Bronx to establish waterfront redevelopment guidelines

Real Estate Weekly, Oct 30, 2002

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., has convened a group of government, community and environmental leaders with an action mandate to develop, in a very short time, guidelines for the redevelopment of the Bronx' extensive waterfront.

In charging the task force with its mission to deliver guidelines for development of a mix of commercial, industrial, residential and active and passive recreational uses, as well as enhancement of open space, and to do so in a relatively short timeframe with a consensus of opinion in support, Carrion said: "New projects in the pipeline and under discussion for the Bronx waterfront make it imperative that we act now to ensure that the people of the Bronx guide its redevelopment. There's already great excitement about projects now underway, such as the 'discovery' of the nascent artist community in Port Morris, the coming of the Fulton Fish Market to Hunt's Point, industrial development of the Harlem River Railyard and a major retail project in Kingsbridge. It's spurred serious talks with developers on such projects as a million-SF office and retail mall, a state-of-the-art hotel/convention center complex, a trading floor for the stock market, to name only a few.

"We have an opportunity today to ensure that development takes place in the best interests of the waterfront communities, the borough and the city. By identifying the needs of business, residents and the complex ecologies of the rivers, sound and deltas that comprise this natural jewel we can develop wisely and well.

"By acting boldly and quickly, using planning strategies that have worked brilliantly elsewhere adapted to local conditions, we can put the Bronx in the vanguard of development with such great reborn waterfront cities as Baltimore and New Orleans. By advocating for the concerns of our constituencies with an eye toward finding solutions that work for everyone, we can build a coalition committed to harmonious integration of seemingly conflicting goals."

The task force was divided into regional working groups. Working groups met targeting the Harlem River shore, the Bronx River and Bronx River Delta (Hunt's Point) and the East Bronx. A fourth group is working independently on preservation of the historic sites, architecture and businesses of City Island and is comprised of a coalition of civic and business associations.

Carrion's strategy for advancing the Bronx as an exemplary place to live and work focuses on three primary issues economy, environment and education. Clearly the key to the Bronx' resurgence is a buoyant and growing economy that offers broad employment opportunities on all levels. Such an economy, which will be stimulated in no small measure by waterfront development, can only flourish in an appropriate environment, one that offers a quality of life characterized by affordable housing, safety, adequate health care and fresh air. Such an economy and environment are virtually unobtainable without a superior school system that helps every child in the borough realize his or her full potential as workers, citizens and individuals.