Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. credited ongoing redevelopment for an economic recovery in the Bronx during his seventh State of the Borough address at Cardinal Hayes High School Thursday.

"We have created more than 23,000 new units of housing and over 68 million square feet of total development," he told a crowd of several hundred. To build on those numbers, Diaz announced $10 million in funding for the redevelopment of Orchard Beach and a push to bring four new Metro-North stations to the eastern Bronx.

During the 40-minute address, Diaz linked the redevelopment efforts to job growth.

"Since 2009, unemployment has been cut nearly in half down to 6.9 percent," he said, adding that in 2015 there were over 100,000 more employed Bronx residents than when he first took office.

On education, he called for an expansion of universal pre-K programs and more resources for gifted students in the borough. He also announced the launch of the Bronx Youth Corps to encourage students to take part in community-based activities.