Tower plan envisions icon of Bronx: 176-ft. tall structure in works
BY TANYANIKA SAMUELS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, October 27th 2008, 3:50 PM
St. Louis has the Gateway Arch. Washington, D.C., has the Washington Monument. Now, it's the Bronx's turn.
Organizers, with optimism as tall as their dreams, unveiled plans last week for an iconic, 176-foot "Yes The Bronx" observation tower meant to symbolize the spirit of the borough.
"We want to break down the pervasive negative stereotype that persists," said Alec Diacou, who heads the campaign along with Dan Smith.
"This will be something permanent that the Bronx can hang their hat on," Smith said.
The "Yes The Bronx" Observation Tower features a square glass complex perched atop a column, ringed with spiral stairs. The column is intended to house elevators.
Plans call for the $25 million tower to be sited on the Manhattan-facing waterfront, at the confluence of the Harlem and East Rivers.
The installation, to be constructed from recycled materials, would double as an event space, with room for 500 guests.
But it could take years to get this idea off the ground.
In addition to raising the money, organizers need to plow through a dizzying permit process and garner support from borough leaders and City Hall.
Still, some Bronx leaders were optimistic.
"This is right up our alley," said City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera.
"We're going to have something that'll be a testament to what the Bronx has to offer."
Diacou, a former investment banker, and Smith, a marketing guru, started their mission to rebrand the Bronx two years ago.
In that time, the nonprofit has worked to raise local awareness with buttons, balloons and sponsored events, including the upcoming second annual Energize the Bronx marathon party on Nov. 2.
Last year, the group announced grand plans for the installation of a large metal sculpture of the "Yes" logo on the Bronx waterfront, but recently, Diacou has distanced himself from the original plans.
For this latest conceptualization, organizers recruited Kevin Kennon Architects. The idea was to create something new and different, Kennon said.
"This will be a positive statement, something that reflects the Bronx rising and symbolizes the same spirit without actually saying 'Yes'," he said.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
176 FOOT "YES THE BRONX" OBSERVATION TOWER
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
New development to give Melrose a much-needed boost
Once abandoned by the city to arsonists and slumlords, a South Bronx neighborhood is getting a second chance, with the city now looking for developers to build new housing on a trio of long-abandoned lots.
The three sites are the last city-owned parcels in the Melrose Commons neighborhood, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's proposals envision mixed-income housing as well as ground-floor retail space.
"This represents one of the last pieces in the revitalization of Melrose Commons," said Borough President Adolfo Carrión. "The success of this neighborhood shows that community-based planning partnerships can create viable and safe urban communities."
The sites being opened for development encompass 51/2 acres in the northern section of Melrose Commons.
- Site A - between E. 162nd and E. 163rd Sts. and Courtlandt and Melrose Aves. - will include an Administration for Children's Services child-care facility and offer commercial space.
- Site B is also bounded by those streets, but on Melrose and Elton Aves. It will contain commercial space along Elton Ave., with the potential extra commercial space on E. 163rd St.
- Site C is south of Site B, between Melrose and Elton Aves. but bounded by E. 161st and E. 162nd Sts. Site C will include a commercial corridor along E. 161st St. and Elton Ave.
At least 50% of all residential units will have to be affordable to households at or below 60% of Department of Housing and Urban Development income limits, as adjusted by household size - that is, $46,100 for a family of four or $32,300 for an individual.
The city wants all proposals to reflect green-building practices.
Over the past few years, the South Bronx neighborhoods of Melrose, The Hub and Mott Haven have received a surge of city attention to bring a boom to a once-blighted area.
The Hub has benefitted from relocating city agencies and offices to the bustling shopping district, along with traffic improvements.
Mott Haven was rezoned to allow loft conversions and is now enjoying new cachet among artists priced out of lofts in the East Village and Williamsburg.
Melrose is getting a new park, an upgrade for its iconic Roberto Clemente Plaza and traffic improvements.
Also, Atlantic Development Group is creating a new Melrose campus for Boricua College. The 14-story building, due for completion in late 2009, will be next to Boricua Village, a mixed-income development that includes 50,000 square feet of retail space.
Monday, October 13, 2008
PARK SOUTH CONDOMINIUMS
ACROSS FROM THE 234 ACRES OF PARKLAND THE BRONX ZOO . THESE BRAND NEW CONDOS ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT, CHECK THEM OUT... JILLIANINC . THEY RANGE IN PRICE FROM 260K-550K.
COMMON ROOF DECK, JACUZZI TUBS, WASHER/DRYERS, HIGH CEILINGS, GRANITE KITCHENS AND BATHS. UPLIFTING SPACES
Monday, October 6, 2008
30 REASONS
The OBAMA Campaign has launched their 30 REASONS POSTER CAMPAIGN. 30 DAYS TIL the ELECTION, 30 DIFFERENT POSTERS THAT DEPICT POLITICAL IDEAS. Check THIS ONE OUT. 2008?
NUEVA LUZ-Bronx Photo Journal
Nueva Luz Photographic Journal
Nueva Luz is a unique tri-annual photographic journal, featuring work by contemporary fine art and documentary photographers of African, Asian, Latino, and Native American heritage.
A finalist for the 2008 Lucie Awards' PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR, Nueva Luz includes beautifully reproduced portfolios by remarkable photographers and essays by leading photography curators, critics and authors from around the world, in English and Spanish.
Nueva Luz is available as a SUBSCRIPTION, or as a MEMBERSHIP benefit.
• Preview Nueva Luz
• Photographers: Click here for details and requirents for submitting your work.
• Advertisers: Reach the Nueva Luz community! Download the 2008 rate sheet for advertising details and call with any questions: 718.931.9311
Nueva Luz is a non-profit publication, created in 1984. It is funded through the generous support of your subscriptions, memberships, Print Collectors Program purchases, and the gracious support of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the New York State Council on the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Bronx Council on the Arts.
"Thirty years later En Foco's presence has made a place in public art for those who are potentially underrepresented and has insured that good photography doesn´t slip through our cultural prejudices."
Excerpt from En Foco Celebrates 30th Year,
by Ilana Swerdlin, Afterimage, Issue 33.1
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
FIRST WEDNESDAYS @ THE BX MUSEUM
First Wednesdays
Book Signing/ Launch Party
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1
5:30- 7:30 pm
North Wing Entrance
Admission: Free
The Bronx Museum of the Arts proudly presents monthly First Wednesdays book signing featuring Bronx-based writers and/ or books about the Bronx. The series continues with a book signing for author Lisa Kahane and a launch party to celebrate her book DON'T GIVE WAY TO EVIL.
This book features photographs of the South Bronx from 1979-1987, "capturing the human side of urban decay, and the spirit of people to spark hope over an eight year span."
COME AND SUPPORT THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH BRONX
