Advice for VCJC on building better housing

To the editor: 

I, along with many residents in Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge and Kingsbridge Heights, were heartened when we read in the Riverdale Press that the former Visitation Church and School property is going to be turned into 100% affordable housing with considerations for supportive social services, an educational facility, and other much-needed features that housing in modern-day Bronx requires (“Affordable Housing Goes up in Kingsbridge.”)

The property manager of the location, Tishman Speyer, has done the right thing by putting together a public/private partnership that includes elected representatives, governmental agencies and other financial resources. This is how responsible development should be done, especially with formerly faith-based properties. 

Unfortunately, that conscientious approach to local housing development is far from what the leadership and board of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center has been preparing. Despite numerous efforts of local community advocates and experts in housing to work with them to develop a project that would benefit the congregation and the community at large -- in a way consistent with fundamental Jewish ethics -- they have rejected or ignored efforts to assist them. 

Instead, they’ve favored an irrational market-rate development with Innovative Development and Construction, a rogue developer whose only distinction is that they’ve been at constant logger heads with Bronx Community Board 8 over a construction design that impacts the trees in a preserved SNAD (Special Natural Area District) area.

Furthermore, in their most recent newsletter, VCJC President Stu Harris and Board Chair Jack Kleinfeld wrote: “Neither Stu nor Jack had ever heard of the Mid Bronx Desperadoes (MBD) organization before reading the [Riverdale Press] article. Furthermore, this organization never reached out to the President, the Chair or the Board of Trustees.”

In fact, on Feb. 26, 2024 at noon, both Kleinfeld and Harris took the President/CEO of the MBD housing organization along with me and architect Petr Stand, on a detailed tour of the entire VCJC property, the interior, exterior and roof.  

It must also be noted that other suggestions for potential alternatives have not been adequately pursued and an offer of support from the National Council of Churches was ignored. 

This is the kind of irresponsibility that has been a pattern throughout many aspects of the VCJC’s ongoing efforts to determine what’s the best future alignment for the properties at 3880 Sedgwick Avenue and 67 Stevenson Place. The lack of seriousness given to the effort of identifying viable alternatives to yet another unneeded and undesired market-rate development in our community is astonishing and ultimately, damaging. 

It’s time for them to come to their senses, stop the nonsense of secret discussions and engage in open dialogues with those who have experience in developing quality Bronx housing, as well as be respectful to the needs of people in the surrounding communities who have supported the VCJC for more than 60 years. 

Gary Axelbank