New retail building planned for 101 Bruckner Boulevard
Smithsonian exhibits Bronx comic writer’s superheroine
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A barrier-shattering superheroine
is making history at the
Smithsonian!
West Bronx native and graphic
novelist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez’s
‘La Borinqueña’ comic
book is the latest addition to the
Smithsonian National Museum of
American History’s comic book
collection and ‘Superheroes’ exhibition.
On display until September
2019, the action-packed showcase
features superhero-themed artifacts
from the museum’s collection
including comic books, original
comic art, fi lm and television
costumes and props and memorabilia.
Incredible treasures on display
include George Reeves’ Superman
costume from the ‘Adventures of
Superman’ television series, the
shield used by Chris Evans’ Captain
America in the fi lm ‘Captain
America: The Winter Soldier’
and Halle Berry’s Storm costume
from the fi lm ‘X-Men: Days of Future
Past’ among many others.
The museum’s Graphic Arts
Center Collection houses approximately
900 original and reproductive
comic art drawings representing
375 artists and nearly 400
titles.
Its extensive comic book collection
includes such illustrated
illuminaries as Superman, Batman,
Wonder Woman, Shazam,
Black Panther, Daredevil, Luke
Cage and the X-Men.
La Borinqueña is writer and
creator Miranda-Rodriguez’s
brainchild and patriotic icon expressed
in the classic superhero
narrative.
As depicted in the now historic
2016 comic book, Marisol
Rios De La Luz, a Columbia University
Earth and Environmental
Sciences undergraduate and
Williamsburg, Brooklyn resident
living with her parents, takes a
semester of study abroad in collaboration
with the University of
Puerto Rico.
While exploring Puerto Rican
caves, she discovers fi ve similarly
sized crystals.
Upon uniting these crystals,
Atabex, the Taíno mother goddess,
appears before Marisol and
summons her sons, Yúcahu, spirt
of the seas and mountains and Juracan,
spirit of the hurricanes.
The indigenous deities bestow
superhuman strength, fl ight and
control over storms upon Marisol
who adopts the heroic moniker, La
Borinqueña.
Her alter ego’s namesake references
the Taíno name for the
island of Puerto Rico, Borinquén
and Puerto Rico’s national anthem.
According to Miranda-Rodriguez,
La Borinqueña’s trademark
red, white and sky blue costume
draws inspiration from the Lares
revolutionary fl ag of 1868 and the
original Puerto Rican fl ag of 1895.
The Somos Arte creative director
and owner confi rmed that
La Borinqueña’s costume which
was worn by UC Berkeley School
of Law alumna Stephanie Martin
Llanes for the 2016 National
Puerto Rican Day Parade will
also be displayed at the Smithsonian’s
Superheroes exhibit.
The Colgate University Class
of 1993 alumnus noted La Borinqueña
is the exhibit’s only independent
comic book not published
by DC or Marvel.
“It’s defi nitely rewarding having
my comic book recognized as
an important piece of American
and Puerto Rican history and
for it to be archived as part of
the Smithsonian’s historical records,”
he expressed.
The La Borinqueña Grants
Program has raised approximately
$150,000 to help Puerto
Rico rebuild following Hurricane
15 BRONX WEEKLY December 9, 2018 www.BXTimes.com
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The now bustling and exciting
Bruckner Boulevard corridor in
Port Morris is welcoming another
positive addition.
A vacant parcel at 101 Bruckner
Boulevard, across from the Willis
Avenue Bridge, is to be transformed
into a one-story state-ofthe
art retail building.
Owned by 925 Capital, the 101
Bruckner Boulevard property will
offer 8,000 to 8,500 square feet of retail
space with an additional 4,000
square feet dedicated to parking
on the building’s right side.
When it opens in September of
2019, 101 Bruckner will feature an
open, rentable rooftop with unobstructed
views of Manhattan and
the south Bronx.
That property is one of the fi rst
‘new’ developments in the area
to come east of the Willis Avenue
Bridge, excluding an offi ce building
that’s rising east of St. Anns
Avenue.
In addition to its close proximity
to the Brook and 3rd Avenue #6
IRT stops, 925 Capital sees favorable
marketability for this project
due to its closeness to Pulaski Park
and the Manhattan-connecting pedestrian
bridge.
“Right now we’re looking for
up to three tenants for this space,
but they have to be the right ones,”
said Jonathan Yunason, president
of 925 Capital. “We want to keep
this area as ‘organic’ as possible, so
there isn’t any interest in (leasing
space to) corporate tenants to 101
Bruckner,” the president added.
Few developers have a commitment
to the organic nature of retail
like Yunason does.
Six years ago, he along with 925
Capital were some of the fi rst investors
to see the hidden gem that
is now becoming a vibrant south
Bronx.
“When you realize that midtown
Manhattan is just 13 minutes
away, that’s just something that
can’t be overlooked,” Yunason said
mentioning that 925 Capital operates
primarily with Bronx properties.
In that short time, he saw the
nature of the area re-invent itself
into creative workspaces for the
arts and restaurants alike.
And just as importantly to Yunason
is his relationship-building
activities with many of the local
businesses such as Bronx Native
clothing, while even attending
open-mic nights at neighboring
restaurant hotspot, Beatstro.
“It’s become a real community,”
Yunason said while mentioning
his affi nity towards developing
the Port Morris area comes from
knowing that population displacement
is not an issue in the area.
“It’s mainly industrial so nobody
will be pushed out by this,”
he added.
Inspired by what is already developed,
925 Capital intends to use
its commercial properties to support
the area’s creative cultural
trends.
“The (new business pioneers)
have a vision for this area and
we want to be respectful of that,”
he said, pointing out that the 18-
foot high ceilings of 101 Bruckner
should interest certain tenants,
potentially an art gallery. Yunason
also mentioned a strong desire
in luring a unique and trendy restaurant
to 101 Bruckner, with the
possibility of a rooftop bar.
“We’ll see what happens,” he
said.
As far as marketing its inventory
of properties in the area, 925
Capital is exploring uses for a twostory,
creative space it owns on
East 134th Street, adjacent to the
Third Avenue Bridge and the Compound
art gallery.
Rendering of 101 Bruckner Boulevard. Courtesy of 925 Capital
‘La Borinqueña - Issue #1’ is the only
independent comic book housed inside
the Smithsonian National Museum of
American History’s comic book collection
and exhibition. Photo courtesy of
Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez
Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez’s passion
for reading and creating comic books
began as a child growing up in Kingsbridge
and University Heights during
the ‘Burning Bronx’ era. Photo by Kyung
Jeon-Miranda
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