A Halloween bash thrown by developers hoping to showcase the Bronx has rubbed some of the borough's residents the wrong way. NY1's Erin Clarke filed the following report.
Images of burning Bronx buildings hit home for many residents, especially those who endured the decay of the 1970s.
So when a video invitation to a Halloween party in the South Bronx by developers Somerset Partners surfaced many were upset.
"Your 15 second video shows a house burning to the ground. Shows how disgusting that looks and how insensitive you are to the true history of the area," said Welcome2TheBronx.com Founder Ed Garcia Conde.
The party was intended to generate buzz about Port Morris, where the developer bought land with plans to build luxury high-rises on the waterfront.
"The character of the neighborhood, obviously is going to change," said Tony Feher, a local artist.
Hundreds of party goers, including celebrities like Kendall Jenner, attended the bash which showcased a sculpture of a bullet-riddled car by artist Lucien Smith. The developer says the party's theme was inspired by a grim artistic genre known as "dance macabre" but critics saw it as a commentary on the borough's past.
"I also feel that in working with people who are from here they would not have made some of the errors in terms of their presentation. Because everyone would have let them know," said Vaness Polanco, owner of Verde Flowers.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito fired off a series of critical tweets saying, "Who thought 'Bronx is Burning Theme' a good idea?"
The Bronx Borough President's Office defended the developer, saying while the art was provocative "the overall purpose was well-intended."
The developer's recent actions have also caused quite a stir in the neighborhood, where concern about gentrification is common.
Residents already were upset by the developer calling the area the Piano District. They see it as an attempt to rebrand their community.
"When you start chipping away at names you start chipping away at the culture," Garcia Conde added.
The developer says it's simply a nod to the area's past as a capital of piano manufacturing. But in the gentrification-wary south Bronx folks aren't so trusting. And after the Halloween Party the mistrust of the developer only seems to be growing.