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46-601: The Bronx Municipal Building , later known as Bronx Borough Hall and eventually as Old Bronx Borough Hall (1897–1969), was the original administrative headquarters of the Bronx Borough President and other local civic leaders. It was located in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx , New York City . Considered an architectural accomplishment of its era, it was located atop the rocky plateau of

92-783: A Danish farmer who traveled to New Amsterdam with Bronck on his ship Fire of Troy , sought the mural's restoration prior to the 100th anniversary of the Bronx 's separation from New York County in 2014. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In February 1988, Mayor Edward Koch renamed the Bronx County Courthouse to the Mario Merola Building to honor the late Bronx County District Attorney Mario Merola . [REDACTED] Media related to Bronx County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons This article about

138-523: A citywide referendum on election day, November 1989. A month later, the changes were approved by the United States Department of Justice . The offices of the borough presidents have been retained with greatly reduced power. The borough budgets became the responsibility of the mayor and City Council. Borough presidents currently have a relatively small discretionary budget for projects within their boroughs. The last significant power of

184-475: A formal garden with paths radiating from a large circular fountain, was beautifully landscaped near Borough Hall to celebrate the Allied victory over Germany. In contrast to the building's architectural appeal, surroundings, and the efforts taken to construct it, civic leaders began to express misgivings with regard to its capacity and usage. In 1909 Louis Haffen, president of the borough since its formation, called

230-584: Is codified in title 4, sections 81 to 85 of the New York City Charter , while their regulations are compiled in title 45 of the New York City Rules . On January 1, 1898, the boroughs of Manhattan , the Bronx , Brooklyn , Queens , and Richmond were created and consolidated into a unified city of New York. As part of the consolidation, all town and county governments within the city were dissolved, and their powers were given to

276-710: The Bronx County Courthouse (a.k.a. the Supreme Court building) between 1931 and 1934. This new building, on the Grand Concourse, replaced the smaller Bronx Borough Courthouse , constructed between 1905 and 1914. With space made available within the nine-story building, by 1934 most borough offices and government services from Borough Hall had relocated to the new edifice. By 1964 only the Marriage License Bureau remained in

322-716: The Bronx County Historical Society , including Bronx residents Theodore Kazimiroff, Lloyd Ultan , John McNamara, Roger Arcara and William Romkey, began efforts to save the structure, with the full support of then Bronx Borough President Joseph F. Periconi . On September 21, 1965, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed designation of the Old Bronx Borough Hall. Eight witnesses, including

368-680: The Mario Merola Building , is an historic courthouse building located in the Concourse and Melrose neighborhoods of the Bronx in New York City . It was designed in 1931 and built between 1931 and 1934. It is a nine-story limestone building on a rusticated granite base in the Art Deco style. It has four identical sides, an interior court, and a frieze designed by noted sculptor Charles Keck . The sculptures on

414-537: The New York State Legislature passed a law forming Bronx County from part of New York County on January 1, 1914, with the latter then becoming coterminous with the Borough of Manhattan. In 1975, the name of the borough of Richmond was officially changed to Staten Island. The initial city charter established the five borough president offices with terms of four years, coinciding with the term of

460-617: The New York Stock Exchange Building at 18 Broad Street and the long-gone Western Union Telegraph Building , which stood at Broadway and Dey Street in Manhattan . Russell Sturgis , writing in Architectural Record in 1896, lauded the design as a 'common sense building with pleasant architectural results.' In 1874, the western section of present-day Bronx was annexed to New York City as

506-656: The Supreme Court of the United States , in Board of Estimate of City of New York v. Morris (489 U.S. 688) unanimously declared the New York City Board of Estimate, which had no parallel anywhere else in the United States, unconstitutional . The ruling was made on the grounds that Brooklyn , the city's most populous borough, with a population of 2.2 million at the time, had the same representation on

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552-643: The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) by appointing community boards and voting on the applications. The staff of boroughwide economic development corporations are often closely aligned with the borough president, and work closely with the New York City Economic Development Corporation , the primary coordinating agency of city-sponsored economic development . The current borough presidents were either elected or re-elected in

598-508: The mayor of New York City , comment on land-use items in their borough, advocate borough needs in the annual municipal budget process, appoint some officials and community board members, and serve ex officio as members of various boards and committees. They generally act as advocates for their boroughs to mayoral agencies, the city council, the New York State government, public corporations, and private businesses. Their authorizing law

644-578: The 161st Street side are by noted sculptor George Holburn Snowden . Two sculptural groups on the Walton Avenue side are by noted sculptor Joseph Kiselewski . Kiselewski collaborated with Adolph A. Weinman to create the work. The Bronx Museum of the Arts was once located on the main floor. The building stands two blocks east-southeast of Yankee Stadium , and across 161st Street from Joyce Kilmer Park . While never officially titled 'Borough Hall',

690-711: The Borough Historian and representatives of the Bronx County Historical Society, testified in favor of designation of the building. A sole representative of the Parks Department opposed the designation. The East Tremont Neighborhood Association wrote the Commission pleading that Old Borough Hall be razed and the site be used for a new indoor recreation center. Community Planning Board 6 and three other local groups supported

736-556: The Bronx County Courthouse houses all municipal borough functions, and is listed as a borough hall on maps by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority . The previous freestanding Bronx Borough Hall was damaged by fire and torn down in 1969, but had stopped operating in an official capacity long before this. The first floor's Veterans Memorial Hall houses four 10 ft. by 36 ft. murals, one per wall, by James Monroe Hewlett , depicting historic events in

782-766: The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, reveals that the interior of Old Bronx Borough Hall had both gas and electric lighting and fireproof document vaults on each floor. Despite demands from the East Tremont Neighborhood Association, Bronx Borough Hall was never replaced by a sports center nor was one built nearby. Over the years, the park has been renamed to Highland Park (1987), Tremont Park (1999), and Walter Gladwin Park (2020). It has seen different renovations, but investments have yet to rehabilitate

828-506: The Bronx. The murals were unveiled in June 1934 and feature the following historical events: A mural depicting the arrival of Jonas Bronck , considered the founder of the borough, was created in the early 1930s by James Monroe Hewlett. The mural was damaged by workers in August 2013. Many people, including the proprietor of Jonas Bronck's Beer Co and a reported descendant of Laurens Duyts,

874-473: The Northern annex. By then the area had approximately 40,000 people. The region was growing rapidly as by 1890 the population grew to nearly 90,000. City officials saw the demand and necessity to create a location for civic use to cater to the region. In 1891, the first district-wide official was elected, a Commissioner of Street Improvements. His agency and others developed and so required office space. By 1895

920-659: The board as Staten Island , the city's least populous borough, with 350,000 residents. Therefore, the Board of Estimate was a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause pursuant to the high court's 1964 "one man, one vote" decision . In response to the Supreme Court's decision, the New York City Charter Revision Commission drew up changes to the municipal government, which were approved by 55% to 45% in

966-422: The board, calling the building rundown, unsightly and of no architectural importance. Borough President Periconi had emphatically supported the designation through his tenure. In January 1966 he was succeeded by new Borough President Herman Badillo . On January 27, 1966—the last possible day of review—the Board of Estimate deferred to Badillo and his view, and voted to overturn the designation. In 1968 there

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1012-546: The borough hall, and appointive powers for a secretary, assistants, and clerks, which quickly became a source of political patronage . Along with the mayor , the comptroller and the president of the City Council , each of whom had two votes, the borough presidents each had one vote on the New York City Board of Estimate , which decided matters ranging from budgets to land use. In a later writer's words,

1058-413: The borough president position in primary elections, or election of an interim borough president via the aldermen or councilmen whose votes they controlled, in return for political patronage. Although some borough presidents served for decades, the position was sometimes used as a stepping-stone to other elective offices such as judgeships or, in the case of Robert F. Wagner, Jr. , mayor. On March 22, 1989,

1104-757: The borough presidents, to appoint members of the New York City Board of Education , was abolished when the Board of Education became the Department of Education on June 30, 2002. The two major remaining appointments of the borough presidents are one member each on the New York City Planning Commission and two members each of the New York City Panel for Educational Policy . Borough presidents generally adopt specific projects to promote while in office, but since 1990 have been mainly ceremonial leaders. Officially, they advise

1150-536: The borough, strategically ran along the bustling neighborhoods and stopped in front of the building at the Tremont Avenue–177th Street station , where a hub of trolley lines met. Designed by George B. Post (1837–1913), a prominent New York City architect of the period, the three-story building facing west was picturesque, stylized in a Renaissance decor, with pale yellow brick and brown terra-cotta trim contrast. Post's most famous accomplishments include

1196-410: The building he had previously championed "entirely inadequate" and "impossible to enlarge or adapt" to the needs of the new borough. By 1928 the fifth Borough President Henry Bruckner was advocating for a New Borough Hall. The Bronx Board of Trade was proposing to construct the new Bronx Borough Hall adjacent to the current on the site of Victory Garden. They considered this to be a solution to allow for

1242-419: The city and the boroughs. Manhattan and the Bronx comprised New York County , Brooklyn was the same as Kings County, the borough of Queens was the western third of Queens County, and the borough of Richmond was the same as Richmond County. The boroughs assumed most county functions, but did not replace them. The five offices of borough president were created to administer many of the previous responsibilities of

1288-692: The community district). Community boards advise on land use and zoning, participate in the city budget process, and address service delivery in their district. Community boards act in an advisory capacity, and have no authority to make or enforce laws. The Bronx Vanessa Gibson Brooklyn Antonio Reynoso Manhattan Mark Levine Queens Donovan Richards Staten Island Vito Fossella DCP City Planning CB Community boards BP Borough president CPC City Planning Commission CC City Council Mayor NYC Mayor Bronx County Courthouse The Bronx County Courthouse , also known as

1334-425: The eastern section of the present-day Bronx was annexed to the city. These expansions, along with the influx of immigrants of the period, more than doubled the population of the city to approximately 200,000. In 1895, Commissioner Louis F. Haffen , serving since 1893, led a successful campaign for a new building. The Bronx Municipal Building was completed in 1897. In 1898 the building was renamed Bronx Borough Hall when

1380-418: The former building where space was given to veterans and community programs. With the passage of years Bronx Borough Hall became referred to as Old Bronx Borough Hall, while the parkland area of Crotona Park where it stood was called Old Borough Hall Park. During the third quarter of the 20th century, the new Cross Bronx Expressway was constructed. Built between 1948 and 1972, it was laid out in stages. One of

1426-672: The mayor on issues relating to their boroughs, comment on land-use items in their boroughs, advocate for their boroughs' needs in the annual municipal budget process, appoint community boards, chair the boroughs' boards, and serve as ex officio members of various boards and committees. They also act as advocates for their boroughs at mayoral agencies, the City Council, the New York State government, public corporations , and private businesses. Borough presidents are elected by popular vote to four-year terms and can serve up to two consecutive terms (eight years). Borough presidents influence

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1472-423: The mayor. The salaries of the presidents of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn were $ 5,000, and those of Queens and Richmond were $ 3,000. The borough presidents were subject to removal for cause by the mayor, with approval by the governor, and a replacement elected by the borough's aldermen and councilmen. Powers included membership and voting on their borough's local boards (although without veto powers), an office in

1518-630: The mayors of Brooklyn and Long Island City, the executive branch functions of the towns in Queens and Richmond, and various county functions. The eastern two-thirds of Queens County was not part of the borough of Queens. On January 1, 1899, the New York State Legislature partitioned Queens County, forming Nassau County from the easternmost three towns — Oyster Bay , Hempstead (except the Rockaway peninsula portion), and North Hempstead , covering about 280 square miles (730 km ). On April 19, 1912,

1564-569: The most recent election in 2021: Each of the five boroughs has a borough board . They are composed of the borough president, council members from the borough, and the chairperson of each community board in the borough. The borough boards can hold or conduct public or private hearings, adopt by-laws, prepare comprehensive and special purpose plans and make recommendations for land use and planning, mediate disputes and conflicts among two or more community districts, submit comprehensive statements of expense and capital budget priorities and needs, evaluate

1610-566: The nobility and scale of the architectural elements employed." In October 1965 the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building its 23rd landmark in New York City. Old Bronx Borough Hall officially became the first Bronx landmark. The landmarks law gave the New York City Board of Estimate 90 days in which to veto or modify any designation. In December, Commissioner Newbold Morris again wrote

1656-411: The northwest section of present-day Tremont Park , which was originally an extension of Crotona Park , southeast of the intersection of East Tremont Avenue and Third Avenue . The elevation of the building allowed for exceptional views from distances at many angles, and it was the converging point for civic affairs. The New York City Subway 's IRT Third Avenue Line , the first elevated railway line in

1702-540: The offices of the borough presidents were created to preserve "local pride and affection for the old municipalities" after consolidation. Upon the formation of the unicameral Board of Aldermen in 1902, borough presidents were each entitled to a seat on the Board. Borough presidents gradually gained more authority, assisting in the formulation of more aspects of the city budget and controlling land use, contracts, and franchise powers. Officials of political parties sometimes rewarded faithful public servants with nomination to

1748-524: The other three boroughs were finally annexed to New York City. Louis F. Haffen became the first Bronx Borough President and was inaugurated in a second-floor office in the same year. In 1899 a grand stairway was added down the steep slope to Third Avenue. It was perhaps designed by Post, or possibly by the chief engineer of the Bronx, Louis Risse, who had mapped the concept of the Grand Boulevard and Concourse in 1890. After World War I, Victory Park,

1794-424: The progress of capital developments and the quality and quantity of services provided by agencies, and otherwise consider the needs of the borough. Each of the fifty-nine community districts has a community board composed of up to 50 volunteer members appointed by the borough president, half from nominations by City Council members representing the community district ( i.e. , whose council districts cover part of

1840-525: The razing of the original Borough Hall which was seen as "a non-fireproof building entirely in-adequate and out-of-keeping with the size and importance of our Borough". By 1930, only thirty years after it joined the city, the Bronx population had grown to more than 1.25 million residents, an increase of over a million people. In response to this vast growth, amid the Great Depression, the City erected

1886-407: The south west end, and other sports and recreation at the east end, partly to compensate for the lost parkland. Reports began to surface in the city and throughout Bronx communities that a proposal was being made to demolish Old Bronx Borough Hall. The Parks Commissioner at the time, Newbold Morris , supported the idea of tearing down the building to create more park space, possibly to replenish what

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1932-411: The stages constructed in 1960 between Boston Road and Webster Avenue included the passage through Crotona Park, through the existing 175th Street separation of the northern end park extension—where Borough Hall stood—from the larger park. The expressway widened the separation of this northern section from the main part of Crotona Park. Old Borough Hall Park was then redesigned to include a baseball field at

1978-503: The stairway that now leads to an empty top and to commemorate an iconic chapter in Bronx and New York's preservation history. The Bronx currently does not have a proper stand-alone administration building for the Bronx Borough President's office and other civic agencies. These offices continue to operate out from the Bronx County Courthouse. Borough President#Bronx Borough Presidents Borough presidents advise

2024-445: The view of the East Tremont Neighborhood Association. In a letter to the Commission, Bronx Borough President Periconi said that he would like "to reiterate my support of the designation of the Old Bronx Borough Hall as a historical landmark and urge your Commission to approve this designation." With historical facts and testimony in hand the Landmarks Preservation Commission called the borough hall "a good example of public building through

2070-444: Was a major fire in the building, by then completely vacant. Continued efforts by the Bronx County Historical Society and others to renovate the hall for civic use were halted when the building was deemed structurally unsafe, and then demolished on January 12, 1969. Only the grand staircase survives, though in poor state. Despite all claims through the years that the building was a fire hazard, an article in 1969 by Professor Lloyd Ultan in

2116-530: Was lost during the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway. In addition, the East Tremont Neighborhood Association was seeking to either convert the building for a recreation center or to replace it entirely with a new community center, to be built here rather than elsewhere in the park or nearby. Both Newbold Morris and the East Tremont Neighborhood Association claimed that the building was unsafe. Amid reports of impending demolition, members of

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