On February 17, 2017 in Washington, D.C. the Bronx River Alliance and NYC Parks received the 2017 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award. The National Community Development Association (NCDA) recognized the achievements made in cleaning and restoring the Bronx River.
The NCDA assists local governments in administrating federal funds dedicated to community development projects. Since 1989, the City began allocating federal funds to the Bronx River to help coordinate the clean-up of the polluted Bronx River within its 8-mile length in New York City.
The Bronx River Alliance was founded in 2001 to work in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks). The Alliance is the successor to the 27 years of restoration work by the Bronx River Restoration Project that begun in 1974, and the legacy of a new generation of Bronx activists, dedicated to restoring and protecting the Bronx River as the heart of a living ecosystem, and a vital community.
“Through the collaboration of our partners at the Bronx River Alliance, our elected officials and community stakeholders, we’ve made a tremendous investment in restoring the Bronx River and creating new opportunities for residents in the surrounding neighborhoods,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP.
“The Bronx River has been transformed from a neglected dumping ground into a source of community pride, and we are so glad that it is getting its due recognition,” said Linda Cox, the executive director of the Bronx River Alliance. “Now with new waterfront parks, paths and recreational activities, Bronx residents can engage with their river in ways unimaginable many years ago.”
For more information, check the media coverage:
NYC Parks Press Release on February 7, 2017.
The Hunts Point Express: Bronx River cleanup wins national award. February 7, 2017.
