Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson recently announced a total of $56.3 million in capital budget allocations for fiscal year 2027, including numerous investments in educational and medical technology.
Each year, borough presidents must allocate a certain amount of discretionary capital funds depending on the borough’s size and the total city budget. Capital dollars are to be used for long-lasting upgrades or additions, for instance, purchasing computers for a school or a new heating system for a community center.
Once awarded, the funds do not flow directly from the borough president’s office but become line items for the relevant agency’s budget.
“These investments reflect our continued commitment to building a stronger, safer, and more equitable Bronx for every resident,” Gibson said in an Instagram post.
Gibson’s single biggest allocation was $2 million for medical equipment for a new Cardiac Catheterization Facility at Lincoln Hospital. Doctors at these facilities diagnose heart conditions and clear blockages, and health officials and elected representatives have raised the need for such a facility in the South Bronx, where heart disease is one of many public health concerns.
Other large allocations of $1 million went to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Bronx Zoo, for work on the Rockefeller Fountain; the New York Botanical Garden, to renovate the Mosholu entrance and welcome center; and Bellevue Hospital in Brooklyn, to expand the NICU.
Gibson allocated millions towards educational technology at Bronx elementary, middle and high schools, as well as colleges. This included STEM equipment, laptops, tablets and smart boards, as well as renovations for school playgrounds, auditoriums, cafeterias, libraries and gyms.
Gibson also awarded $1 million for construction of the green jobs center operated by Fordham University and $350,000 for media equipment at the soon-to-open Bronx School of Hip-Hop.
The borough president invested a total of $4.5 million in affordable housing, including:
- $500,000 for the 84-unit Powerhouse Apartments at 351 Powers Avenue, the city’s first project under the expedited land use approval process, and $1 million for 280 units of affordable and supportive housing at 2450 Westchester Ave. Both projects are run by the H.E.L.P. Development Corporation.
- $500,000 for a new 100% affordable, 207-unit building at 1931 Lafayette Ave., developed by HP Park Lane Family HDFC.
- $1,000,000 for interior fixtures and finishings at Ogden Theater Apartments at 1415 Ogden Ave., run by Unique Peoples Services.
- $500,000 for the West Farms Road Senior Apartments at 1819 West Farms Road, run by HANAC, Inc.
- $500,000 for a mixed-use building at 1070 Southern Blvd. with 127 housing units, most of them supportive, operated by the organization Comunilife.
Towards public safety, Gibson allocated a total of $1 million for NYPD surveillance cameras for Patrol Boroughs North and South. While some have criticized the cameras for over-policing communities of color, multiple Bronx elected officials have recently invested in more cameras for their districts.
She also invested $500,000 towards renovations for the FDNY firehouse in Bedford Park, which caught fire in March, causing minor injury to some firefighters.
Lastly, Gibson allocated $750,000 towards the renovation of three second-floor rooms of her own office in Borough Hall.
For a complete list of the borough president’s FY27 awards, see here.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
