First, a new stadium. Next, a new neighborhood.
Just as The Bronx gears up for Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium, city planners yesterday unveiled a proposal to transform the blocks around the ballpark into a neighborhood of high-rise towers, wider sidewalks and new shops.
The plan, which would rezone a stretch of River Avenue and 161st Street, would clear the way for developers to replace streets filled with the one-story bars, souvenir stands, empty lots and repair shops that now dominate the neighborhood.
Instead of the seasonal, haphazard business generated by baseball games, planners hope to create a year-round commercial district that would anchor a reinvigorated Bronx civic center that includes the courthouses.
The proposal now goes out for public review. It will go back to the City Planning Commission for approval and on to the City Council within seven months.