Building Power in the Bronx
In 2025, the Bronx-Wide Coalition, made up of faith, labor, and community groups, including the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC), advanced a bold shift toward participatory planning for a borough-wide economic development plan, confronting systemic disinvestment, displacement, and environmental racism. Key initiatives included the launch of the Sustainable Economy Partnership, promoting climate resilience, and small business and green workforce development.
NWBCCC partnered with the Bronx Economic Development Corporation, who secured federal funding to create a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), using the Bronx-wide Coalition’s Plan as a foundation. Through assemblies, surveys, and focus groups and more, residents, workers, youth and other stakeholders have shaped strategies that will inform the CEDS Action Plan, with a public summit in 2026 to unveil a long-term vision rooted in racial justice, shared ownership, and collective governance. Highlights this year also included “economic democracy bus tours” that showcased co-ops and community-led wealth-building examples in the Bronx. In 2026, the Bronx-wide Coalition and the CEDS Strategy Committee will form a new governance body to steward the implementation of the CEDS and ensure future investments benefit Bronx residents for generations.
NWBCCC continued to integrate organizing, leadership development, planning, and community and economic development. A milestone achievement was the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment, co-led with Council Member Pierina Sanchez after engaging over 4,000 Bronx residents in the Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan. With 32 institutions signed on, the CBA guarantees:
- Union jobs and local hiring (20–40% of staff from the community, union labor, pre-apprenticeships).
- Small business protections (20,000 sq. ft. of affordable commercial space, vendor opportunities).
- Deep housing affordability (30% of units at ≤30% AMI, 30% at 31–50% AMI, family-sized units).
- High environmental standards (all-electric housing, LEED Gold, water and air quality benchmarks).
- Community ownership and oversight (Community Benefits Fund, $250,000 initial contribution, and a Community Council of diverse stakeholders).
NWBCCC also signed an agreement with 8th Regiment Partners, the selected Armory developer, to own 20% of the Armory. This will include 100,000 square feet of affordable manufacturing space for Bronx businesses, and 25,000 square feet for a community hub focused on organizing, business and workforce development, and training spaces.