funding commitment today will bolster connectivity between neighborhoods, support arts and cultural attractions, and create good-paying jobs for Bronx families." 

 

New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, "The DRI's recognition for this South Bronx hub demonstrates that the entire Borough is on the rise. This is a game-changer that will bring revitalization to the entire community and build upon the many successes already in place across the Bronx."

 

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, "The Downtown Revitalization Initiative infuses communities with resources and support to realize their potential as vibrant hubs where New Yorkers want to live, work, and play. These investments in the Bronx Civic Center will build on the area's incredible momentum and catalyze new growth and opportunities."

 

NYS Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Through Governor Cuomo's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, these community-led, targeted investments will combine with HCR's $639 million investment in the Bronx over the last seven years that has created affordable housing for about 38,250 residents to help ensure that as the Bronx's economy grows, all New Yorkers have the opportunity to take part. In New York State, we are lucky to have a Governor who understands how to build inclusive, long-term economic success."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Unlike the scandal ridden Buffalo Billion project upstate, we hope that each and every dollar to be spent on these Bronx projects is totally accounted for. We also hope that certain elected officials do not try to take credit for this, and have intentionally left out any elected officials comments.

FIVE-BOROUGH BIKE SHARE: DOT NAMES FIVE DOCKLESS BIKE SHARE COMPANIES ASSIGNED TO FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS FOR PILOT

Later this month, bike share pilot will kick off in the Rockaways, the central Bronx, and on the North Shore of Staten Island – and later in the year in Brooklyn’s Coney Island; Each community will receive at least 200 bikes, including pedal-assist models  

  The New York City Department of Transportation today named the five companies that would begin to offer dockless bike share later this month in neighborhoods in boroughs outside Manhattan.  Eventually, each neighborhood will host no fewer than 200 bicycles.  Regular pedal bikes will be supplied by the companies Lime, Motivate, ofo, or Pace.  Those bikes will be supplemented in each community by pedal-assist models offered by either JUMP or Lime.   By mid-July, bikes are expected to arrive in the Rockaways in Queens, followed by the central Bronx and Staten Island.   Later this year, Coney Island in Brooklyn will also host a pilot.

“We at DOT are excited to name the companies that will bring dockless bike share to four different communities in New York City for the first time,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  “Each of the five selected companies are leaders in this emerging field, and in the course of the pilot, we will see how they perform in diverse New York City neighborhoods that have never before seen bike share.  We strongly encourage New Yorkers to get out this month to explore some great neighborhoods by bike -- and give us feedback on their dockless experience.” 

The five companies participating in the pilot are pending final approval, but have all signed contracts with DOT that obligate them to provide bikes to specific New York City pilot communities.  Under a rule adopted last week by DOT, the two companies offering pedal-assist dockless bikes in the pilot can be operational after Saturday, July 28 – the date when the rule clarifying pedal-assist bikes’ legal status goes fully into effect.

The four pilots will roll out in the following order, with assigned companies:

·         Mid-July: Rockaways, Queens – Pace and Lime (Lime will offer regular bikes only until July 28)

·         Mid-to-late July: Central Bronx/Fordham area – JUMP and ofo

·         Mid-to-late July: North Shore of Staten Island -- JUMP and Lime

·        Later this year: Coney Island, Brooklyn: Motivate and potentially a company to be named later

During June, DOT visited affected community boards in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and on Staten Island, presenting plans and establishing final boundaries (see map above) for each of the pilot areas.  As part of this consultation process, DOT expanded the Rockaways pilot area, which now includes the entire peninsula.  DOT also adjusted its plans for Coney Island, where strong community concerns about current construction projects and summer crowding led to a postponement of the pilot there until later this year. 

The pilot will begin in mid-July as bikes start to arrive on a rolling basis to neighborhood streets.  Eventually, each neighborhood will host a minimum of 200 bikes that must remain within the pilot boundaries during the course of the pilot.   Each company’s pricing structure is expected to differ although dockless models around the country generally allow bikes to be rented in 30-minute increments via an app on a mobile phone, usually for $1 or $2 per ride.

During the pilot, DOT will carefully evaluate companies’ compliance with requirements around data accessibility and user privacy. Evaluation criteria will also include the safety, availability and durability of the bikes themselves.   In the evaluation period, DOT will also make a determination on future steps, including the possible implementation of pilots in different or expanded geographic areas.

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT PASSES BILL TO RENAME DISTRICT POST OFFICE HONORING TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

  Representative Adriano Espaillat released the following statement in support of his bill, H.R. 4406, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York as the Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building.

“I am proud to honor the Tuskegee Airmen by renaming the U.S. post office located at 99 Macombs Place in their honor,” said Rep. Espaillat. “This is a symbolic gesture to recognize the significant sacrifice and dedication on the airmen who served this country. The Tuskegee Airmen are known for breaking racial barriers, for their bravery in the armed forces, and their courage to lead the fight against racism and discrimination once they returned home during Jim Crow in the South. 

“I will be holding an official renaming ceremony later this fall to ensure these brave men and their tribute will forever be remembered.”

The Tuskegee Airmen was a popular name given to the first all-black squadron, activated into service by the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 during the peak of World War II. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We appreciate Congressman Espaillat for this gesture, but how about doing something about the USPS delivery, and postal office problems people of New York City outside of Manhattan are experiencing

Former Chief And President Of Briarcliff Manor Fire Department Pleads Guilty To Embezzling More Than $120,000

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,  William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller,  and George P. Beach II, Superintendent of the New York State Police, announced today that ROBERT M. GARCIA, the former president and chief of the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department in Briarcliff Manor, New York (“BMFD”), pled guilty to embezzlement of more than $120,000 from the BMFD.  GARCIA pled guilty today in White Plains federal court before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As he admitted today, Robert Garcia abused his positions of trust with the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department and Fire Council to engage in flagrant self-dealing.  He lined his pockets with Fire Department and Fire Council money to pay personal expenses, and then lied about it to cover his tracks.  Now Garcia may be facing prison time for his crime.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “As a fire department official, Garcia was expected to be trustworthy and reliable, but, as he admitted today, he proved himself unprincipled by his deceitful actions.  For approximately four years, Garcia abused his elected position to channel over $120,000 into his personal accounts.  Instead of tending to the needs of the community, Garcia tended to his own needs.  Corruption may be a deep-rooted plant in parts of our society, but as today’s plea demonstrates, we are committed to rooting out corruption in all of its forms.”

Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said:  “Mr. Garcia has admitted brazenly writing checks to himself for $122,000 from the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department.  Thanks to my ongoing partnership with United States Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman, the FBI and the State Police, he will now be held accountable.  This is a reminder to employ strong checks and balances and internal controls to guard public funds.”

According to the Information and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:

GARCIA was elected to the position of second assistant chief of the BMFD in or about April 2013.  His election to that position also made him an officer of the Briarcliff Manor Fire Council, which oversees the BMFD. GARCIA was thereafter elected to different administrative and operational positions within the BMFD, including first assistant chief, chief, treasurer, and president.  As a result, GARCIA was also an officer of the Fire Council from in or about April 2013 through in or about April 2017. GARCIA was given signatory authority over bank accounts held by the Fire Council and the BMFD starting in April 2013.

From in or about May 2013 to in or about March 2017, GARCIA embezzled money from the BMFD and the Fire Council by writing checks drawn on the BMFD’s and Fire Council’s bank accounts that he made payable to himself.  GARCIA then deposited these checks into his personal bank accounts.  He used the embezzled proceeds to pay personal expenses.  GARCIA covered up his thefts by making material misstatements regarding the purposes and payees of the checks he had written to himself on written reports he gave to the Fire Council when he acted as the BMFD’s treasurer from in or about 2014 through in or about April 2017.  GARCIA embezzled more than $120,000 from the BMFD and the Fire Council by writing approximately 150 checks to himself.

GARCIA, 51, of Ossining, New York, pled guilty to one count of embezzlement theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence will be determined by the court.

GARCIA is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Seibel on November 15, 2018, at 3:30 p.m.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, New York State Comptroller and New York State Police.  

Las Vegas Real Estate Broker Arrested On Money Laundering Charges

Luis Eduardo Rodriguez Funneled Narcotics Proceeds Through the Las Vegas Real Estate Market and Dummy Corporations on Behalf of the Leading Figure in an International Narcotics and Money Laundering Conspiracy with Ties to Italy, Hong Kong, and Mexico

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and David J. Downing, Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that LUIS EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ has been charged for his role in laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds through Las Vegas real estate, and through multiple Nevada shell corporations, in order to send those proceeds to narcotics traffickers and money launderers based in Mexico.  RODRIGUEZ was arrested this morning in Las Vegas, and will be presented in federal court today in the District of Nevada.

The criminal complaint, which was filed under seal on June 28, 2018, alleges that RODRIGUEZ worked at the direction of Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez, the leader of an international money laundering and narcotics trafficking organization (the “Organization”).  In June 2017, Rodriguez-Jimenez pled guilty to laundering in excess of $250 million in drug proceeds on behalf of drug cartels in Mexico and Central America through a variety of methods, including through seemingly “legitimate” corporations, shell bank accounts, and money couriers based in the United States and Europe.  RODRIGUEZ served as one conduit through which the Organization laundered drug money.    

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Luis Eduardo Rodriguez assisted a major international drug trafficking organization in laundering the proceeds of its illegal operations.  Rodriguez allegedly laundered drug proceeds through Las Vegas real estate transactions, and assisted in recruiting people to act as straw-man ‘managers’ of shell companies for the trafficking organization.  Now, thanks to the DEA, Rodriguez is in custody and facing prosecution.”

DEA SAC David J. Downing said:  “The actions of the accused illustrate the methods drug trafficking organizations utilize to infiltrate our communities and attempt to legitimize their criminal enterprise, but this arrest exemplifies the tremendous steps taken by law enforcement to uproot and remove them.”

According to the allegations in the criminal complaint [1], and statements made in Court:

The Investigation

Since July 2013, the DEA has been investigating the Organization and its cartel clients, which together have been involved in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin, among other narcotics, and laundering narcotics proceeds through a variety of methods.  The Organization has ties to Panama, Mexico, Italy, Spain, and the United States, among other locations, and its members are believed to include the defendant.  Eight members of the Organization have previously been charged in the Southern District of New York, including in the indictment captioned United States v. Rodriguez-Jimenez et al., 16 Cr. 644 (KBF) filed on September 22, 2016.

In furtherance of the money laundering activities of the Organization, RODRIGUEZ, through his real estate business, purchased, renovated, and sold residential properties in Las Vegas at the direction of Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez.  Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez funded these transactions with drug dollars, and held his interest through a shell corporation, Innova Properties LLC (“Innova”).  During the first half of 2016, RODRIGUEZ “flipped” at least three properties in this way for Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez; the last of these was purchased by Innova for approximately $220,000 and then sold two months later for approximately $226,000.

In or about October 2015, RODRIGUEZ assisted Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez in recruiting individuals to allow their identities to be used by the Organization:  these individuals were listed with the State of Nevada as “managers” of various Organization-controlled shell corporations, and appeared as signatories on domestic bank accounts affiliated with those shell corporations.  In exchange for the use of their identities, these individuals each received $1,000 per month in cash.  These accounts were then utilized by the Organization for the movement of hundreds of thousands of dollars in narcotics proceeds.

In July 2016, after the raid of an Organization stash house by law enforcement in Philadelphia, which resulted in the seizure of $500,000 in narcotics proceeds, Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez traveled from Monterrey, Mexico, to Las Vegas to meet with a purported associate to discuss the seizure.  In fact, that associate was an undercover DEA agent, and Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez was arrested when he arrived for the meeting.  RODRIGUEZ accompanied Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez to the meeting to discuss the seizure.

RODRIGUEZ faces up to 20 years in prison on the charges contained in the criminal complaint.  The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the DEA for its work in the investigation. 

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Former Federal Inspector Arrested For Attempted Child Enticement

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of JESSE RODRIGUEZ on charges of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.  The Complaint charges that RODRIGUEZ communicated with an individual he believed to be the mother of two minor girls via email and chat messages, and made plans to meet the mother at a coffee shop in Manhattan and then go to her apartment to engage in sexual activity with her minor daughters.  RODRIGUEZ was arrested Sunday after he arrived at the designated meeting place, and was presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang, where he was ordered detained pending trial. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Jesse Rodriguez traveled to New York yesterday in the evil yet erroneous belief that he would engage in sex with two children.  He allegedly possessed condoms and restraints for that purpose.  Thanks to HSI and the NYPD, he was the one who was handcuffed, and now faces prosecution.”

Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez said:  “Rodriguez allegedly sought out the mother of two young daughters in order to perform sex acts with the girls. It is incomprehensible that a former public servant, employed to protect, would allegedly seek to take advantage on the vulnerability of a child.  Law enforcement continuously targets child predators to ensure a child does not become a victim, and now, in this case, this man is behind bars and will need to face justice for his alleged actions.”

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Jesse Rodriguez’s alleged shameful attempt to pay for sex with two underage girls displays a disgusting, utter disregard for the rule of law in civilized society. The NYPD and our federal partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the Southern District will stop at nothing to identify, arrest, and prosecute anyone who engages in such alleged depraved behavior.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint sworn out today in Manhattan federal court and statements made during court proceedings:[1]

Between April 4, 2018, through July 1, 2018, RODRIGUEZ, a former federal inspector with the Federal Protective Service of the Department of Homeland Security, exchanged chat messages with a law enforcement officer operating in an undercover capacity, posing as the mother of a 13-year-old and an eight-year-old girl.  During the course of these conversations, RODRIGUEZ told the undercover officer that he was interested in engaging in sexual activities with the minor girls.  RODRIGUEZ described the explicit sexual activity that he intended to engage in with the purported minor daughters of the undercover officer and made a plan to travel from Minnesota to meet at a coffee shop in Manhattan to then go to a nearby apartment for purposes of engaging in sexual activity with the minor girls.  RODRIGUEZ was arrested outside the coffee shop while in possession of condoms, lubricant, and restraints. 

RODRIGUEZ, 62, of St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Formal Invitation for the Bronx Democratic Party Annual Dinner

REPRESENTATIVE ADRIANO ESPAILLAT RECOGNIZES ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

  Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat issued the following statement in recognition of the Civil Rights Act, signed into law this day in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson:

“On this day in history in 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the historic Civil Rights Act. The most sweeping civil rights legislation passed by Congress since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the Civil Rights Act prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public places such as schools, buses, parks and swimming pools,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat. 

“The Civil Rights Act laid critical groundwork for a number of other legislation–including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which set into place voter protections for African Americans, ensuring their equal right to vote and has been used to enforce equal rights for women as well as all minorities.

“For these and a number of reasons, we must continue our fight against the policies put forth intended to roll back the progress the Civil Rights Act put into place and the efforts from the Trump Administration to remove protections that have guaranteed equal rights, equality and protections for all individuals regardless of race, religion, gender, sex, or country of origin.”