Jerome Avenue Rezoning Unanimously Approved by  New York City Council

The rezoning covers 95-blocks along Jerome Avenue from McClellan Street to East 184 Street and includes several intersecting east-west commercial corridors. The rezoning is expected to result in 4,000 new housing units and will be supported by $189 million in neighborhood investments.

New York, New York  - City Council Members Vanessa Gibson and Fernando Cabrera led the New York City Council in a vote on Wednesday, March 21st to rezone the Jerome avenue corridor in the Bronx. The full Council vote comes two weeks after the Members announced an agreement to rezone the Jerome corridor that secured over $189 million in critical neighborhood investments. This rezoning and comprehensive Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan reflect years of community-based planning aimed at addressing pressing neighborhood challenges, including the preservation and creation of affordable housing, investment in new schools and parks, and support for local businesses and workforce development efforts.
 
The rezoning covers an approximately 95-block area that spans Jerome Avenue and includes portions of Council Member Vanessa Gibson's 16th District, and Council Member Fernando Cabrera's 14th District. The rezoning allows substantial new commercial and residential development along the Bronx corridor, an area that was largely zoned for auto-related and industrial uses.
 
Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson said, "After decades of broken promises and under investment, the Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan will bring lasting investment in the West Bronx and its people. I am proud to say the final plan includes significant investment in creating and preserving affordable and deeply affordable housing units, funding for two new schools in our overcrowded school districts 9 and 10, over $60 million for our parks - including 2 brand new parks in Community Board 4 - and funds to fortify our small businesses and their workforce, especially the auto industry along the Jerome Corridor. The commitments secured in this plan are a direct result of input from our passionate community, and I remain thankful to the many advocates, stakeholders, government partners, and colleagues who worked with Council Member Cabrera and I to arrive at the best possible plan for our community's future.
 
The Neighborhood Plan may be finalized, but our work to revitalize the Jerome Corridor is far from over. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the community to make sure all of the promises made in this plan are truly fulfilled."
 
Council Member Fernando Cabrera said, "This vote is a major victory after years of community planning, bringing together thousands of residents, business owners, community groups, community boards 4,5 and 7 and elected officials to develop a shared vision of the future of this neighborhood, in which all residents are served. Our neighborhoods will benefit greatly from major investments in preserving 2,500 units of affordable housing and the creation of new affordable housing. Community School District 10, one of the most overcrowded school districts in the city, will get a brand new 458 seat primary school which will include a youth community center to house an after-school program. We are investing in workforce development and compliance assistance for the auto industry and a $1.5 million grant pool to defray the costs of relocation.
 
Throughout this process, I affirmed my commitment to this community, recognizing the tremendous needs and challenges that we face. The Jerome Avenue Rezoning serves as a primer for all future rezoning projects, setting high standards for collaboration and community input. I'm proud of the work we have done to build a bright future for the West Bronx."
 
Affordable Housing
The rezoning is expected to create 4,000 new housing units over the next 10 years and triggers Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), which requires 20-25% of all new residential units to be permanently affordable. As a result of the new zoning, approximately 1,000 affordable units will be developed on private sites through MIH. Additional housing will be developed through the City's commitment to prioritize five city-owned sites for affordable housing development. Development will be paired with a robust housing preservation and anti-displacement strategy, including a commitment to preserve 2,500 affordable units over the next two years.
 
Neighborhood investments
Council Members Gibson and Cabrera secured a set of neighborhood investments that ensure future development will support the comprehensive needs of the community:
 
Schools
  • Build two brand-new 458-seat primary schools, one each in community school district 9 and 10 respectively
 
Affordable Housing
  • Preserve 2,500 affordable units over the next 2 years 
  • Prioritize development of affordable housing on five city-owned lots, including a senior housing project at 97 West 169th Street
  • Launch the Partners in Preservation initiative to develop anti-displacement strategies for buildings at risk, including $200,000 in tenant organizing support
  • Launch the Southwest Bronx Housing Task Force
  • Phased closing of all "cluster" housing sites by 2021
  • Dedicate rental assistance vouchers to 250 homeless families
  • Create permanently affordable units using the MIH deep affordability option
 
Auto Industry and Workforce Development
  • $1.5MM grant pool to assist displaced businesses with relocation costs
  • Hire a Jerome Avenue workforce development coordinator
  • Launch workforce training programs for auto workers and community residents
  • Launch auto business compliance and retention initiatives
  • Create a Jerome Local Hiring and Responsible Contracting Working group led by Council Members Gibson and Cabrera
 
$60MM to parks investments
  • $4.6 MM Corporal Irwin Fischer Park (new park)
  • $25.7MM Grant Avenue Park (new park)
  • $1.6MM Bridge Playground
  • $5.2MM Morton Playground
  • $8-10MM Aqueduct Walk (reopen a closed stretch of the park)
  • $11.2MM 1801-1805 Davidson (new park)
 
$50MM in DOT improvements
  • $50 MM in pedestrian improvements, lighting, bus stops, crosswalks, wayfinding, redesigning of key intersections, and repaving key streets.
  • Redesign the Cross Bronx pedestrian intersection
  • Reconstruct step streets at Davidson and Clifford Place
  • Add NYPD security cameras throughout the Jerome corridor
 
Community Resources
  • Invest in renovation and expansion of the Davidson Community Center
  • Provide after school programming at the new school at 2355 Morris Avenue
  • Convene a Jerome Avenue Public Health Task Force that will create a specialized public health plan for the surrounding neighborhood 
The ULURP Process
In August 2017, the Department of City Planning (DCP) released its proposal to rezone Jerome Avenue. DCP's land use application proposed zoning changes to allow for greater density, established the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program throughout the corridor, created a Special Jerome Avenue District, and proposed changes to the City Map to facilitate the creation of a new Corporal Irwin Fischer Park. In November, 2017, DCP amended the application to include additional blocks in the rezoning area and amend the Special Jerome Avenue District bulk and use regulations. The City Council held a public hearing at City Hall on February 7, 2018. The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use approved the rezoning applications, with modifications, on March 6, 2018.

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