Adams Promises $500M For Infrastructure To Get East Bronx Rezoning Across Finish Line

The New York City Council voted in favor of rezoning a 46-block section of the East Bronx, boosted by an almost $500M commitment from Mayor Eric Adams.

Parkchester, one of the Bronx neighborhoods slated to get a regional rail connection via the Metro-North rezoning, in 2013.

The City Council Land Use Committee voted Tuesday to rezone a stretch of land in Parkchester and Morris Park to build roughly 7,000 new housing units, around a quarter of which would be designated affordable housing.

The area is close to four newly planned Metro-North commuter rail stations connecting the East Bronx to regional rail systems in a proposal that the City Planning Commission approved in late June. New stations are planned for Parkchester, Morris Park, Co-op City and Hunts Point.

But another promise emerged alongside the housing-focused rezoning Tuesday when the Adams administration agreed to invest $498.5M in infrastructure around the new stations.

“Confronting the housing and affordability crisis in our city requires creating more new homes for New Yorkers,” New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement. “The opening of four new Metro-North stations in the Bronx presents a unique opportunity to develop affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, while delivering critical infrastructure investments that benefit surrounding neighborhoods for generations.”

The newly promised funds will go toward upgrades for local schools, improving sewers and streets, renovating parks and playgrounds, and beautifying sidewalks close to the new Metro-North stations. The nearby New York City Police Department 49th Precinct is also slated to receive some upgrades as part of the deal, Commercial Observer reported. 

Local infrastructure upgrades had been a sticking point for local residents, The City reported. 

The rezoning, which will allow mid- and high-rise developments, now has the support of both local city council members. The council’s member deference practice makes the likelihood of development in the area more likely.

District 18’s Amanda Farías, whose district includes Parkchester, voiced support in January. But District 13 rep Kristy Marmorato — whose constituents include Morris Park and who previously ran on an anti-development platform, per The New York Times — is now also on board.

“This rezoning is the largest we’ve seen in a decade and today marks a pivotal moment in our community’s journey,” Marmorato said in a statement. “Our collaborative efforts have resulted in significant modifications to the Bronx Metro North proposal, ensuring it respects our community’s character and meets our needs with regards to keeping our parking mandates, respecting and keeping our lower density communities, and securing much needed capital commitments.” 

The proposal, which allows for the development of new retail and life sciences space in addition to housing, will go before the City Council for a full hearing later this month.