Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson 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.
Gibson’s inauguration 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’s Bronx, getting funding for the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, and her priorities for the future — like working with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on prioritizing the Bronx and seeing through projects such as a Bronx birthing center.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you talk about Bally’s Bronx —the casino, and your role in that project?
Vanessa Gibson: Our introduction to Bally’s came when they took over the existing agreement at Ferry Point Golf Course. Since then, they’ve been a strong partner in the Bronx. They’ve 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.
As Borough President, I look at this project through the lens of economic development and tourism. Bally’s 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.
We understand there are concerns, particularly in Throggs Neck, about the size and impact of the project. That’s 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—starting with Community Board 10.
Bally’s has also committed $10 million toward counseling and services to address gambling addiction, which was a major concern raised during the public review process.
Can you talk about the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment and your role in it?
Vanessa Gibson: The Armory—the largest in the nation at over 600,000 square feet—has 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.
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.
The project—now officially called El Centro Kingsbridge—will include education, workforce development, cultural programming, sports facilities, a community space, and I’ve demanded that we get a swimming pool, because we don’t have a swimming pool in Kingsbridge.
You’ve made maternal health a major focus of your administration. Can you talk about establishing a birthing center in the Bronx?
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’s very personal to me. It’s personal not only as borough president, but as a woman and a woman of color.
We have a maternal health care consortium of doulas and midwives and birth workers, and we’ve 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.
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’s history—we were home to New York City’s first birthing center in 1988.
You also secured major funding for Morris Park. Can you walk us through that?
Vanessa Gibson: Through the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, we applied for funding for Greater Morris Park because of its growth potential—Montefiore, Einstein, Mercy University, the new Metro-North station, and significant private investment.
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’re now awaiting final approval.
We’ve 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’m 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.
What would you say about the people who are concerned about gentrification in these areas or who are afraid they’ll be pushed out of their neighborhoods?
Vanessa Gibson: I know there’s 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’t push them out, and also welcome new residents.
I understand the concern, and I know that there are families in our borough that are rent stabilized, they’re rent protected, they’re living below the poverty level, they’re living paycheck to paycheck, they’re 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’t 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.
Can you talk about how you plan to work with Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the Bronx?
Vanessa Gibson: I’ve 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.
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 —affordability, income inequality. Making sure New York is affordable is what all New Yorkers want to hear and now they want to see it. It’s going to be your results. How are you going to get it done? He’s got good ideas but it’s all about implementation.
He has ignited an entire wave of new voters, of inactive voters — about 1.2 million voters, the highest we’ve ever seen since the 1960s in this city. That is exciting. He’s not perfect. He needs to learn and understand what it’s like to be the mayor of the largest city in the nation.
Can you talk a bit about your vision for the Bronx in 2026? What do you envision?
Vanessa Gibson: This isn’t a job, it’s 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 “we outside” for a reason, because I’m outside. I’m outside because it’s 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’s not any place that I won’t go.
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’ve done and that’s why the numbers were the way they were.
The very best of us is resilience and how we fight back against the stigma, the stereotypes —all 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.
We’re 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’t always happened and now under our leadership, we’re going to grow. We’re focusing on quality of life so people can love living in the Bronx.
Emily Swanson contributed to this report.
Reach Lesley Cosme Torres at lcosmetorres@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
