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Community Opposition Slows Approval Process For Controversial Crown Heights Armory Project
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jan 31, 2017
Modified Jan 31, 2017
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By
Emma Whitford
Published Jan 31, 2017
Modified Jan 31, 2017
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City Hall plans to develop a vacant, century-old armory in Crown Heights, a few blocks from the coffee shops and boutiques of Franklin Avenue, has hit multiple roadblocks in recent months as long-time residents protest a project they fear will price them out of the neighborhood. Slate Property Group, embroiled in the $16.5 million Rivington House scandal, backed out last August over bad press. Then Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony revoked his endorsement. And this month, City Hall canceled a public meeting on the project—a few days after state and federal politicians filed a Freedom of Information Law request for the project's financials, timeline and economic impact.
"Advocates and neighborhood residents all need an opportunity to evaluate each aspect of this Bedford Union Armory development proposal," said Brooklyn Senator Jesse Hamilton in a statement. "We still have not had our most basic questions answered."
Hamilton filed the request to the NYC Economic Development Corporation, with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and State Assemblymembers Diana Richardson and Walter Mosley. A spokeswoman for the EDC said Tuesday that the meeting, originally scheduled for last week, will now likely happen in early March.
"We are always happy to engage in additional conversations, and look forward to ultimately delivering much needed community and recreational space for Crown Heights," the EDC spokeswoman said.
The Bedford Union Armory project is slotted to include a mix of market-rate and affordable apartments, as well as offices, community space, and a rec center featuring basketball courts, a swimming pool and an indoor turf field. While the proposal calls for 50 percent affordable housing, the project will tentatively include just 18 units, out of a total 330, for renters who make 37 percent of the Area Median Income, or $31,068 for a family of three. An additional 49 apartments will be set at 50 percent of the AMI, or $38,835.
According to an NYU Furman Center report, the 2014 Crown Heights median income was between $41,867 and $44,961 for a household of three. Neighbors worry that the proposed 99 additional apartments at 110 percent of the AMI, or $85,437 for a family of three, will put more pressure on local rent-stabilized tenants who are already facing harassment from profit-seeking landlords.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm for improving the community," said Vaughn Armour, 66, a member of New York Communities for Change and Crown Heights resident of 16 years. "But don't come build on top of us and tell us we have to leave."
Before developer BFC Partners is confirmed for the project, and affordability levels are set in stone, the proposal has to go through a lengthy public review process—the very process delayed this month. But while advocates would like to see the city's Request for Proposal scrapped in favor of a project that is completely affordable for Crown Heights renters, local Councilmember Laurie Cumbo, who has a big hand in project negotiations, said that she would prefer to see the current proposal through.
"Let's just continue to negotiate, see what the final outcome is, and if it's satisfactory," Cumbo told Gothamist in a phone interview Tuesday. "If it's going to have a negative impact, then we vote it down and move forward."
Cea Weaver, research and policy director for NYCC, a grassroots organizing group, was skeptical that any plan negotiated with BFC would hit the affordability levels that the community needs. "Any big change you need to advocate for needs to happen before land use process starts," she said. Because the Bedford Union Armory is owned by the city, NYCC has argued, it could be sold cheaply to a not-for-profit developer with a mission to build deeply-affordable housing.
Cumbo added that affordable housing is not her only priority in considering the viability of the armory project. She is also intrigued by a project that would generate construction jobs in the neighborhood, and is slotted to include a recreational space for local youth.
"When we were meeting with 1 Police Plaza to discuss J'Ouvert and how to make that particular weekend safer, it was brought to our attention that there are approximate 30 known gangs in the area, and there continues to be a serious challenge with gun violence in that area," Cumbo said. "Part of my desire, whether it be for this project or perhaps through another project, is [to help] the youth of that community."
A group of local youth and recreation nonprofits endorsed the rec-center aspect of the project in an op-ed this month, writing that Crown Heights is "in desperate need of quality recreational facilities for youth sports leagues, senior activities and other neighborhood-based programming."
"At the same time, we don't want to put together an economic development project in our neighborhood that would displace the very people we are trying to serve," Cumbo added. "It's a very complicated situation."
Cumbo is hosting a public meeting on the Bedford Armory project this Thursday evening, at Medgar Evers College.
"Cumbo is having a meeting because she is responding to a vast amount of community displeasure," Weaver surmised. "But a meeting is not enough. We need to translate this into a promise to vote 'no' and restart the process in a way that's more democratic."
"There is nothing lost by spending the time to negotiate the project," Cumbo challenged. "There is absolutely no downside to that."
"Our team continues to incorporate community feedback, as we have throughout this process, and we always welcome additional input from local stakeholders," said BFC Partners in a statement. "We look forward to working with community and non-profit partners to make the new Armory a success for all Crown Heights families.”
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