Van Cortlandt Village has boasted a quiet dignity over the course of its history. Sitting in the northwest corner of the Bronx, it is known for its steep stair streets, English-style cottages, and a low-key ambiance. The diverse enclave has long been a sanctuary for those seeking a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.
Now, though, the sounds of birds chirping, constant neighborhood chatter, and even coyotes howling are being drowned out by the roar of excavators and the rhythmic thudding of jackhammers.
It’s the wave of new development — specifically at 3870 and 3874 Sedgwick Avenue — and although developers may be transforming the skyline and neighborhood landscape, the process is also testing the patience of many locals like Brian Klarl. Disruption is an exhausting reality for Klarl. As a result of the encroachment of the construction projects, he and others in the community have taken a stance for their fellow neighbors.
“As far as anxiety and anger go, that would be me,” Klarl said. “I’m not living in the property, but I have family members who do … The house was shaking! We have pictures of a glass of water (trembling due to the vibrations coming from outside). Remember the movie ‘Jurassic Park’? When the dinosaurs come in, you’d see more of the water (splashing) than the actual dinosaurs.” It is an example of what residents are experiencing as the community changes. Even with the dire need for more affordable housing units in New York City, this new development is being viewed by residents as an assault on their quality of life and the historic character of their neighborhood.
A view from the streets
For Gary Axelbank, veteran journalist and host of BronxTalk and The Bronx Buzz on public affairs channel BronxNet, this situation is more than just a news story; it’s a reflection of a borough-wide struggle. Axelbank, a staple of Bronx media for decades, has watched the neighborhood’s evolution with a critical eye.
“We don’t know what the ultimate result of these buildings will be — you don’t know that for five years — but this is an attempt at that (gentrification),” Axelbank told the AmNews. “I don’t believe that the developers involved think of anything other than the amount of money they’re going to make. I have hope — if I didn’t have hope, I could not wake up in the morning … there has to be multi-level solutions. I think that we could figure out all we want. All I want the developers to do is care. They don’t seem to care. They’re going to put up these square buildings and make their money and more, and do whatever they want, and right now there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason, when we have our community needs that need to be addressed.”
Axelbank’s perspective reverberates through the winding streets of Van Cortlandt Village. The displacement of working- and middle-class individuals, as well as the physical strain of the neighborhood’s infrastructure, are topics of concern for many locals.
The toll on daily life
When asked if he would be interested in selling his property to the developers before the construction began, Klarl declined. The property has been owned by his family for about 84 years. As a result, Klarl was subsequently forced to sign an access agreement by the developer, Innovative Development and Construction, which bought nearby homes in the surrounding area in close proximity to Klarl’s property. An access agreement is a legally binding contract that allows a developer or property owner to temporarily access a neighbor’s property to carry out construction, maintenance, or security tasks.
According to Klarl, Innovative Development and Construction obstructed views, limited natural light, and broke safety rules.
“Just imagine waking up at 7 a.m., and the first thing you see is a construction worker standing on a scaffold right at your bedroom window,” Klarl said.
Since then, Klarl has retained the services of an attorney whose practice focuses on housing rules, development, and building, which he said has cost him between $7,000 and $8,000.
Laura Chenven shares the same frustration, pointing to unnecessary congestion and excessive littering due to construction. She called for sustainable development that would maintain the neighborhood’s diversity and affordability. She encouraged local politicians to prioritize community needs over real estate interests.
“Providing affordable, livable quality housing in a city in which many of us work and have family is very important, but there’s a couple of things that are happening in our neighborhood,” Chenven said. “I live on Sedgwick Ave., and previously, I also was a resident of the Amalgamated Houses, which I do think is a very good example of affordable housing. It certainly was affordable for us when we lived there … it was a wonderful place to live. It provided good housing for multi-class [individuals] in a multi-racial community.” However, times have changed, said Chenven, and so have priorities. She noted that the new housing has not gotten the kind of public support that it needs to be self-sustaining. “Instead, what we’re finding is that as some of the private houses go up for sale, we have developers buying them up and building what sometimes is called ‘affordable housing.’”
Klarl and Chenven are part of a growing contingent of residents armed with photos and videos of cracked sidewalks and maps of shrinking street space. They are demanding that the city do more to mitigate the impact of private development on public life. Although Bronx Community Board 8 has heard the cry for help, it’s unclear whether a solution can be achieved in the foreseeable future.
Preservation vs. progress
The historical sites and landmarks that make up the architectural soul of Van Cortlandt Village are of primary concern for Frampton Tolbert, executive director of the Historic Districts Council (HDC). As a citywide advocate for historic neighborhoods, Tolbert views Van Cortlandt Village as a unique asset that is being neglected, and believes that these historical sites mean a great deal to the fabric of New York City.
“We’re looking to preserve some of the significant sites that still remain in the neighborhood,” Tolbert said. “The Denishawn House, which is a very little-known site in the neighborhood that’s associated with the early creation of modern dance in America … is a site that we’re very concerned about because it was such a crucial piece of dance history in America.” Among other rare historical finds in the neighborhood, Tolbert said that “the Sholem Aleichem Houses and Amalgamated Houses are two early developments, associated with labor history, associated with workers’ history, and places where members of unions could live. Both of these are coming up on their 100th anniversary this year and next, so it’s the perfect time to talk about how important both of these developments are and how we preserve them for the future.”
Within the HDC, a group of people from various areas around the Bronx make up the Bronx Landmarks Committee (BLC) and are just as concerned about what construction is doing to the historical sites. They provide the HDC with advice about what should be prioritized in terms of preservation. The BLC has been working hard to ensure that the significance of Van Cortlandt Village and some of its locations is conveyed.
“It depends from site to site,” Tolbert said. “For the Denishawn house, we submitted a request for evaluation to the Landmarks Commission, which is an official document …, asking them to consider whether the site could be designated as a New York City landmark. Their initial response was that they didn’t feel that it [could], but it would be considered. Since then, there has been more information sent to them from a lot of very important people in the dance community in New York City, as well as around the country, asking them to reconsider their decision because this is such an important place.”
Advocacy in the council
Caught in the middle of competing interests is District 11 Bronx City Councilmember Eric Dinowitz. who has attended several Community Board 8 meetings and conducted multiple informal site inspections.
“I am deeply concerned about development that fails to meet the needs of the local community,” Dinowitz said. “Whether it’s the lack of family-sized apartments or buildings that feel completely out of place, New Yorkers deserve better. My office closely monitors every development in the district; however, the council’s ability to regulate out-of-context projects was significantly limited after City of Yes — which I voted against — passed and again last November, when voters approved ceding more local oversight to mayoral boards. These measures prioritize unit count over neighborhood needs and weaken the council’s oversight authority.”
Dinowitz has also focused on the broader legislative picture, pushing for responsible development that includes affordable housing units and infrastructure upgrades that can handle a lot of people.
“Regarding Innovative Development, Department of Buildings records currently show no active violations,” Dinowitz said. “However, both DOB and HPD (Housing Preservation Development) continue to regulate these sites. Residents should report issues such as noise or dust to 311 and share service request numbers with my office so we can help hold developers accountable. All development must respect the community and mitigate the adverse impacts of construction.”
Dinowitz also explained that in an attempt to protect residents, the City Council passed his bill, which required more family-sized units in city-subsidized projects.
“Former Mayor (Eric) Adams vetoed it, but we are continuing to rework that legislation to ensure we build for families, not just developer profit,” he said. The Amsterdam News attempted to reach Innovative Development Construction multiple times but received no response by press time.
A village divided?
As the cranes continue to pivot over Van Cortlandt Village, the debate remains as steep as the hills seen throughout the neighborhood. For the residents, it is a fight for the soul of their community. For the developers, it is a business necessity in a booming housing market. For leaders like Axelbank and Dinowitz, it is a delicate balancing act of holding onto the past while trying to navigate an uncertain future.
The residents of Van Cortlandt Village continue to watch, wait, and organize — hoping that when the construction is over, the neighborhood that they’ve always loved will still be recognizable.
“This is a huge community. We should be part of the dialogue,” Axelbank said. “If the developer doesn’t want to be nice to the people in the community, then we need developers who want to be a part of this community.”
It’s New York, they are going to build on every spot they can. No one outraged when they started in Harlem. We where priced out all over if we wasn’t on PA. Now it’s happening in the other areas. It wa good for the people of Harlem its good for the people in all areas.