THE BRONX — The city will break ground on a new station for the 40th Precinct before fall, according to the squad's commanding officer.
The building, currently located at 138th Street and Alexander Avenue, is moving to 149th Street and St. Ann's Avenue, and although he did not have an exact date for the groundbreaking yet, Deputy Inspector Lorenzo Johnson said it should happen by the end of summer.
However, he cautioned that the new building itself will probably not be completed for about six or seven more years.
Neighborhood residents have expressed anxiety about the precinct moving, but the old 40th Precinct building will still be used by police, according to Johnson.
Keeping the NYPD at 257 Alexander Ave. will be good for the community, Johnson said. "They’ve grown accustomed over 100 years to seeing the police at 138th and Alexander."
Johnson was unsure what exact component of the NYPD would stay at the old precinct building, but Bronx Community Board 1 District Manager Cedric Loftin said the neighborhood was hoping for either a transit police or school safety presence.
"We have a growing community. There’s always the need to have additional personnel here," he said. "We’re also very close to Manhattan, and we feel that an additional complement of police officers will be good for our growing district and the long term safety of our residents."