Bronx BP Diaz Delivers State of the Borough Address

The atmosphere was festive at the Bronx's Bay Plaza mall as Bronx Borough President Reuben Diaz Jr.  unveiled plans to refurbish local college curriculums, improve public transit, and make buildings greener. 

 

One of the biggest initiatives in his sixth State of the Borough address was to build a platform over three Bronx train yards to make space for affordable housing. 

 

"If we're going to look at housing, if we're going to try and reach the goals of the Mayor of the City of New York and if we want to create jobs, I think we really need to start giving serious consideration about space that technically doesn't exist today," Diaz Jr. said.

 

Mayor de Blasio's plan to build affordable housing over train yards in Queens recently hit a roadblock. Diaz says the Bronx sites could be great alternative.

 

The Borough President's other plans range from renovating transit, to promoting tourism, to improving health across the borough. 

 

Diaz says one way to decrease illness is to make old buildings more environmentally friendly. 

 

"We must aggressively green our old housing stock and retired dirty boilers if we're going to bring down air pollution and reduce asthma rates," Diaz said.

 

Diaz says this "greening" process will be partly paid for by private investments.