Talk Bronx New York

 This past Saturday afternoon, a group of Bronx bikers, mostly young people, worked the Grand Concourse for Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson like it was their own personal campaign trail.

Yorman Nunez, a former City Council candidate in the 14th District who is now working on the Thompson campaign team, organized the outreach, calling it “Bikers for Billy.”

The Thompson campaigners wore t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Eight is Enough,” a dig at Mayor Bloomberg, who pushed an unpopular term-limits extension bill through the City Council last fall so he would be eligible for re-election Read more..

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After months of weighing the issue, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz gave a thumbs down Friday to the Related Cos.’ proposed redevelopment of the 600,000-plus-square-foot Kingsbridge Armory.

His decision came to light when he submitted his recommendations to the City Planning Commission as part of the city’s drawn-out Uniform Land Use Review Process. The borough president’s main objections were the lack of a community benefits agreement outlining a living wage policy, provisions that would allow workers to unionize and guarantees of expanded community space.

Mr. Diaz also objected to the developer’s plans to put a massive grocery store in the retail center, a step that he said would severely impact smaller grocers in the neighborhood. Far from condemning the project outright, he simply made it clear that his approval was merely contingent upon a community benefits agreement. Read more..

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                                     An artist’s rendering of the proposed Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment

 The stormy issue of the Kingsbridge Armory development moves to the Bronx borough president’s office Monday night with a public hearing.

Residents will weigh in on the controversial plan by The Related Cos. to develop the nine-story, red brick former National Guard armory into a shopping mall.

The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Lovinger Theater on the campus of Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West.

Those interested in speaking should call (718) 590-3541, though advance notice is not required. Written testimony will also be accepted.

The plan has come under fire, primarily because of the developer’s plan for a supermarket in the armory.

Local Community Board 7 approved the plan - with conditions - July 14.

Last Friday, all eight members of the City Council’s Bronx delegation asked Mayor Bloomberg in a letter to reject the developer’s supermarket proposal.

Under the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process, the proposal next requires advisory approval or disapproval from Borough President Ruben Diaz and the city Planning Commission, as well as a final binding vote by the City Council.

With 45 markets already within a 2-mile radius of the armory, the council delegation argued the proposed 60,000-square-foot market would drive at least some of them out of business.

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