City Council Approves 46 Block East Bronx Rezoning

On Thursday, August 15th, the New York City Council approved the rezoning of a 46-block area in the East Bronx. The rezoned blocks focus on the area surrounding two of the four new Metro-North train stations — Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, Hunts Point, and Co-op City, of which rezoned blocks surrounding the latter two stations will not see significant changes due to the rezoning. Set to open in 2027, the new East Bronx stations will provide commuter rail service to Penn Station for the first time as part of the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and will connect East Bronx residents to opportunities across the borough and region while reducing car usage. The approved rezoning would permit some 7,000 new homes, including about 1,700 permanently income-restricted units; as well as the creation 1.23 million square feet of commercial space that due to the rezoning allowing for a change in commercial uses, expected to “foster more job-generating industries including life sciences and medical offices” to create as many as 10,000 new permanent jobs. In addition, the Adams administration agreed to commit “$500 million in new infrastructure upgrades for the East Bronx, including $119 million to renovate playgrounds and parks, $189 million to repair streets, and $170 million for sewers, water lines, and catch basins. As the first neighborhood-wide rezoning under the Adams administration, it has been suggested that the deal “may be a preview of the concessions the mayor will need to make when the City Council votes this fall on his broader City of Yes Housing plan, including minimum parking mandates for new buildings that would be eliminated citywide in the City of Yes — a prospect some lawmakers oppose as exemplified by the push to include a minimum number of parking spaces during negotiations of the East Bronx rezoning that prevailed.

Source:    https://www.crainsnewyork.com/politics-policy/nyc-council-approves-bronx-metro-north-rezoning