STATEMENT FROM BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ RE: City Council Approval of the Jerome Avenue Rezoning

UsaNewsOnline.Com Desk, New York : “With today’s vote, the City Council has secured a positive future for the Jerome Avenue corridor that is inclusive of the area’s current residents and does not leave the people of The Bronx behind.

“As part of the ongoing negotiations on this rezoning, both my office and the City Council, led by Council Member Vanessa Gibson, have secured considerable protections for the area’s existing residents and businesses. My office was able to negotiate commitments from the administration that will provide deep affordability in new apartments, new protections against tenant harassment and the preservation of thousands of existing affordable units in Community Boards #4 and #5, among others.

“The City Council has built on that success, securing new protections and job training services for the autoworkers within the Jerome Avenue corridor, new funding for park and infrastructure improvements, and new programs to encourage local hiring. I especially want to thank City Council Members Gibson and Fernando Cabrera for their focus and dedication on this issue, and the years they have spent working to ensure that the needs of the community are balanced against the expectations of this rezoning.

“The people of The Bronx are not opposed to improvement. However, the rezoning of the Jerome Avenue corridor must work for everyone. The agreements that have been secured by my office and the City Council will help do just that, and I look forward to working with the administration to begin the implementation of the initiatives and programs they have agreed to provide.

“To start, the city should begin the work of preserving existing units of at-risk affordable housing within Community Boards #4 and #5. In February my office issued a report that identifies the units that should be preserved and kept affordable within those community boards, and the city should begin to direct resources towards these units to help preserve affordability within the Jerome Avenue corridor,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

The report, titled “Zoned-In: A Housing Preservation Blueprint for the Jerome Avenue Corridor,” identifies 2,075 units across 45 buildings within a ¼ mile radius of the area proposed for rezoning around Jerome Avenue by the de Blasio administration. It can be read in full at http://on.nyc.gov/2ErFy7t.

Press Release.