Morissania, Third
Avenue & Civic Center
The Morrisania rezoning is an important component
in revitalizing Third Avenue as a residential and
commercial corridor. Morrisania is located immediately
north of the Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Area.
The Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Plan calls for
the development of 1,500 low- and moderate-income
housing units, commercial/office and community facility
space, and new parks and open space. Approximately
376 housing units have been built or are in the
construction process. The HUB, the commercial downtown
of the Bronx, is just south of Melrose Commons along
Third Avenue. City Planning is working with EDC
to realize commercial and residential development
on several City-owned parcels in the HUB, along
with streetscape and plaza improvements.
Morrisania is also just west of the Borough’s
civic center along East 161st Street. This area
is experiencing major investments by the Federal,
State, and City governments. A major project,
the Bronx Criminal Court is currently under construction.
The 1.2 million square foot Court Complex is located
on a three-block site on East 161st Street near
the Grand Concourse. The project consists of 62
courtrooms for the Supreme and Criminal Court
and office space for the Department of Corrections,
the Department of Probation, the Bronx District
Attorney’s Office, New York City Police
Department, and contract agencies. Parking for
four hundred cars is provided. Other major public
investments planned or underway include streetscape
and sidewalk improvements related to the new Court
Complex along E. 161st Street (between the Grand
Concourse and Park Avenue) and along the Grand
Concourse to 164th Street. Related to the planned
streetscape improvements, is a proposal to improve
to Lou Gehrig Plaza (located in front of the land
marked Bronx County Courthouse), which is currently
used for Bronx Criminal Court Parking which will
be turned into a public plaza/meeting place with
extensive greenery.
A new public high school focusing on law and
justice (located at East 163rd Street between
Grant and Sherman avenues) is currently under
construction and is due to open in September 2003.
The Bronx Museum, located on the Grand Concourse
between East 165th and East 166th Streets, is
expanding its facility to allow for additional
gallery space, public programming, administrative
space and outdoor terrace and a sculpture garden.
The project is is expected to service the anticipated
50,000 visitors per year and to be completed by
2004. Finally, a new bridge is to be constructed
on East 153rd Street between the Grand Concourse
and Morris Avenue. The bridge will have four lanes
for traffic, a bike lane and pedestrian walkway
and will be constructed to replace a two-lane
bridge demolished in 1992. It is expected to be
completed by 2007.
Background &
Context:
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