New York City developers are working on plans to turn a parcel of land under the University Heights Bridge into a public space.
During Bronx Community Board 7’s executive committee meeting last Thursday night, officials from Dynamic Star — a real estate development, investment and marketing firm — presented their plans for a project they’re calling Fordham South, which would turn a privately owned 160,000-square-foot lot south of the University Heights Bridge into a two-level mixed-use residential and community open space. Along the Harlem River, the project would connect to the expressway on the north side and to Roberto Clemente State Park on the south.
The site under the University Heights Bridge would be transformed into a public pavilion and walkway furnished with outdoor gym equipment, a small amphitheater, tables and chairs, benches and a garden. The design will create a new curb cut on West Fordham Road, across from the ramp down to Exterior Street — which has been “conditionally granted” by the New York City Department of Transportation, according to Lexi Glicksman, Dynamic Star account executive.
“Where we started, was thinking about the larger part of connectivity as a pedestrian and a biker and how you get to this open space,” said Rick Parisi, the owner and principal-in-charge of MPFP, a landscape architecture and urban design firm, and one of the leaders of the Fordham South project.
The public space will be built on two levels to accommodate both motorists coming from the roadways, as well as pedestrians and bikers. Developers said there will be approximately 290 parking spots for people if they want to drive to the site from other parts of the borough.
Parisi said his firm does quite a few public walkway designs as part of its regular contracted work.
“The shore public walkways are somewhat restrictive, but they do offer some interesting opportunities,” he said during the meeting. “In this particular one, we…
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