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bxaskthebp112425bblockCM_2025-11-24-19-22-34

Welcome back to Ask the borough president here on News 12, the Bronx with Bronx BP Vanessa Gibson. Before the break we were talking about housing conditions, and I believe we have some callers on the line with other stories and questions for you. So we're gonna get to Carmen who was dialed in from Kingsbridge Heights this evening. Carmen, what's your question for the borough president and thanks for the call. Yes, um, good afternoon. I mean, good evening. Yes, I wanted to find out about the law that was changed about the heating in the building where I live, they gives only in the morning. During lunchtime and in the very little, so we called 311 a whole bunch of times because of last year too. They don't get heat between 10 in the night and 6 in the morning. They say 311 says the law was changed that during the night, even no matter how low the temperature gets, nobody gets heat. So why is that happening? Unfamiliar with that change in the law that Carmen is referencing, so I don't know that it's a legitimate excuse that she's being given from to my knowledge that's not correct. If anything, if there was a change in the law, it would mandate that you provide more heat, not less, um, and certainly during the fall and winter season at night 100 p.m. to 6 a.m., uh, absolutely when the temperature goes below a certain. Degree you have to legally provide sufficient heat. I think the question for many Bronxites and New Yorkers is what do you define as sufficient, uh, because we have many parts of our borough where windows have poor insulation so even if the heat is on, you'll never feel it because it's very drafty, um, and we've seen that case many many times so we want to talk to uh our resident offline about specifically where you. Are living, but to my knowledge there was no change in New York City code, uh, that requires a difference in providing heat. 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. absolutely you have to provide heat at once the temperature goes below a certain degree. And great point that you yeah I believe so too. And good point to bring up that the thermostat might say one thing, but it actually feels a lot different, so that disparity. To take a look at for sure yeah and I know some landlords have been installing heat sensors in apartments because I can gauge the temperature inside the apartment versus outside. um, I don't, that's not universal, but I know some landlords that have done that as well. OK, we'll look out for more of that as a safeguard moving forward. Let's get to Dana who has dialed in from Morrisania. She also has a question for you this evening. Dana, thanks for the call and what's your question? Thank you for having me. Uh, good evening, Borough President. Um, so my concern, um, I live on 1601st. I want to be, I want to know what can be done about obtaining more lighting at night between Grand Concourse and Melrose. There's a lot of blind spots, which makes it quite dangerous at night walking through there. Oh, OK, yeah, thoughts on adding more lighting because it is a pretty well trafficked corridor. Even at night after the courts are closed, uh, the 161st Street corridor going east towards Melrose, um, obviously there's a pharmacy, restaurants, there's a lot, um, and it still has foot traffic. Uh, we'll reach out to New York City Department of Transportation on looking at enhanced lighting. I think the question sometimes I always ask are the light poles. Working that are there #1, 2, can the existing light poles be enhanced in terms of uh the illumination and then number 3, there are some instances where we do ask DLT to look into adding additional lighting, but that would mean the installation of a new street light pole, like a new fixture, right? That's obviously much more extensive than repairing the existing lamp pole or. Are changing the structure we have, you know, we have M poles along the Grand Concourse, so we have different, um, different types of lamp posts that we have through DOT, but we will look into that on the 161st Street corridor from the Grand Concourse going east like towards Concourse Village, Morris Avenue, Cortland all the way to Melrose. We can absolutely look into that. It's an interesting point she brings up in light of news that we learned today. I think DEP put out this new app where you can actually. Uh, monitor the noise levels in areas and report no. I'm like thinking, I wonder what that would look like for for light. So perhaps there's uh something to be thought about in terms of developing things in the future. I do want to get to another topic that we've seen some developments on since the last time we talked, and that's the Kingsbridge Armory finally past the city council. It seems like all systems. to really revamp the space after so long. I've been here for 10 years and this has been a conversation over the course of the 10 years I've been here. um, how soon before we start seeing shovels in the ground? Not that long, but you know it's on the horizon, but I think we've done all of the initial public review outreach, uh, El Centro Kingsbridge. Gonna be fantastic, transformative hundreds of union jobs, permanent jobs, Project labor agreement, community benefits agreement together for Kingsbridge, Working coalition led by co-chair Sandra Lobo in the Northwest Bronx Community clergy Coalition Council member Berina Sanchez did a phenomenal job. Thousands of dollars of capital investments after school programming, small business support. To modernize this space into a beautiful beacon of recreation, education, jobs, pathways to the middle class in over 600,000 square feet of potential right opportunity, uh, there'll be, um, uh, space for like a public, you know, like a venue venue, yeah, public venue, uh, there'll also be community space. Phase two will be housing that's affordable through HPD. Uh, it's been a tremendous, um, the development team worked closely with the city council with all of us on transforming this project into an incredible idea. EDC was also involved, all of my elected officials, we designated about $3 million. I'm so proud and I wanna thank Council member Perina Sanchez and the Bronx delegation and the full council, uh, like overwhelming. Support to transform this site and we are now on pace to move it forward right and I'm excited about the possibilities but it will finally happen, folks you all ask me when I travel around what's happening with the Kingsbridge Armory? It's gonna happen. We're gonna have a community center, rec center, uh, there'll be a lot of space for the public and I'm really excited about El Central Kingsbridge. I'm excited too, and I think so many Bronxites have really looked. Forward to seeing what that space can be transformed into and it really seems like it's gonna serve a myriad of purposes and meet a lot of the needs by manufacturing like lots of opportunities for small businesses we also put in provisions to support street vendors with education and services and resources so that's especially important in that area right, stay with us here on Ask the Borough President. We'll be right back right after this.

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bxaskthebp112425cblockCM_2025-11-24-19-28-37

Back to ask the borough president with Bronx. Vanessa Gibson, it's that time in the show where we look ahead to next month and the health tip for December. So for December we are focusing on wellness. It's a wellness challenge. We're encouraging bronxites to stay hydrated, move with joy, focus on your mental health and wellness, check up on family members, wellness checks are very good, especially during the holiday season, and we also recognizing December 6th through the 12th as National Influenza vaccination Week, uh, gentle reminder to stay. Protected in the winter months, it's not too late to get vaccinated. Uh, CDC recommends that during the seasonal flu period for children, pregnant women, and older adults. And we also want you to remember to visit your health care provider, uh, call 311 for nearby locations, and if you don't have insurance, you're also able to get provide services by New York City Health and Hospitals, Metro Health Plus as well. Yeah, well-being, wellness, and of course protecting yourself against the flu, all very timely this time of year. Yes, yeah, I also want to look ahead to some of the events that your office is coordinating and organizing as we enter really the peak season of giving overall with this end of the year. Yeah, so we have two events we are now promoting for now in December there'll be more, uh, but on Friday, December 5th, we are beginning the holiday season with our official tree lighting and winter wonderland extravaganza on Friday, December 5th at 5 p.m. at uh Lou Gehrig Plaza on East 161st Street in the Grand Concourse. We'll have. Hundreds of toys, uh, live show with Univisionion. We're gonna light the tree officially at Borough Hall and then inside the rotunda at Borough Hall we'll be giving out toys. We have music, special guests Santa, everybody will be there. He's the star of the show Saturday, December 13th. Our Veterans Advisory council is having a veterans and Families toy giveaway for our military families, Blue Star Gold Star families from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bronx Zoo for veterans and. families always important to make sure that people are taken care of and we give back where we can this time of year and I think especially coming off so much uncertainty now the federal government back reopened but so many people in the Bronx still feeling the financial effects of that. What else is being done to really support people during this holiday season? Let me acknowledge Bronx side elected officials, so many of our faith leaders, churches, CBOs, everyone who's come together to give back the season of Thanksgiving reminds us that we are blessed to be a blessing. To others we've given thousands of turkeys out, fixing, produce, non-perishable canned good items. We have food distributions today from Co op City to Concourse Village to Tracy Towers, East Bronx, everywhere, and we appreciate everyone stepping up during this time to say that we are Bronx strong and no matter what we're there to support our families. I think so many Bronx sites appreciate those efforts. BP Gibson, thank you so much. Happy Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving and thank you all for watching. We'll see you next time.

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News 12's Amanda Bossard sits down with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson to answer YOUR pressing questions in this month's edition of Ask the Borough President.

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