Brooklyn lawmakers enter gentrification feud over Crown Heights neighborhood
(THE GUARDIAN) Megan Carpentier, November 3, 2016 — US congresswoman Yvette Clarke and state legislators call on New York economic development group to ‘hear community’s voice’ on Bedford-Union Armory
On Monday, the US congresswoman Yvette Clarke, state senator Jesse Hamilton, state assemblyman Walter Mosley and state assemblywoman Diana Richardson released a letter they had written to the president and CEO of the New York City economic development corporation (EDC) asking that “the community’s voice is both heard and acted upon” as the project progresses.
Currently, the developer selected by the EDC, BFC Partners, plans to redevelop the site with a 13-story building with 300 rental apartments and 24 condominiums, along with a state-of-the-art recreational center that will be open to the community in some capacity. Of the 300 apartments, 18 will be reserved for households earning no more than 40% of average median income (AMI), which is defined by the city as just over $36,000 for a family of four; another 49 will be set aside for households making no more than 50% of AMI ($45,000 for a family of four). The developer will reserve 99 units for households making no more than 110% of AMI (about $100,000 for a family of four), and the remaining 164 units will go at market rates to those with the minimum income to qualify.
The elected officials representing the neighborhood say that’s not nearly enough in exchange for what is currently public land.
“At a time when gentrification threatens many longtime residents with displacement, we need a comprehensive approach that significantly and substantially addresses all of the community’s needs,” said Clarke in the statement.