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| Projects & Proposals > Bronx > Port Morris/Bruckner Boulevard |
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Port Morris/Bruckner Boulevard Rezoning - Approved!
Neighborhood
Character and Land Use
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Port Morris was first developed in the 19th century
by Gouverneur Morris II, who envisioned a commercial
seaport that would rival the seaports of Manhattan.
While this ambitious seaport plan never came
to pass, Port Morris did grow as a manufacturing
and warehousing district, including furniture
and piano manufacturing. Growth in the area occurred
around the turn of the 20th century with the
addition of rail connections and new bridges
to Manhattan. The Third Avenue Bridge was built
in 1898, followed by the Willis Avenue Bridge
three years later. In 1906, the Harlem River
Train Yards were constructed on the southern
edge of Port Morris. The industrial strength
of the area came to an abrupt halt during the
Great Depression, and in the following two decades
little construction occurred. In the 1950s, a
substantial portion of the housing in the area
was cleared to make way for the Triborough Bridge
and the Bruckner and Major Deegan Expressways.
Since then, industrial uses have gradually left
the area.
Renovation of former industrial buildings for non-manufacturing
uses has been occurring in the area over the past
decade. Retail shops specializing in antiques emerged
along Bruckner Boulevard, creating a new South
Bronx “Antique Row”. In 1997, the City
Planning Commission (CPC) established the Port
Morris Special Mixed Use District, which facilitated
the creation and renovation of approximately 185
new residential units. New street furniture, trees,
and lamps have improved the pedestrian environment
along Bruckner Boulevard, contributing to the “look
and feel” of a neighborhood.
Occupied and vacant residential buildings. |
Recent renovations of buildings for non-industrial
uses |
Port Morris is truly a mixed use neighborhood,
as illustrated in the chart and land use map below.
Industrial uses, including light manufacturing,
warehousing, and open storage, are found on 38
(29%) of the 129 lots in the rezoning area. Another
eight (6%) of the total lots contain commercial
uses alone and self-storage facilities. (Office
and retail establishments are often found on lots
with industrial and residential uses and are included
in those numbers.) Light industrial and commercial
uses are dispersed across the rezoning area, primarily
along Bruckner Boulevard. Many of the industrial
and commercial uses are in large brick and concrete
industrial buildings ranging from one to six stories
in height. The open storage facilities are generally
used by adjacent industrial uses.
Residential uses are found on 44 (34%) of the
lots, primarily at the far eastern end of the
study area. These are comprised mainly of two-
and three-story row houses along East 133rd and
East 134th Streets near Willow Avenue, and farther
west along Bruckner Boulevard, a variety of three-
to five-story multifamily homes. The taller apartment
buildings tend to have commercial retail space
on the ground floor, including delicatessens
and stores specializing in auto parts.
One-third of all lots remain vacant or
underutilized under Existing Zoning. |
Transportation and utility uses are found on 13
(10%) of the lots and are mostly gas stations and
auto repair garages. Other transportation-related
uses service the nearby bridges. Parking facilities,
on eight (6%) of the lots, are mostly accessory
parking for adjacent industrial uses. Vacant buildings
and lots are dotted throughout the study area on
15 different lots, some of which consist of boarded
up residential and industrial buildings that are
in a state of disrepair. Some of the vacant lots
are used as parking lots. The two open space resources
(on three lots) in the rezoning area are Pulaski
Park on Bruckner Boulevard and East 134th Street
Playground at Bruckner Boulevard and Cypress Avenue.
STUDY AREA LAND USE
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