2. OFFICE OF THE BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT
The Bronx County Building
851 Grand Concourse
Bronx, New York 10451
Ruben Diaz Jr. TEL: 7185903500
BOROUGH PRESIDENT FAX: 7185903537
November 15, 2011
Dear Reader:
Inside this special supplement to the Legislative Gazette, you will discover many of the great things about the Bronx that
make me so honored to be its Borough President. The Bronx has grown tremendously in recent years, and it is with great
pride that I introduce you to all of the great opportunities the Bronx now has to offer.
The Bronx is open for business! Even through the country’s economic downturn, the Bronx has been looking up. Since 2009,
the Bronx Business Initiative Corporation (BIC) has provided dozens of loans to both corporationowned and familyowned
Bronx business, totaling over $32 million. Through advances in green infrastructure, we have also been making strides to
wards developing a more healthy and affordable urban community in which to live and develop businesses.
On a similar note, we have been taking serious action to bring more opportunities for a healthy lifestyle to Bronx residents
and visitors. Many of our waterfront parks along the Bronx, Harlem, and East Rivers have recently been restored and improved
to be more ecological and recreationfriendly. We have also been working to bring more locally grown produce to Bronx su
permarkets and bodegas. Thanks to increases in urban farming and community gardens, Bronxites are eating healthier than
ever before.
Bronxites are also having more fun! With attractions such as the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, Wave Hill, the
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Bronx Wildlife Center, and Yankee Stadium, a dull moment in the
Bronx is hard to ind.
I couldn’t be more proud to call this thriving borough my home, and to have served as the Bronx Borough President since
2009. I would love to hear your thoughts on the future of the Bronx, and encourage you to contact me at
webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.
I wholeheartedly invite you to come and see all that the Bronx has to offer you. Shop for international produce, foods and
other items in Belmont, visit the newlyrenovated Orchard Beach along the Long Island Sound, or catch a Yankees game. The
Bronx is waiting for you!
Sincerely,
Ruben Diaz Jr.
Bronx Borough President
3. A
s the Bronx continues to expand economically, the ofice of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz
Jr. has been able to allocate millions of dollars in capital funding to Bronx organizations, help
ing them grow and develop. This capital funding is critical for the advancement of many
important projects throughout the borough, especially considering the country’s current eco
nomic situation.
The majority of the funding has gone into making education in the Bronx better. For Fis
cal Year 2012, schools in the Bronx received approximately $3,862,000, 30 percent of
the total budget allocation. Twentyeight schools in the Bronx received funding for
technological advancements, including new computers and “smart boards” for their
classrooms. Eight schools were granted funds for needed renovations to auditori
ums, libraries, and resource centers. And Highbridge Middle School was allocated
$280,000 for the installation of a new “Green Roof.” New technology will not only
help Bronx schools to run more eficiently, but will also aid students in learning
and help them to interact more in the classroom.
The Bronx Borough President’s Ofice also granted $3,814,000 to six different
housing projects across the borough. $750,000 of these funds went towards the
development of mixedincome housing at Webster Commons in Norwood, and
Exact Capital Corp. received $500,000 in order to rehabilitate two distressed
apartment buildings in West Farms. New housing developments will provide
more Bronx residents with a highquality, highlyaffordable place to live.
Another main concern of the Bronx Borough President’s Ofice is the health of
the borough’s residents. Lincoln Hospital was granted $100,000 for new Ultra
sound equipment, and the sum of $1,000,000 was granted to the Albert Einstein
College of Medicine for the construction of a new Children’s Rehab Center.
The Ofice of the Bronx Borough President has made it a priority to have Bronx busi
ness be responsive to the health and environmental needs of the borough. The Ofice,
along with the BOEDC (Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation), which
serves as the economic development arm of the borough president’s ofice, has provided
funding for the purchase of the irst fully electric delivery truck in New York City. The
truck, purchased by Down East Seafood, Inc., a seafood wholesale/retailer located in Hunts
Point, produces zero emissions, provides direct savings on fuel, and can travel 150 miles before
being recharged. The purchase of the truck is a irst step towards cleaner air in the Bronx, an
area which is currently plagued with asthma rates that are seven times the national average. It is
also a irst step towards the Bronx becoming the greenest borough in the city.
This electric truck has set an example for other Bronx businesses on how they too can “go green,” especially
in the borough that is leading the City, if not the state and the nation, in innovative green development.
6x8
CSA
FUNDING
MAJOR PROJECTS
4. BIC – The Business Initiative Corporation of New York
One of two State-wide licenses to provide the SBA 504 Loan Program
Eligible businesses include for-profit organizations, partnerships, proprietorships, LLC’s, and qualified start-ups.
We can help you with:
• Purchase of machinery and equipment
• Real estate construction
• Real estate purchase
• Debt refinancing of qualified existing debt
We provide you with benefits such as fixed rate of interest, 10 or 20 year terms, waiver of mortgage recording tax, and 90% financing in conjunc-
tion with the first mortgage lender.
Contact: Madeline Marquez at (718) 590-3980 or E-mail at mmarquez@boedc.org
The Business Initiative Corporation of New York
851 Grand Concourse, Suite 123, Bronx, New York 10451 Fax: (718) 537-5262
In March 2011, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined Jetro Cash & Carry CEO Stanley Fleishman, Bronx Overall Economic Devel-
opment Corporation President Marlene Cintron, representatives of the Empire State Development Corporation and the New York City Industrial
Development Agency, as well as other business leaders to break ground on the construction of a new facility for Jetro in Hunts Point.
The new facility, which will be approximately 200,000 square feet in size, will offer new space for both Jetro and its affiliate, Restaurant
Depot. The $50 million construction project will be assisted in part by up to $21 million in tax incentives approved by the New York City In-
dustrial Development Agency. Those credits had been supported by Borough President Diaz.
This environmentally-friendly project, scheduled to be completed in early 2012, will employ nearly 200 individuals in addition to creating
a new, user-friendly facility for the thousands of businesses that rely on Jetro and Restaurant Depot’s wholesale food services.
5. I
n October, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosted the bor
ough’s firstever education summit, “From Cradle to Career,” which
took place at Lehman College and brought together some of the best
minds on education.
“Education is an important issue in our borough, perhaps the most impor
tant issue we face. My ofice has made it very clear that we value our public
schools, a commitment that’s apparent when you look at our record in re
gards to capital funding. In each of my three years in borough hall, educa
tion has been my highest priority when it comes to our budget,” said
Borough President Diaz, who has placed almost $22 million into necessary
school projects across the Bronx during his time as borough president.
Borough President Diaz gathered the best minds on education from not
only the Bronx, but from across the nation to discuss crucial topics af
fecting Bronx schools such as special education, English language learn
ers, and higher education.
Dr. Diane Ravitch, widely considered to be the preeminent education
expert in the United States, offered the keynote address. Dr. Rav
itch is Research Professor of Education at New York Univer
sity and a historian of education. The topic of her
address was “Improving Education for the Children
of the Bronx.”
Other inluential igures in education also partic
ipated: Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott of the
New York City Department of Education;
Ernest Logan, President of the Council of
School Supervisors and Administrators; and
Monica Major, the Bronx representative to the
Panel for Educational Policy.
“In the future, when we look at just how much
education has improved in the Bronx, when we
see that our schools have changed for the better, we will
be able to look at this summit as the turning point,” said
borough president Diaz.
As a result of the education summit, the Bronx will host a
series of special education workshops, in both English and
Spanish, and there are plans for a college education fair in
NYSERDA
EDUCATION SUMMIT
March. In addition, Borough President Diaz’s ofice will produce a white paper
as part of the summit, outlining the steps that must be taken to improve public
education in the Bronx.
“When I irst announced this summit in my ‘State of the Borough’ speech last
year, I said that this event would bring together the best minds on education
from not only the Bronx, but from across the nation. When I look out into the
crowd today, I know that we succeeded,” said Borough President Diaz. “In the
future, when we look at just how much education has improved in the Bronx,
when we see that our schools have changed for the better, we will be able to
look at this summit as the turning point.”
Formoreinformationontheeducationsummit,visitbronxeducationsummit.org.
6. centuriesold forest, canoeing down the Bronx River, biking to historic sites, and
many more. Attractions visited range from the famous Bronx Zoo and New York
Botanical Garden to foodie destinations like Arthur Avenue and City Island. Year
round, the trolley offers free hopon/hopoff tours to the South Bronx on the first
Wednesday of every month and to City Island on the first Friday of every month.
The new York Celebrates America Festival and the Bronx Salsa Fest in the summer
give visitors and locals more reasons seasons and reasons to enjoy the Bronx.
Even when the Bronx Tourism Council is not hosting an event, The Bronx contin
ues to be a draw for tourists. Many of the landmarks that were popular in the 19th
and 20th
centuries continue to attract thousands every year. The Bronx Zoo, the
largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, has nearly two million visitors an
nually. With 250 acres and 48 outdoor gardens, the New York Botanical Garden is
a wonderful place to spend the day, regardless of the season. For a mixture of arts
and nature, Wave Hill is a stunningly beautiful site. Dozens more museums and
art galleries, cultural institutions, performing arts destinations, restaurants and
nightlife spots make the Bronx a tourist destination to rival any city.
For more information on what’s happening in the Bronx, visit
www.ilovethebronx.com, the official website of the Bronx Tourism Council..
E
ach year, the Office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosts and
produces some of the area’s most exciting cultural events. From the “Tour
de Bronx” to a wide variety of neighborhood celebrations, the Bronx
Tourism Council showcases the borough’s amazing attractions to the public free
of charge. The annual “Tour de Bronx” takes place in October. With over 5,000 cy
clists hitting the road, “Tour de Bronx” is the largest free cycling event in New York
State!” In partnership with Transportation Alternatives, a bicycling and pedestrian
advocacy group, the Bronx Tourism Council presents the ride as a fun, healthy, en
vironmentally friendly way to get around. Each year the ride travels through the
great neighborhoods, waterfronts and historic districts of the Bronx.
This year the Bronx debuted the first annual Savor The Bronx!, which takes place
in November. Hosted by the Office of Borough President Diaz and produced by the
Bronx Tourism Council, Savor The Bronx! showcases the borough’s best eateries.
Sponsored by American Express, this event is an unprecedented opportunity for
residents and visitors alike to taste test the worldwide cuisine the Bronx offers.
Foodies from all over the region take part in this event, tasting delicious dishes
from the Americas, the Caribbean, Asia, Central America, Europe and Africa.
Every May, the Bronx celebrates Bronx Week, the largest official celebration of
borough pride. There are countless events during Bronx Week, including: com
munity awareness day, business day, art and culture day, youth and senior day,
health day, and environmental day. Bronx Week also kicks off the Bronx Walk of
Fame celebratory induction ceremony, shedding light on Bronx celebrities in their
home community. Bronx Week also includes the Bronx Day Parade, the annual
food and arts festival, and the Bronx Week concert, all of which are free events
open to the public.
Bronx Week ends with the Bronx Ball, a gala to benefit The Bronx Tourism Council,
presented by the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC).
The borough’s premier blacktie awards gala brings together the Bronx’s business,
arts, elected and civic leaders to pay tribute to returning Bronxite celebrities. The
Bronx Ball is the borough’s most popular social event of the year, from the red car
pet arrivals to the touching, funny tributes for hometown greats on the evening
before their induction to the Bronx Walk of Fame by Bronx Borough President
Ruben Diaz Jr. Hundreds of the “Who’s Who of the Bronx” attend, and local televi
sion network Bronxnet airs the award ceremony.
One of the most popular ways for visitors and native New Yorkers to see the Bronx
is from the Bronx Trolley. During the fall months, The Bronx Tourism Council high
lights action tours on the Bronx Trolley to introduce locals and visitors to great
Bronx adventures. Participants enjoy handson experiences like hiking through a
3x8
Bronxwood Home On Sunday, October 23, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined
thousands of riders from across the region to participate in the 17th annual
“Tour de Bronx,” New York State’s largest free cycling event. Borough
President Diaz rode the 25 mile tour.
Photo by—Jason Green.
BRONX TOURISM
7. Manhattan College in Riverdale has been ranked
as the No. 15 best regional university in the
North for 2012, according to U.S. News & World
Report. For more than 150 years it has been ed
ucating some of the best minds of New York, in
cluding the city’s former Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani. And though Manhattan College in
cludes ive different schools—arts, business, ed
ucation, engineering, and science—it is best
known for its engineering department. Many
Manhattan graduates agree, “New York was
built by Manhattan College engineers.”
The oldest and smallest college in the Bronx is
the College of Mount Saint Vincent, also located
in Riverdale. The 70acre campus of rolling
lawns and wooded hills overlooking the Hudson
River is home to less than 2,000 undergraduate
students. The small size makes for an extremely
tightknit community with small class sizes, and
professors who know their students by name.
The College is renowned for its nursing pro
gram, but boasts 30 other ine programs as well.
Students at CMSV have the opportunity to take
on worldclass internships in New York City, in
cluding Meryll Lynch, CBS News, MTV Network,
Major League Baseball, DKNY, and the Bronx
District Attorney’s Ofice, among many others.
These are only six examples of the dozens of
colleges and universities which are currently
operating in the Bronx. Every day, the Bronx
deies former stereotypes of urban areas by
producing more and more highly educated in
dividuals who are determined to make a differ
ence in their communities. “The Borough of
Universities” continuously offers students from
all walks of life, and from all over the world, the opportunity to pave a brighter
future, not only for themselves, but for the whole of New York City and of the
United States of America.
T
he Bronx has historically been known as
“The Borough of Universities,” and with
good reason. The borough is home to sev
eral diverse colleges and universities, each of
which provides students with the essential so
cial and educational tools they will need for ul
timate success in the future. Due to its central
location, the Bronx is an ideal location for sec
ondary education. Students at schools such as
Lehman College, Fordham University, Manhat
tan College, The College of Mount Saint Vincent,
Bronx Community College and Hostos Commu
nity College enjoy a distinct college atmosphere,
and at the same time are a quick subway ride
away from internship and job opportunities in
the heart of New York City.
Fordham University has recently begun exciting
new construction on its Rose Hill campus. The
120yearold Hughes Hall, formerly a residence
hall, will reopen next year as the new home for
the Gabelli School of Business. According to Dr.
Donna Rapaccioli, Dean of Fordham, “Creating a
building with a 19th
century exterior and a 21st
century interior symbolizes the Gabelli School’s
respect for the past and dedication to the future.
The new building will feature an open loor plan
with a lot of glass, which Rapaccioli hopes will
lend itself to the school’s mission: to “discover
natural connections,” to “integrate disciplines,”
and to promote optimal interaction between
students and faculty.
Lehman College is also making changes to its
campus. In April the college opened its brand
new Multimedia Center, which cost a total of $16
million. It is the most advanced media facility of its
kind in the Bronx. The facility will allow future journalists, audiovisual creators, and
digital media producers of the Bronx to become leaders in these ields. The Center
is not just for Lehman students; it provides ilm makers, digital artists, producers,
and musicians from all across the Bronx with a competitive, twentyirst century
alternative to other multimedia facilities throughout New York City. Lehman’s Pres
ident, Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández, believes that “Over the coming years, this Center
will see the creation of hundred, even thousands, of Bronx tales, woven in this mag
niicent facility and inspired by the creativity of the Lehman community.”
Bronx Community College was founded in 1959 as a solution to the growing need
for secondary education options in the Bronx. BCC offers more than 10,000 un
dergraduate students “irstrate academic programs, outstanding faculty, afford
able tuition, and lexible class schedules,” according to the school’s President, Dr.
Carole M. Berotte Joseph. Its picturesque campus spans 43 acres, and is home to
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans. Founded in 1900, this New York landmark
institution is the oldest oficial “Hall of Fame” in the US. The grandiose Hall pro
vides visitors with a reminder of the impact great Americans such as Alexander
Graham Bell and Eli Whitney had on our country, and also boasts a beautiful
panoramic view of the Cloisters and beyond across the Harlem River.
Hostos Community College has experienced the highest enrollment growth of any
CUNY college over the past ten years. Perhaps that is because it is among the most
diverse of the CUNY schools, with over 115 countries represented among the stu
dent body. Like Bronx Community College, Hostos was founded with the intention
of providing the opportunity of secondary schooling to a community of people
who, historically, have not had the option or the inancial means to work towards
a higher education.
3x4
CUNY
3x8
Lehman
By Christine WestphalHIGHLIGHTING BRONX COLLEGES
8. 6x8
Affinity
BOEDC – The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation
Helping hundreds of new and expanding companies take advantage of the unique benefits of the Bronx
We'll work with you one-on-one to:
•Identify the ideal site for your new Bronx business
•Find low-cost financing for acquisition or expansion
•Maximize federal, state and city incentives
•Tap energy discounts
•Find the right employees
SBA 504 loans available through BOEDC’s subsidiary the Business Initiative Corporation of New York
Call (718) 590-6252 or E-mail info@boedc.org
The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation
851 Grand Concourse, Suite 123, Bronx, New York 10451 Fax (718) 590-3499
