Inwood Street To Get Co-Named After Longtime Local Activist

INWOOD, NY — A street in Inwood will soon bear the name of legendary local figure Walther Delgado. Born in the Dominican Republic, he moved to Washington Heights in 1955 at the age of 11. He would spend the rest of his life in the neighborhood committed to improving Upper Manhattan and bringing people together around causes that moved the community forward.

On Saturday, 207th Street and Post Avenue will be co-named Walther Delgado Way to memorialize his activism and contributions to the Northern Manhattan community.

The ceremony will take place at the address at 12:30 p.m., and will be attended by Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Assembly Member Carmen De La Rosa, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Manhattan Community Board 12 Chairman Eleazar Bueno, and community residents.

"Walther Delgado was. genuine activist, who dedicated his life to helping the less privileged and disadvantaged in his community with great compassion and optimism," Rodriguez said in a news release. "He was a pioneer in spearheading the advancement and fostering the progress of Dominicans in the United States, especially those residing in the Northern Manhattan communities."

Delgado was involved in countless initiatives and organizations in Washington Heights and Inwood. From 1998 to 2002, he served on Community Board 12 as a board member and eventually its Chairman.

Before that, he was on the steering committee that founded Alianza Dominicana and The Audubon Partnership. The two groups offered drug treatment programs, access to immigration lawyers, access to lending and business advocacy classes, and much more in Upper Manhattan during the 1990s.

In 1998, the federally financed Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone provided The Audubon Partnership with a $750,000 revolving loan to fund commercial development in the Community Board 12 neighborhood.

The funding provided to the partnership that he headed would lead to dozens of small businesses being able to open and continue surviving — many of which are still operating in the community today.

A few years later, in 2003, Delgado led the charge to create what is now Sherman Creek — urging the city to provide a waterfront view to Upper Manhattan residents.

Delgado passed away on Jan. 4, 2013. He is survived by his mother, three sisters, brother, daughter, two sons, and two grandchildren.

Again, the street co-naming ceremony to honor his life will take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of West 207th Street and Post Avenue.