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It has been a month since the deadly space heater-induced apartment fire at the Twins Parks housing complex claimed the lives of 17 people and displaced more than 200 families from a largely Gambian immigrant community in the South Bronx. The incident has turned into a bellwether for the state of... View full entry
Writing about Twin Parks in 1973, The Times’s former architecture critic, Paul Goldberger, speculated that the project might “turn out to be important in the history of housing design.” [...] design, however compassionate, can mean only so much against the obstacles that make up the housing problem today.”
The calculus is the same half a century later. But the South Bronx isn’t. Gradually, it has been remade. Progress isn’t impossible, it’s a process.
— The New York Times
Both observed South Bronx developments, 1490 Southern Boulevard and a transformation of the Lambert Houses, are seen as examples of high-quality and effective public housing that offers residents more than just desultory amenities. The Times critic broke down the new-ish developments by... View full entry
On the heels of [the] horrific Bronx fire that killed 17 people, including eight children, Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Ritchie Torres on Tuesday unveiled a "4-point federal fire safety package" that includes addressing sprinklers, self-closing doors, heaters and federal investigation powers. — ABC 7
The pair of lawmakers had recently joined together to push the federal government to include the Cross Bronx Expressway into the infrastructure bill. Their new fire safety plan includes a mandate on automatic space heater shutoff features. The early-January fire that killed 17 at the Twin Parks... View full entry
The fire was started by a malfunctioning space heater in the bedroom of a third-floor apartment on Sunday. Fire officials say the door of the apartment did not close as residents fled and that allowed smoke to spread throughout the building. — The New York Times
The deaths and injuries in Sunday’s tragically avoidable accident were exclusively the product of smoke inhalation as the fire itself was contained to the apartment and outside hallway. The blaze came just days after another horrible incident in Philadelphia that claimed the lives of... View full entry
Archtober, New York City's month-long festival of architecture and design, has officially returned with a packed calendar of hybrid virtual and in-person events from October 1st through 31st. Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with numerous partners across the city... View full entry
The Bronx Museum of Arts in New York City is seeking an architect for a planned expansion of its collection. The Bronx Times is reporting that the institution released a request for proposals this week that will add a new South Wing atrium to the museum located in the Bronx’s Grand Concourse... View full entry
As September is wrapping up, we look forward to Archtober 2020 kicking off tomorrow. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the month-long celebration of architecture and design is presented as a hybrid virtual and in-person festival this year — allowing visitors to join events and activities... View full entry
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and Douglaston Development have announced a plan to build a two-towered, 450-unit affordable housing complex on garden-owned site located one block away from its 250-acre facilities in The Bronx. Real Estate Weekly explains that the project comes as a... View full entry
New York City F.C.’s circuitous search for a permanent home [...] has come full circle.
The team’s owners, in conjunction with a group of local developers, are nearing an agreement with New York City that would allow the team to construct a privately financed, 25,000-seat stadium in the South Bronx as part of a development project costing more than $1 billion.
— The New York Times
According to the NYT, the New York City Football Club may be close to sealing a deal with a group of developers to build a 25,000-seat soccer stadium complex in the South Bronx near Yankee Stadium. The project, which would also include retail, a hotel, a school, and much-needed affordable housing... View full entry
WXY architecture + urban design, Body Lawson Associates, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) have broken ground on a $300 million redevelopment plan that will replace the defunct Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in The Bronx with up to 740 units of affordable housing... View full entry
It's been 95 years since passenger trains rumbled down the tracks of the Bay Ridge Branch.
The MTA has decided to study whether it makes sense to restore passenger service to the line, which is owned by the Long Island Rail Road, runs from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Ridgewood, Queens, and is only used by freight trains now.
"We first proposed this in the '90s," says Kate Slevin, of the Regional Plan Association.
— Spectrum News NYC
If built, the proposed Triboro Line could eventually run for 24 miles and connect the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. Describing the plan, Kate Slevin of the Regional Plan Association tells Spectrum News, "We don't have unlimited resources here in New York City, as we know, so... View full entry
Archtober 2019, New York City's month-long festival of architecture & design, is only days away now. As in previous years, the festival calendar also features exclusive tours and events again at nearly 30 Buildings of the Day in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island... View full entry
Ground has finally broken for a police station in the South Bronx that will provide a new home for NYPD's 40th Precinct. Expected to open in 2021, the precinct will be leaving its current space, a three-story, 1920s Renaissance Revival building, for a shiny, 68-million-dollar new one, designed by... View full entry
In the 1970s, a state agency tapped some of the best young architects in the country for an ambitious affordable housing effort that—despite its flaws—could not be matched today.
Twin Parks, an affordable housing project in the Bronx, does not comport with expectations. [...]
Overall, it provides palpably better affordable housing than what’s typically offered in the U.S., and maintains an engaged community.
— CityLab
CityLab writer Anthony Paletta looks back at the origins of the 1970s Twin Parks affordable housing development in the Bronx and its (now) famous architects who were then just gaining traction in their young careers, most notably Richard Meier, James Polshek (and this year's winner of the AIA Gold... View full entry
What seemed inevitable for quite some time now, has finally come to pass; Uber has overtaken yellow cabs in average daily ridership figures, the New York Times reports. This past July, Uber witnessed an average of 289,000 rides per day, whereas yellow cabs only managed 277,000. — Curbed New York
More than half of Uber's rides start outside of Manhattan. Yellow and green cabs are not as accessible in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island and users prefer Uber and other ride-share apps. The company capitalized on this market by offering borough-specific promotions and moved its... View full entry