{"id":119045,"date":"2026-02-01T14:55:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T14:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/119045\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T14:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T14:55:06","slug":"qa-with-bronx-borough-president-vanessa-gibson-on-accomplishments-and-second-term-goals-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/119045\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson on accomplishments and second term goals \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Borough President Vanessa L.\u00a0 Gibson<\/a> was elected into office on November 2, 2021, serving over 1.3 million residents as the first woman and first African American to hold the office of the Bronx Borough President. A New York native, Gibson continues to serve the Bronx as she begins her second term.<\/p>\n

Gibson\u2019s inauguration<\/a> is Feb. 1 from 3 p.m, to 6 p.m., at the Lehman College Performing Arts Center. Staff at the Bronx Times spoke with Gibson about her accomplishments during her first term, like Bally\u2019s Bronx, getting funding for the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, and her priorities for the future \u2014 like working with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on prioritizing the Bronx and seeing through projects such as a Bronx birthing center.<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\n<\/p>\n

Can you talk about Bally\u2019s Bronx<\/a> \u2014the casino, and your role in that project?<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: Our introduction to Bally\u2019s came when they took over the existing agreement at Ferry Point Golf Course. Since then, they\u2019ve been a strong partner in the Bronx. They\u2019ve engaged with elected officials, community-based organizations and local leaders, and their foundation made a nearly $10 million investment to purchase Preston High School when it was at risk of closing. We also secured an additional $1 million in capital funding to help preserve this all-girls Catholic school in Throggs Neck, which has served generations of Bronx families.<\/p>\n

As Borough President, I look at this project through the lens of economic development and tourism. Bally\u2019s has proposed a $624 million investment in the Bronx, including upgrades to parks, playgrounds, cultural institutions, Little Leagues, and community organizations. That kind of investment would be transformative.<\/p>\n

We understand there are concerns, particularly in Throggs Neck, about the size and impact of the project. That\u2019s why the community advisory committee (CAC) process was so detailed. We focused on concrete commitments: traffic mitigation, street modernization, a new NYPD substation, an overpass for the Hutchinson River Parkway, and guaranteed community funding\u2014starting with Community Board 10.<\/p>\n

Bally\u2019s has also committed $10 million toward counseling and services to address gambling addiction, which was a major concern raised during the public review process.<\/p>\n

Can you talk about the Kingsbridge Armory<\/a> redevelopment and your role in it?<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: The Armory\u2014the largest in the nation at over 600,000 square feet\u2014has been vacant for most of its life. This is the plan that will finally work. Through the Together for Kingsbridge process, we gathered over 4,000 community ideas during a nine-month engagement effort, which shaped the final vision.<\/p>\n

Funding is now aligned: $100 million from the state, converted from a loan to a grant; $100 million from the city; $12 million from the City Council and delegation; and additional federal and borough funding. The City Council passed the project unanimously, allowing us to move forward with community benefits and project labor agreements.<\/p>\n

The project\u2014now officially called El Centro Kingsbridge\u2014will include education, workforce development, cultural programming, sports facilities, a community space, and I\u2019ve demanded that we get a swimming pool, because we don\u2019t have a swimming pool in Kingsbridge.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve made maternal health a major focus of your administration. Can you talk about establishing a birthing center in the Bronx?\n<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: Bronx birthing center has been a pillar of my administration since I first started four years ago, because I realized that the Bronx faces some of the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, where black and Latino women are more likely to die during childbirth because of pregnancy related complications. It\u2019s very personal to me. It\u2019s personal not only as borough president, but as a woman and a woman of color.<\/p>\n

We have a maternal health care consortium of doulas and midwives and birth workers, and we\u2019ve been talking very intentionally about how we can transform the healthcare system when it comes to maternal health and giving women of color a real voice, listening to women when they say that they have certain conditions and certain things that they would like to see from their doctors and their medical professionals, and they were not getting that.<\/p>\n

In March 2024, we released a birthing center report outlining opportunities and challenges. Earlier this month, Governor Hochul announced a $5 million commitment toward a Bronx-based birthing center. This builds on the borough\u2019s history\u2014we were home to New York City\u2019s first birthing center in 1988.<\/p>\n

You also secured major funding for Morris Park. Can you walk us through that?\n<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: Through the state\u2019s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, we applied for funding for Greater Morris Park because of its growth potential\u2014Montefiore, Einstein, Mercy University, the new Metro-North station, and significant private investment.<\/p>\n

In early 2025, we were awarded the full $20 million DRI grant, which is unprecedented. A local planning committee reviewed 32 proposed projects and submitted recommendations to the state. We\u2019re now awaiting final approval.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also applied for the next round of DRI funding, expanding our focus to include the Harlem River corridor and the Fordham Road area, that also includes the neighboring Kingsbridge, the neighboring Belmont. I\u2019m focused on tourism and making it attractive to visit the borough. Where do you stay? Where do you go? Do you eat? Local? Do you dine? Do you shop? All of that matters when it comes to making the borough attractive, and DRI initiative gets us a step further in achieving those goals.<\/p>\n

What would you say about the people who are concerned about gentrification in these areas or who are afraid they\u2019ll be pushed out of their neighborhoods?<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: I know there\u2019s a lot of concern about neighborhood change, and to the best extent that we can we engage with developers. We talk about funding opportunities and really streamlining projects to what we believe is best for the borough, for the residents of today and tomorrow. We can do both. We can look at responsible development that keeps residents in their neighborhood, doesn\u2019t push them out, and also welcome new residents.<\/p>\n

I understand the concern, and I know that there are families in our borough that are rent stabilized, they\u2019re rent protected, they\u2019re living below the poverty level, they\u2019re living paycheck to paycheck, they\u2019re rent burdened. I understand that, and to the best extent I can, I always advocate for affordability to address income inequality. A lot of the pillars that our new mayor is talking about to make New York City Affordable again, so people love where they live and don\u2019t say, I just live here, right? And make this a borough that is attractive, that is livable, that is inclusive, that is safe and that is healthy.<\/p>\n

Can you talk about how you plan to work with Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the Bronx?\n<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: I\u2019ve had a lot of conversations with him. He will be a partner with us because he understands that the Bronx has often been left behind and we have to make sure that he is successful. I will not let him fail because I want the Bronx to be successful.<\/p>\n

A new mayor allows new opportunity and new investment. We have to redouble our efforts in the Bronx, we have been behind. In order for us to catch up and be at a leveled playing field, I need more than minimum, I need a lot more. I think his agenda and what he ran on \u2014affordability, income inequality. Making sure New York is affordable is what all New Yorkers want to hear and now they want to see it. It\u2019s going to be your results. How are you going to get it done? He\u2019s got good ideas but it\u2019s all about implementation.<\/p>\n

He has ignited an entire wave of new voters, of inactive voters \u2014 about 1.2 million voters, the highest we\u2019ve ever seen since the 1960s in this city. That is exciting. He\u2019s not perfect. He needs to learn and understand what it\u2019s like to be the mayor of the largest city in the nation.<\/p>\n

Can you talk a bit about your vision for the Bronx in 2026? What do you envision?\n<\/p>\n

Vanessa Gibson: This isn\u2019t a job, it\u2019s a calling. I believe making history four years ago has set us up for success. Managing relationships is a big part of this work. Developing the A-team at borough hall, knowing that as hard working as I am, my team has to be equally as hard working. We say \u201cwe outside\u201d for a reason, because I\u2019m outside. I\u2019m outside because it\u2019s important when you show up. People appreciate when they see me in their neighborhoods, in their churches, in their schools, in their community centers. There\u2019s not any place that I won\u2019t go.<\/p>\n

I want the Bronx to be successful. I want my time as number 14 to be fruitful and productive and leave an impact for my successor. The voters in the Bronx have recognized what we\u2019ve done and that\u2019s why the numbers were the way they were.<\/p>\n

The very best of us is resilience and how we fight back against the stigma, the stereotypes \u2014all of the things that are often used to define us in the Bronx. Moving into the next four years, we have to be even more excited, more energetic, more dedicated and more intentional in this work.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to talk more about tourism. I want to make sure people know that the Bronx is a global destination. Whether you come here for a Yankee game, Bronx Zoo, Botanical Garden, the Hip Hop Museum, Orchard Beach. We have so many things here. It hasn\u2019t always happened and now under our leadership, we\u2019re going to grow. We\u2019re focusing on quality of life so people can love living in the Bronx.<\/p>\n

Emily Swanson contributed to this report.\n<\/p>\n

Reach Lesley Cosme Torres at lcosmetorres@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> and follow us on Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and Instagram!<\/a><\/p>\n

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