Planned Shrinkage – 1960s
January 24, 1960
After years of “planned shrinkage” by the City of New York, the South Bronx is at its lowest point. The City of New York has cut subway service and left this part of the Bronx on their own. Over 300 businesses have left Melrose, along with over 10,000 jobs. Half of the population of Melrose leaves.
Read moreThe Bronx is Burning – Blackout
July 13, 1977
Fires were reaching epidemic proportions, with landlords burning building to collect insurance. Rampant drug and crime plagued the community. Families and businesses that remained, left to their own devises for protection and safety.
Read moreUrban Renewal
October 24, 1992
Although no formal presentation had been made to them, the community became aware of the City’s urban renewal plan and knew that it would lead to displacement. At a public meeting, a number of community residents-homeowners, tenants and businesses— demanded that any new development slated for the area include them
Read moreNos Quedamos Formed
June 9, 1993
Yolanda Garcia founds We Stay/Nos Quedamos in order to resist large scale urban renewal plans that would displace thousands of residents of Melrose. Starting in February, meet-ings are held every Tuesday in the Nos Quedamos headquar-ters to inform the community and organize their response to the City Council.
Read moreA Season of Change
January 1, 1994
The Melrose Renewal Plan is approved by City Council in 1994, as a combined effort of We Stay/Nos Quedamos, Magnusson Architecture and Planning, Depart-ment of City Planning, Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, the Office of the Bronx Borough President, the Mayors Office, as well as Congressman Jose…
Read morePicking Up The Pace
October 24, 1994
We Stay/Nos Quedamos begins working towards its ground-breaking of Plaza de Los Angeles, the first affordable home-ownership development. Simoutaneously, working to deter-mine the various type of affordable housing development needed that would ultimately become the shining example of sustainable living in the South Bronx. We Stay/Nos Queda-mos also joins five other non-profits around New York…
Read moreSouth Bronx Environmental Health and Policy Study
October 24, 2000
Concerned about the air pollution created by the high number of waste transfer facilities, and increasing diesel traffic volumes in the South Bronx , We Stay/Nos Quedamos came together to actively seek scientific evidence in support of their confrontation with environmental racism in the community. SBEHPS is a collabora-tive research project that involved the NYU…
Read morePlaza de Los Angeles is completed
October 24, 2001
Plaza de Los Angeles, the first of many developments coming out of the new urban renewal plan, is completed to great success. This opens the gateway for the new direction that Melrose Commons is taking.
Read moreNew Executive Director Named
August 24, 2005
With the passing of Yolanda Garcia, Nos Quedamos leadership is handed to her daughter, Yolanda Gonzalez.
Read moreYolanda Garcia Community Planner Award
October 24, 2007
We Stay/Nos Quedamoss, in partnership with the Municipal Arts Society of New York, create the Yolanda Garcia Community Planner Award, which acknowledges the hard-working leaders of grassroots, community-based, participatory planning and embody the drive and passion as We Stay/Nos Quedamos’ founder, the late Yolanda Garcia.
Read moreLEED Silver for Neighborhood Development
January 1, 2010
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Stage II Silver certification for Melrose Commons. This was awarded because the neighborhood based team was com-mitted to pedestrian-oriented mixed-use, mixed-income de-velopment, while maintaining open space and sustainable design from the beginning.
Read moreYolanda Garcia Way Named
February 24, 2011
To honor the time, energy and passion that Yolanda Garcia put into Nos Quedamos and rebuilding Melrose Commons, Third Avenue between 156th and 157th Streets has been renamed “Yolanda Garcia Way”. Standing as a testament to the sustainable building practices, and a commitment to commu-nity engagement, Yolanda Garcia Way memorializes the shin-ing light of the…
Read moreJessica Clemente Becomes the new Director
October 24, 2011
Raised in Millbrook Houses in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, Jessica was inspired to combat asthma and the host of environmental problems of the South Bronx. After going away for college, Jessica returned to the South Bronx as Manager of the South Bronx Environmental Health and Policy Study, where she
Read moreNos Quedamos Turns 25
July 21, 2018
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