Major Projects

Tres Puentes

  • New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH), Bronx Community Board One

  • Urban Planning, Project Management, Community Engagement, Community Development, Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), City Quality Environmental Review (CEQR)

Project Overview

As a Senior Planner I worked directly with the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) and Bronx Community Board One on a series of land use actions to facilitate the construction of two new residential buildings with 180 units of affordable senior housing, 4,200 sq.ft. of ground floor retail, a new senior center, at-grade parking, and open space. Throughout a two-year community engagement process I advised both the Chair of Economic Development for Community Board One and the development team at WSFSSH to ensure that community input was reflected in the building design as well as the programming. In addition, I consulted the Board on which requests were feasible through the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and answered questions related to the applicant’s Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS).

 

Urban Planning

ULI Bronx Community Board Four Technical Assistance Panel

  • New York City Department of City Planning (DCP), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), New York City Department of Transportation (DOT)

  • Urban Planning, Community Development, Project Management, Community Engagement

Project Overview

For many years there have been discussions of a soccer stadium being built as the home of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC). In 2019, Community District Four was approached by the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP), Bronx Office about partnering with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) related to the proposed development of a soccer stadium. TAPs are intensive, on-site engagements conducted by career professionals who serve as volunteer panelists. The panelists deliver expert, multi-disciplinary advice to local governments, public agencies and nonprofit organizations facing complex land use and real estate issues throughout New York State. The TAP panel was asked to make recommendations on how a soccer stadium could seamlessly integrate into the existing built fabric of the neighborhood and provide maximum community benefit.

Collaborating with the Department of City Planning, Bronx Office, and Senior staff at ULI New York, I developed a set of briefing materials that provided background information to the panel about the neighborhood, developed a list of key community stakeholders to conduct one-on-one interviews, led the ULI TAP Panel (the Panel), on a neighborhood tour and facilitated Q&A pre and post the tour. The Panel arrived at three key categories of recommendations for CB4 to consider as the NYCFC stadium discussions progress.

 

Community Development

Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan

  • New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), New York City School Construction Authority (SCA)

  • Urban Planning, Community Development, Project Management, Zoning Analysis, Workforce Development, Community Engagement, Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), City Quality Environmental Review (CEQR)

Project Overview

Team Leader (2014-2016)

Leading a team of planners and urban designers in 2014, we launched the 93-block Jerome Avenue Rezoning as part of Mayor DeBlasio’s Housing New York Plan. I was responsible for managing internal and external communications developing and executing the work program; creating a community outreach strategy and managing the partnerships with our sister city agencies including the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA). I established excellent working relationships with the Bronx Borough President’s Office, Hon. Vanessa Gibson, Hon. Fernando Cabrera, Executive Leadership of Community Boards Four and Five as well as key stakeholder in the catchment area.

District Manager (2016-2018)

In 2016, I assumed a different role in the Jerome Avenue Rezoning.  Leading a coalition of Executive Board Members of Community Boards Four and Five in the planning process, I articulated their goals into a comprehensive list of detailed requests for capital investments to create new open space opportunities, improve transportation access, create new permanently affordable housing at a variety of income levels and home ownership opportunities as well as critical investments in human capital related to education, workforce development, health and support for small businesses.  The Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan resulted in more than $189 million in investments in Community Districts Four, Five and Seven.

 

Bronx Point

  • New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)

  • Urban Planning, Community Development, Project Management, Workforce Development, Community Engagement, Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), City Quality Environmental Review (CEQR)

Project Overview

In 2016, Community Board Four was approached by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Melissa Mark-Viverito, Speaker of the New York City Council about the redevelopment of Pier 5, a five-acre parcel on the Harlem River waterfront.  The mixed-use development supports Mayor DeBlasio’s $194 million infrastructure investment in the Lower Concourse and once completed will include more than 1,000 units of affordable housing, ground-floor retail space, office space, publicly accessible open space along the Harlem River waterfront, the new home of the Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) and the Billion Oyster Project.

As the District Manager for Community Board Four I partnered with NYCEDC, L & M Development and Type A Projects negotiating the Points of Agreement which included the creation of the Bronx Point Steering Committee whose purpose is to guide the community outreach and planning process as well as provide oversight on the commitments agreed upon by the City of New York. The Committee is composed of (4) members of Community Board Four, representatives from both Councilmembers offices as well as the Bronx Borough President, and representatives from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and (2) representatives from the local community. The committee has convened nine times since 2018.

 

Economic Development

Jerome Avenue Revitalization Collaborative (JARC)

  • JobsFirst NYC, WHEDco, The Hope Program, New York City Community Board Five, The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Bronx Community College, Bronx Impact, SoBro, Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative, Meta Bronx, UAMA, Hon. Pierina Sanchez, Lorita Watson

  • Urban Planning, Community Development, Project Management, Community Engagement, Workforce Development, Economic Development

Project Overview

Throughout the planning process for the Jerome Avenue Neighborhood Plan, residents and local stakeholders consistently identified job training, skills development, and jobs as a key component to ensure that the people and neighborhoods impacted by the Jerome Avenue Rezoning had the necessary resources to foster economic growth. In 2019, a group of dedicated individuals and organizations led by JobsFirst NYC began meeting to formulate ideas for an economic development entity to support the residents and businesses impacted by the rezoning.

After more than 18 months of meetings, brainstorming and discussions, in February 2021, the Jerome Avenue Revitalization Collaborative (JARC) a cross-sector place-based economic and workforce development partnership comprised of 12 organizations and individuals committed and focused on inclusive economic growth supporting businesses and residents impacted by the rezoning of the Jerome Avenue corridor was launched. As a founding member, I played a key role in establishing our mission and goals. In addition, I developed the launch communications plan which included a Bronx Borough President Roundtable. 

 

Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI)

  • Bronx Borough President’s Office, Third Avenue BID, SoBRO, Nos Quedamos, Lincoln Hospital, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Regional Plan Association (RPA), BronxWorks, Pregones Theater, Bronx Rox, Hostos Community College, New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan College of New York, Bronx Community Board One, NYCHA.

  • Urban Planning, Project Management, Community Engagement, Community Development, Economic Development

Project Overview

The Bronx Civic Center has been the beneficiary of a number of transformative investments from both the public and private sector over the last 20 years. That being said, additional funding to support the continued renaissance of the South Bronx is critical to the region’s long-term growth and sustainability. The New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. In partnership with the Bronx Borough President’s Planning and Development Office we applied to the state, securing $10 million from the New York State’s (DRI) to “transform the Bronx Civic Center” – one of 10 communities selected state-wide.

 

Workforce Development

Bronx Point Career Exploratory

  • L & M Development, Type A Partners, The Hope Program, BronxWorks

  • Urban Planning, Project Management, Community Engagement, Community Development, Economic Development, Workforce Development

Project Overview

Partnered with L & M Development, BronxWorks and Type A Projects to create a career exploratory program for youth 18-24 years who were interested in construction, building maintenance, leasing, architecture, planning and urban design or simply wanted to learn about career options. In September 2022, nineteen young men from the Bronx participated in the inaugural program. They engaged with men and women in construction, labor trades, maintenance and management. They will each receive a $150 stipend and are now eligible to receive 40 free hours of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Training . OSHA is a construction site safety training program that is required by law to work on any construction site in NYC.

 

Communications

Jerome Avenue Public Health Task Force (JAPHTF)

  • New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), New Settlement, Bronx Community Board Five, Montefiore Hospital, Councilmembers Gibson and Cabrera

  • Urban Planning, Project Management, Community Engagement, Community Development, Economic Development

Project Overview

As part of the Points of Agreement for the Jerome Avenue Rezoning, the Jerome Avenue Public Health Task Force (JAPHTF) convened regularly from December 2018 – December 2019 to consider the health of residents of Community Districts 4 and 5, and the underlying social structures which give rise to both health and illness. With input from other community members, the Task Force crafted a Vision Statement, a set of Shared Beliefs and a set of specific recommendations. The Task Force held two community forums at critical junctures in the process to inform community members about the process, and to garner additional community input. After the recommendations were released, I was approached by New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) about collaborating on a journal article with other Task Force members. This year our article was published by the John Hopkins University Press.