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Castle Hill Street Sign Installed in Memory of Late Resident Leader 

Vincent Echavaria

The legacy of the late Roxanne “Roxy” Reid continues to make an impact on her community at Castle Hill Houses. 

Several months after the former resident association president passed away in 2021, Castle Hill residents and a local nonprofit dedicated a community garden space in her honor at the Bronx development. Ms. Reid had for years envisioned and advocated for a garden area to serve the community of more than 4,500 residents.  

Now, her memory will carry on with a street sign with her name near where she lived at Castle Hill Houses for many years. On June 3, Ms. Reid’s family, community members (including current Resident Association President Jeanette Salcedo), City Councilmember Amanda Farias, and Assemblymember Karines Reyes unveiled the honorary street sign for “Roxanne Reid Way” at Castle Hill and Seward avenues. Assemblymember Reyes also presented a proclamation to posthumously celebrate Ms. Reid’s work for the neighborhood.  

Princess Spand, a Marble Hill Houses resident and Ms. Reid’s daughter, noted that her mother was a “pillar of her community,” serving multiple terms as head of the resident association.  

“She cared and fought hard for her community,” said Ms. Spand, who initiated the effort to install a street sign in memory of her mother with the support of Councilmember Farias. “She loved the children, the elderly, and just loved doing everything that brought light to her community.”  

Along with her advocacy for the local garden space, Ms. Reid led the way for a new intercom system for the development, pushed for improvements to outdoor areas (such as a basketball court), encouraged residents to start a tenant patrol, and even served as a school crossing guard.  

“She did remarkable work, and it’s very important that she get this recognition because she started a lot of things that nobody will ever forget about in that community,” Ms. Spand said. 

The honorary street sign is placed at Castle Hill and Seward avenues, near where Roxanne Reid lived for many years.

Ms. Salcedo, who previously served on the resident association during Ms. Reid’s tenure, also highlighted her many contributions to the Castle Hill area.    

“She definitely was a staunch advocate for the residents, and she fought very hard for them,” Ms. Salcedo said. “She definitely made an impact on several of the older residents and made sure that they were taken care of.”  

Noting that Ms. Reid was a leader who took the concerns of fellow residents to heart, Ms. Salcedo said the honorary street sign can serve as a “permanent fixture in the neighborhood” to help ensure that the legacy of one of its longtime activists lives on.  

“She worked very hard for Castle Hill, so it should be that she’s not forgotten,” Ms. Salcedo stated.

Featured photo caption:  Family members of the late Roxanne Reid and local elected officials unveil the honorary street sign for the former Castle Hill resident leader (courtesy of Councilmember Amanda Farias’ office).