Southern Boulevard Coalition (#savesouthernblv)
An alliance of Bronx residents, merchants, and community + labor organizations advocating for a community-led process that benefits existing residents in the neighborhoods surrounding Southern Boulevard.
The Southern Boulevard Coalition began convening in January 2019 in response to the City’s announcement that they were conducting a planning study for Southern Boulevard, which is considered 1 to be the next anticipated rezoning. The Coalition is currently made up of the following groups: WHEDCo, Local 79, Mothers on the Move, Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, Laundromat Project, Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, Nos Quedamos, and The Point CDC. Local residents have also been engaged through regular community meetings hosted by the Coalition.
▪ Vision & Community Plan-The Southern Boulevard Coalition, made up of community and labor organizations and local residents, believes we need a community-led process and plan that places local experience and knowledge at its core, builds on existing strengths and assets in our communities, and supports collective ownership and equitable development to benefit current community members. Our community plan will include:
▪ An independent assessment of direct and indirect displacement, including standards for what is unacceptable and metrics for changes to ownership, control, and wealth
▪ Real workforce and economic development, including apprenticeships and local hiring provisions, and protections and support for businesses owned locally by people of color
▪ Deeply and permanently affordable housing that reflects the income levels in our neighborhood
▪ Investment in collective ownership, including community land trusts and worker coops
▪ Protections for industrial, auto, and manufacturing spaces
▪ The preservation and amplification of pre-existing cultural places and spaces in the community.
GOALS—NQ will engage community members from 920 Westchester and Phoenix Estates in various “Deep Dives” scheduled by City Planning. Plan: Doorknocking on all apartments informing residents of the rezoning plans and inviting them to all “Deep Dives”
▪ Collect contact information for ALL doors knocked. Sign in sheets for each outreach effort will be collected and submitted with final report for funding. Outreach will consist of door-knocking on all doors, bi-weekly meetings with residents and follow up calls (calls should be tracked on call sheets). Organize (4) community meetings.