The New York City Housing Authority’s Board recently voted to rename the Bronxdale Houses and the Bronxdale Community Center for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The Bronxdale Houses were built in 1955 and are composed of twenty-eight seven-story buildings housing 3,479 residents in the Soundview section of the Bronx.
Sotomayor moved into Building 24 at Bronxdale Houses with her mother and father when she was three years old. She lived there from 1957 to 1970, and moved away two years before she graduated as valedictorian from Cardinal Spellman High School.
On the renaming, NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea commented, “From NYCHA’s perspective, the Justice has shown that growing up in public housing does not limit one’s possibilities. One of the most important actions the NYCHA Board can take is renaming the Bronxdale Houses for Justice Sotomayor to serve as an inspiration to others.”
The renaming came in response to a petition drive from residents of Bronxdale Houses and staff from City Council Member Annabel Palma’s office. A public renaming ceremony is expected to take place in June.
