As many as 7 fire trucks and over three dozen firefighters descended upon a parking lot on Bergen Avenue next to the VIM store behind 149th Street. A “glorified car fire” broke out as one of the Bravest put it. No one was hurt, however traffic was snarled due to the heavy presence from our first responders including the NYPD. The fire broke out shortly after 2pm and is now under control.

The lots in question with Via Verde in the background

Since this blog was started over 3 years ago, we have seen the nonstop rise of Melrose with thousands of apartments constructed in various developments of all shapes and sizes including, but not limited to, condominiums, townhouses, apartment buildings and a tower for a growing college campus. With that came thousands of new residents flooding, a once nearly abandoned neighborhood, with new life – families and professionals from a myriad of socioeconomic backgrounds woven back into the tapestry of our community. All this led to  the area coming in as one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in New York City, coming in at #3, in the 2010 census.

Now within the last few weeks, the city has called for developers to “think big” on two of the largest remaining tracts of developable land in Melrose and indeed the South Bronx. And think big they will since the lots can accommodate over a million square feet. Think the Gateway Mall at The Bronx Terminal Market which has 1 million square feet of retail space. We have been used to all these requests in the neighborhood for well over a decade but what sets this apart from any other is that the city decided to give developers a free reign. They want to see what developers will come up with without the usual mandates from the Bloomberg administration of retail, commercial space, community space etc. The only mandatory element is that affordable housing must be included.

Am I the only one looking at this with excitement yet an eye on caution?

Developments in Melrose have long been built with the surrounding area in mind and mixing of incomes but will real estate developers give in to the temptation of creating an uber luxurious development on a lot so close to a subway station that can whisk you into midtown in 20 minutes or less?
Will the they perhaps think of tapping into the community on what we want and NEED on that site? The smart developer will think of listening to the people before committing pen to paper.

More than any moment in our history, we are in dire need of community spaces to house the groups that serve our needs yet are finding themselves thrown on the streets with nowhere to go – something that has been happening in an alarming rate. RebelDiaz, Urban Divers, Casa Atabex have been either evicted or in the process of eviction for no other reason than greed. With over a million square feet of space to play with, a small percentage of this development can be dedicated to such uses, perhaps even housing several of these organizations under one roof where they can share common areas for performances, workshops, classrooms and whatever else is needed.

Another critical component of any development should be to include the opportunity for homeownership with the majority of units for purchase for both middle and low income families and the remainder of the units for rental to the same demographic. Coops or Condos will offset the last minute change of such developments like La Terraza which went from coops to rentals due to the aftermath of the housing crash. An area cannot survive simply on rental stock. It needs to be diverse to create a stronger local economy.

Commercial, both retail and office space, should be a part of this so that it can connect nicely to the rest of the neighborhood as well as the almost adjacent Via Verde.

It will be interesting to see what developers will produce. They pushed the envelope and broke the expectations with Via Verde so they have no choice but to match, if not exceed that project.

We must remember that this is our community and we should be allowed to participate in the conversations that will shape its future.

Last month we mourned the loss of Staples on 3rd Avenue and 154th Street which opened up several years ago but we have a major reason to rejoice so it seems.  Aldi, Trader Joe’s cheaper little brother is moving in and taking over the space.  I’ll admit that I have no idea what Aldi is about except that one was opened nearby in El Barrio as well as one in the Bronx on Gun Hill Road.

I did a little research and it seems to be a pretty good alternative to our usual suspects of supermarkets like Met Food, C-Town, etc.  They claim that you can save over 50% off national brands by simply switching to the Aldi brand.  If they’re any good as their gourmet counterpart Trader Joe’s, then I don’t have a problem with the savings!

What’s even more important, however, is that their wages are pretty competitive.  Cashiers make living wages and get 401K benefits as well as full medical and dental.  You see, THIS is what we’re talking about when we want quality jobs in the Bronx and companies that Bronxites will benefit from.  The vast majority of folks in the South Bronx cannot afford FreshDirect let alone the disastrous environmental impact they will cause on our neighborhood.  We should be promoting companies such as Aldi which will not only offer excellent jobs for our community but also help with access to affordable food.  They appear to offer a wide selection of produce which is critical to our neighborhood’s health.

Juan Pablo Jimenez, a Digital Operations Associate at Mediavest and a local Melrose and resident living at Northrose waxed nostalgic on Aldi which was where his family shopped at back home in Chicago where he grew up.  He had this to say:

“Aldi, is a grocery store with low priced unknown brands (some name brand) that are sure to fill your tummy and also keep your wallet nice and plump in the process. I grew up in Chicago on all Aldi brand products and I loved everything in that place. I become nostalgic of when my mom used to shop there for us as kids. She would come home with all our favorite Aldi brand products sweets and generic lunch-ables. To my siblings and me, the products there became OUR name brand since we had them so often. I’m very excited to see this store come into the area because I feel it gives even the people who can’t afford to eat healthy the option if they ever wanted it.
I feel the store is also good for Bronx residents who will be paid pretty well working for this store. In Chicago the pay typically went from $10.00 per hour to about 14.00 an hour. The store also provides 401k and Health Benefits. This is very good and way above minimum wage. I think this will be a great addition to Melrose. I cant wait for it to take over the staples that was taking up space!”

We’ll keep you posted as to when we can expect an official opening day so we can all start saving!  Now if only we can get an actual Trader Joe’s to open up in the area.

Since the announcement of the sweetheart deal that the Cuomo and Bloomberg administration was looking to bestow upon FreshDirect to take our public waterfront land, Bronxites from all walks of life – and allies from all over the city have teamed up to denounce such corporate welfare. During the last 13 months South Bronx Unite, the group that was immediately formed to block this irresponsible deal, has been called a small, yet vocal group against the move.

As time progressed, in a desperate attempt to garner more support for the move, FreshDirect hired Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx, as a corporate cheerleader to win the hearts of all those who are opposed.

Today that plan has backfired.

Sustainable South Bronx has publicly come out in support of the South Bronx Unite platform – the very company founded by Majora Carter, and in doing so they now stand opposite against the deal which she supports. The very fact that they have done so speaks volumes on why this deal should not and cannot be allowed to move forward. We have asked, how can one support a move based on a 20 year old environmental impact statement which is outdated due to the fact that since then, the neighborhood has been rezoned TWICE to expand residential zoning AND limit manufacturing/industrial use? SSBx echoes our sentiments by saying,

Given the environmental challenges already faced by the South Bronx, it is imperative that when a large company opens a new facility — especially when that company relies on a truck-based system to transport its products — an environmental impact study must take place. As advocates for the South Bronx, we at Sustainable South Bronx find it unacceptable that FreshDirect’s move to the South Bronx has not been subject to an environmental impact study and that the company has refused to conduct such a study. The review that FreshDirect has cited in support of its argument that environmental impact will be minimal dates from 1993 and pertains to a completely different project. In any community, this would be an unacceptable stand, but even more so in the South Bronx. [you can read the entire statement here.]

Recently, FreshDirect and supporters of their move touted that they had the backing of 6 Bronx-based organizations but what they will never reveal is that over 30 organizations have signed on to the South Bronx Unite platform (35 as of this writing to be exact).

The people have clearly spoken – almost 6 times as many organizations are AGAINST this dirty deal.  Not to shabby for an allegedly “small” group.

One of the police officers I interviewed is my neighbor and he quickly became agitated because he himself has been stopped, as recently as 4 days ago by the NYPD. My neighbor is a Latino – one of the two groups, blacks and latinos, who make up almost 90% of all stop and frisk incidents.

He wasn’t the least bit surprised that McCormick was recorded saying that the right people to target, “are Blacks 18-20…”. He went as far as mentioning that McCormack has a reputation for being quite the racist, and after hearing about him and reading about yesterday’s trial, I myself am not the least surprised. The 40th Precinct raked it the highest stop and frisk incidents in the Bronx and the 2nd highest in the 5 boroughs of New York City.

According to the New York Times, Officer Serrano, who recorded the heated conversation between himself and McCormack, “… testified that he once told a teenager he had been ordered to issue a ticket that “they should take my name down and if they sue, they could use me as a witness.” This immediately reminded me of my arresting officer, who after releasing me, told me that if worse comes to worse and he’s called to testify that he’d come to my defense (you can read the posting again or take a look at the screenshot below).

As I said last week, not all cops are bad and here we have two officers from the 40th Precinct willing to go against the brass and testify on behalf of the very citizens they were forced to arrestor summons.

Make sure you read the rest:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/nyregion/bronx-officers-recording-suggests-race-is-factor-in-stops.html?hp&_r=0

Ask and you shall receive.

No sooner than we posted that Melrose  needs new businesses, SoBro and The HUB BID put out a survey asking us what we would like to see in the neighborhood, specifically, which types of restaurants.

I don’t think I need to tell you the IMPORTANCE of participating in this survey, so get to it! Oh and thanks to Shannon, founder of Bronx Movers and Shakers for sending me the link!

HUB/3rd Avenue Community Survey

Now the story has gained traction around the world as various media outlets have shared it with others. Thousands have watched the video which I uploaded for the world to see Sargeant Delgado in action as he orders me to put my camera down.

Comments have poured in from folks of all walks of life. Oh and the worst comment thus far? A friend of mine had a brush with Sargeant Delgado two years ago in which he told her, “I hope you get raped.”

I took this photo while documenting Occupy Wall Street in October 2011.

This came to light yesterday as her husband reached out to see how I was do after the incident. These two individuals are outstanding members of the community who are involved in various grassroots organizations helping the Bronx be a better place.

Take a peek at what’s being said:

Mott Haven Herald

Reverend Ruben Austria

Gothamist

Photography Is Not A Crime

Sargeant Delgado of the 40th Precinct telling me to put my camera down.

October 18, 2009.

March 8, 2012.

March 14, 2013.

Different dates, different years but all have one common denominator – NYPD officers disregarding the constitutional rights of citizens to observe and report their activities.

Last night, as I exited the Bronx Documentary Center with several other volunteers and closed the center, officers from the 40th precinct jumped out of their car and pointed to me, and a patron who was with us, to come to them. Sergeant Delgado was accusing me of having an open container of alcohol but what I had in my hand was a broken beer bottle wrapped and sealed in a plastic bag and in a plastic cup to capture the spilling alcohol. The sergeant refused to acknowledge the evidence in question and was hell bent on issuing summonses.

The other accused gentleman verbally acknowledged his fear and nervousness at Sargeant Delgado’s aggressive, disrespectful attitude so I began to record the incident (watch the video here on YouTube) which is well within our constitutional rights. After perhaps 10 or 15 seconds of recording, Sargeant Delgado told me to put the camera down. I refused to do so and verbally invoking my right to record the incident which only angered him and he called to the two officers under him and slammed me against the Bronx Documentary Center, rattling the windows, and proceeded to handcuff me.

After about 5 minutes, I was hauled down to the 40th precinct on Alexander Avenue and 138th Street and processed to be put in the cell with other gentlemen who had, according to them, been similarly harassed or stop and frisked – including a volunteer fireman.

Before I was put into the cell, I was taken into the bathroom by the arresting officer (Sargeant Delgado did not want to do the dirty work and ordered the officer to fill out the paperwork) and told to remove my coat for a search. The officer was visibly upset that he was even doing this and I took the opportunity to speak candidly with me and he closed the door so we wouldn’t be overheard.

He said, “OK, I’m supposed to search you for anything illegal but I know you’re okay.” and with that he didn’t. All he did was remove my shoelaces and as he was doing so I asked him if he was a rookie because Delgado was making him do the dirty work. He smirked and said, “No, I’ve been in the force for several years but I’m new to the 4-0. Came over from Brooklyn.”

He then told me he was going to cuff me again to take me to the holding cell. Before exiting the bathroom he stopped and told me that he was going to get me out of here as soon as possible.

I only spent perhaps 10, maybe 15 minutes in there with 5 other gentlemen. One by one they asked me what happened, and I told them. They began to tell similar stories of just minding their business and then being stopped and frisked. 3 of them had pocketknives and one admitted to having a big knife stating that he had to defend himself somehow if he were ever mugged or attacked.

What troubled me was that most had been sitting there since between 3PM and 5PM and it was already midnight. One gentleman was upset because he was missing work and was convinced that he would be fired now.

After I was released from the cell, my friends were all waiting for me. They had called two other friends who live by the precinct, one a member of Community Board 1 and the other a Reverend (who immediately wrote about the incident on his blog) who was a member of the 40th Precinct Council – all who came to help expedite my release.

As the arresting officer gave me my summonses, one for open container and the other for attempting to create a dangerous situation (apparently informed citizens are dangerous) he then pulled me away from the desk to a corner and told me not to worry that if worse comes to worse and he’s called in that he will say that I wasn’t guilty.

It takes a lot to go against your superior and your fraternity. The other gentleman who was in our group only received a summons for an open container and wasn’t cuffed or dragged to the precinct. He was white. I, on the other hand, a Latino male who was videotaping the incident, was cuffed and dragged to the precinct for refusing to give up my right to record. The called it an attempt to create a dangerous situation. It should be noted that Delgado is also Latino and the two other officers are white. As with any corrupt or dysfunctional organization, it all trickles from the top. The arresting officer didn’t have to say or do that and he very well knew that I am a blogger and activist and my friends were all journalists.

I know not all are bad or high on power. There are good men and women of the law out there. I’ve met them and I knew I was standing with one at that moment.

Much has been written and talked about the chaos that surrounded us decades past. Many would come just close enough to get their street cred by snapping some pictures of the rubble we were left in as our own bubble of our world imploded. No one really understood what was going on – except los Seis del Sur who lived and breathed it.

Six weeks ago I began a journey, along with many of you, thanks to los Seis del Sur and their exhibit, Dispatches From Home by Six Nuyorican Photographers at the Bronx Documentary Center. During that time we have encountered the range of human emotions – we have cried tears of laughter, of pain and loss. We felt anger at what was done to our communities but what people never expected to see was the love that was in the piles of brick and mortar strewn across countless blocks of the South Bronx.
Never have we had such level of programming centering around that era of the 70s through the 90s and into the present. The weekly screenings and panel discussions really dug deep into the psyche of a generation from those who lived it and fought alongside the community to right the wrongs done to us and lay the foundation of many of the social structures we have today.

This has been an extremely educationally rich 6 weeks that went beyond the photographs and slide shows. It has been dense with information and transcending  generations as hundreds of students have walked into the Bronx Documentary Center for private talks with the photographers themselves. A generation that did not live through the devastation but to this day are affected by the ripples from that era.

As the exhibit enters its final week, we ask you to join us this coming Saturday, March 9th for the closing party and panel discussion of this amazing journey at 7:30PM.

The Bronx is definitely burning – with passion and millions of stories waiting to be told. This was just one of them.

As Melrose continues to grow with new developments, either breaking ground or opening up, we find ourselves with the 3rd fastest growing population in NYC and the fastest in the Bronx yet we still lack in businesses that would help keep more of those dollars in our own neighborhoods.
The new, affordable housing for low income and middle income families has brought back thousands of working individuals that we lost in the 70s and 80s but the rate of services has yet to catch up. Sure, in the span of 12 months we gained not one big name fitness centers but 3 (Planet Fitness and 2 Blink Fitness gyms) but still no big name clothing stores, fine dining establishments, bar/lounge or even something along the lines of a Fairway or Trader Joe’s.

We lose so much money to Manhattan and other areas because we lack these basic services that other neighborhoods take for granted. Yes we have awesome places to eat like Xochimilco, La Parrilla Latina, Yolanda’s but that’s not nearly enough variety nor space to satisfy the needs of the community. We don’t all want yet another McDonald’s, Checkers or Kennedy Fried Chicken.

As the civic heart of the Bronx, we deserve more than the 99 cent shops. It’s not just the thousands of residents whose income we’re not capturing but the THOUSANDS of individuals who work in Melrose alone. Lincoln Hospital, Government offices, the Bronx Courthouses, NYC Department of Finance and let’s not forget the 4 colleges in Melrose and immediate surrounding areas!

What are we, as a community, going to do to attract these businesses? Unfortunately, I can’t do it all by myself so we’d need to unite our voices and talents and help attract the businesses which we would like to open up in our neighborhood. Perhaps we should establish a Melrose Chamber of Commerce?
Please spread this post to all interested parties and comment below so that we can keep track of what folks are thinking. For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, please feel free to send your thoughts to: themayor@welcome2melrose.com and I’ll make sure to post them on your behalf.