Image from DCP Open House website, comparing a stretch of Eastchester Road in the Bronx with what it could possibly look like after the Metro-North train station construction and other land use changes. Image Credit: NYC DCP
The Department’s ongoing study uses community feedback to assess land use needs in the East Bronx. On April 30, 2021, the Department of City Planning released a new public engagement website for four new future Metro-North train stations in the east Bronx. The Metro-North Stations are planned for the Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-Op City neighborhoods and will connect with Penn Station and locations further north. Currently, there is information for the Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest stations, with information about the Co-Op City and Hunts Points stations to be provided at a later date.
In 2018, the Department of City Planning commenced the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study to examine how to bring the maximum benefit to the affected neighborhoods while creating these stations. The study looked at improving access to schools and parks, infrastructure, and housing, retail and job growth while connecting the East Bronx to Manhattan, other parts of New York state, and Connecticut. As the study has continued, public hearings have continued to collect feedback about the area’s land use needs.
The website, found here, functions as a remote open house to allow the public to watch videos, view pictures, read recommendations and provide feedback on each of the four stations. Users can compare current images of the proposed locations with sketches of how the areas can look after the stations and other changes to the area are completed. There is further information about how land use changes can be implemented in the areas surrounding the train stations to promote housing growth, provide open space, flood resilience, job creation, support for communities, and other opportunities.
The Department of City Planning will also host remote public hearings later this spring, and aims to release a final plan for the four stations by the end of 2021.
Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago stated, “Our new interactive Bronx Metro-North webpage is the result of outside-the-box work to increase public engagement and input into important planning projects. We know our best planning happens when it’s done side-by-side with New Yorkers, so please, share your ideas and collaborate with us on a path to a brighter, more transit-accessible future for these four neighborhoods.”
Lisa Sorin, President of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, stated, “We thank DCP for understanding the importance of communication and community participation. The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is excited about the project that will bring jobs, businesses, housing, and most importantly ease of transportation to Penn Station or Northbound which has never been an option. The interactive digital platform is a creative and powerful tool allowing true engagement in a project that will change the landscape of our great borough.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)