When bestowing the nation’s oldest and most prestigious community award ("All America City") on the Bronx, the National Civic League acknowledged Mid-Bronx Council for its work in helping to turn their borough into one of the nation’s top ten communities—a transformation so startling and profound, it is often called the "Bronx Miracle". Mid-Bronx Council (MBC) has emerged as one of the most important non-profit community development corporations in the region now considered the "Downtown Bronx". The agency supports and empowers residents of all ages through the provision of affordable housing, economic and workforce development, community organizing, as well as comprehensive services for children, youth, families and older adults.
When MBC was founded in 1973, the Bronx was becoming a symbol of urban blight in America. Its commercial enterprise was in decline, its community services were shutting down, and its housing stock being decimated by arson and abandonment. Local and national leaders toured its streets and cited statistics on its soaring crime, poverty, and unemployment levels to demonstrate the failure of the nation's urban policies.
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Within a generation, all that is changing. The Bronx is now outperforming the rest of New York City in employment gains and in the number of firms added to its economy. Nearly 500 new companies have located to the borough in the past eight years. Its retail, service, and financial business sectors are thriving. Since 1986, more than 30,000 housing units have been built or renovated in the Bronx, and real estate values are rising steeply. Residents in revitalized neighborhoods are working together to turn vacant buildings into housing and stores, vacant lots into gardens—and in rebuilding their communities, creating a model for rebuilding America's cities. |
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MBC was founded in 1973 by a small group of residents and leaders who were inspired to provide direct services to the most disadvantaged – the elderly and disabled. Originally named, Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council, our initial role was to coordinate efforts with other organizations to identify needs and ensure services for seniors. This community leadership role eventually led to the creation of seven senior centers throughout the South Bronx. MBC next turned its attention to homebound seniors, and in doing so entered the world of service delivery. Our early programs included Project Homebound, developed in 1977 to provide meals, transportation, escorts, advocacy and case management to homebound elderly in order to prevent unnecessary institutionalization. This successful case-management program has been replicated throughout the city. Since that time, we have grown considerably to serve all ages and a broad range of area needs.
Beginning in the 1980s, we rehabilitated and developed over 27 buildings. MBC received the prestigious New York State Distinguished Housing Service Award in 1986 – one of only two recipients in New York City. We now provide 1550 units of affordable housing for low-income families, the formerly homeless and seniors. In the 1990s, we partnered with the Surdna and Edna McConnell Clark Foundations on the Comprehensive Community Revitalization Program (CCRP) and the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (NPI). Spanning 11 years, these historic projects achieved ambitious goals and inspired community-wide collaborations. Their impact includes: increased availability of affordable housing and childcare, job creation and employment training, an expansion of services to support families moving from welfare to self-sufficiency, and reduced crime/drug activity. They allowed us to directly engage residents and stakeholders in visioning/planning for the area. Our Neighborhood Plan received the Presidential Award from the American Planning Association.
In 1997, MBC was a lead agency in a successful Borough-wide effort to designate the Bronx as an “All-America City”. Shortly thereafter, we opened a "one-stop" Family Preservation Center that provides key support services alongside quality, affordable child care. Next, we organized residents during the planning for a new Bronx Criminal Court resulting in amenities such as green space, better air quality, funding for a new child care center, and more local jobs. In 2004, we opened the first of two community technology center that bridges the “digital divide” evident in the Mid-Bronx area by offering computer literacy training to residents. Another was opened in 2005 in the Family Preservation Center. Finally, MBC is the lead organizer of a new local movement that is advocating for resident inclusion in the planning for a new Yankee Stadium and a waterfront retail center (Bronx Gateway Center). These projects may dramatically alter the character of this community. Community stakeholder participation is needed to carefully plan this transformation - ensuring that long-time residents and local small businesses are not displaced, but instead integrated into the revitalized area. As part of this effort, last May, MBC (together with the 161st St. Merchants Association) successfully concluded a 10-year effort to create a 161st Street Business Improvement District - the city’s 51st BID and only the 6th in the Bronx.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dennis L. Terry, President
Mary Coleman, Vice President
Jeanette Puryear, Executive Director
Nathaniel Batchler
Pasquale Canale
Juliette Cannady
Carolyn Mclaughlin
Graciela Navarro
Dr. Madan Paul
Allene Roberts
Dr. Calvin Simon
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