Your Neighborhood — Your News®
SERVING PARKCHESTER, HUNTS POINT, FORDHAM SOUTH, GRAND CONCOURSE, FORDHAM NORTH, BRONX NORTH, CO-OP CITY
TOP BRONX NEWS STORIES
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - YOUR NEWS ®
The Bronx Times
On-Line
Your world is
24/7... NOW
so are we.
Continued on Page 114
Vol. 25 No. 11 www.bxtimes.com
March 15-21, 2019
Okays 228-unit Blondell Commons; Council next
Fighting For A Living
CPC APPROVES
SQUARE PROJECT
Calls for new Hutch Metro roads
Continued on Page 114
On Wednesday, March 6, Bronx resident workers rallied at Bronx
Borough Hall with their supporters and authorized a strike if negotiations
continue to falter. Freddie Alvarez rallied with his fellow
union members. See more photos on page 32.
Photo by Silvio Pacifi co
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
One of the borough’s economic
engines is lobbying for
public funds to improve access
to its campus-like grounds.
The long-promised road that
would provide direct access
into and out of the Hutchinson
Metro Center from the Hutchinson
River Parkway, a proposal
that dates back to 2002,
is needed for the sprawling offi
ce complex and a planned adjoining
Metro North station,
according to the development’s
management.
The roadway was discussed
with government offi cials
when Simone Development
purchased the land for the fi rst
phase of Hutch Metro Center,
which has since grown to include
a Montefi ore ambulatory
surgery center and a Marriot
hotel, said Joseph Kelleher, Simone
Metro Properties president.
“The reason for building
this road is the Hutchinson
Metro Center only has one way
in and one way out,” said Kelleher.
“It will ease congestion in
and out of the center, and on
surrounding roadways, which
are already over taxed.”
The roadway improvement
would create a new parkway
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
An affordable housing project
that may spark a host of similar
changes for a tiny street in
the Westchester Square vicinity
just received approval during
its Uniform Land Use Review
Procedure.
The City Planning Commission
okayed a zoning change
that will permit a nine-story
residential building known as
Blondell Commons to be constructed
on a mostly industrial
street at 1340 Blondell Avenue.
The vote on Wednesday,
February 27 was a victory for
much of the Square’s business
community that supports the
project in part because it would
increase foot traffi c and provide
a sorely-needed 225-space
parking garage that would be
partially available for community
use.
Westchester Square Business
Improvement District
chairman, John Bonizio,
strongly urged City Planning
in a letter to support the rezoning
of the parcel of land from
an M1-1 manufacturing zone to
an R7A residential zone.
“We support this change
primarily because this parcel
has not been, and should not be,
used for industrial purposes,”
stated Bonizio. “For years, the
warehousing of motor vehicles
on this property has most
likely created environmental
issues that would remain unaddressed
if the current zoning
status is continued.”
The zoning change is one of
the last obstacles the project,
with its 228 apartments, faces.
Neither Community Board
10 nor Community Board
11 supported the project, al-
BAKING BREAD SINCE 1918
Madonia Bakery Celebrates Next 100 Years
Special 12-Page Pullout Inside
- THE NEXT 100 YEARS -
antsFREE
INSIDE
Explore diverse dining experiences at more than 150 restaurants
with special offers in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx
Dine The Boroughs
BROADCASTING
EVENTS COM
PRINT DIGITAL SCHNEPSMEDIA.12-Page Supplement Starts On Page 55
PULLOUT PULLOUT SECTION
SECTION
SPECIAL SPECIAL Explore diverse dining
than 150
at more offers in
experiences with special Bronx
restaurants Brooklyn,and the seafoodcityci.com
Queens, www.SPONSORS
VISIT DINETHEBOROUGHS.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LIST OF PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS
/www.bxtimes.com
/www.SPONSORS
/www.SPONSORS
/www.bxtimes.com
/seafoodcityci.com
/www.SPONSORS
/DINETHEBOROUGHS.COM