FEC Aganst Demolition, Renne Keitt, Apr 28, 2025

Tenants, advocates, and civic leaders speak out against $1.9 billion no-bid plan to privatize and demolish Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses

New York, NY — At last night’s standing-room-only hearing, residents of NYCHA’s Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses—joined by community leaders and housing justice advocates—delivered passionate, unequivocal testimony against the proposed demolition and privatization of all 24 public housing buildings spread across seven acres in the heart of Chelsea. This first of three public hearings, convened as part of the federal NEPA environmental review, marked the community’s first formal opportunity to respond to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the $1.9 billion no-bid redevelopment plan advanced by NYCHA, HPD, and private developers Related Companies and Essence Development.

After what may go down in history as the most soporific presentation ever delivered in defense of a $1.9 billion demolition—with not so much as a single rendering to break the monotony—NYCHA officials finished speaking, and the real show began. One by one, tenants and neighbors rose to the microphone, not with slides, but with fury, grief, and the inconvenient truth: they do not want this plan.

Tenant leaders were unequivocal in their opposition.

“Environmental justice is not simply about the physical environment. It is about the right to remain, the right to age in place, to raise children and build intergenerational futures in one’s home and community. What this plan fails to account for are the irreparable social, cultural, and emotional costs of displacement—these are the very harms that environmental justice was meant to protect against. There is no justice in a process that strips away communities under the guise of equity. Justice, in its broadest sense, demands fair and impartial treatment, the prevention of harm, and remedial action when harm is done. This demolition proposal offers none of that.” said Renee Keitt.

Jackie Lara, Fulton Houses tenant, organizer and candidate for City Council  closed her testimony with a direct appeal: “We’re not asking for luxury. We’re asking to stay in our homes. Rehab is cheaper. Rehab is safer. Rehab is possible. NYCHA just doesn’t want to do it—because there’s no billion-dollar contract attached to it.”

One resident summed it up with quiet devastation: “When I hear the word demolition, my heart breaks.”

“This DEIS is not a roadmap—it’s a smoke screen,” said Layla Law-Gisiko, Democratic District Leader for the area. “It glosses over contaminated soil, ignores hospital capacity, and dismisses viable rehabilitation without a single independent structural review. This project is not about fixing public housing—it’s about transferring public land to private hands.”

Roberta Gelb, President Emerita of the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, said “How can this $1.9 billion project be a no-bid contract? This project stinks.”

Lydia Andre, of the Chelsea Neighbors Coalition, emphasized the broader implications: “NYCHA and Related are asking public housing tenants and the Chelsea Community to sacrifice 16-25 years of our homes, health, reasonable quiet, historic character, sunlight, mature trees, open space, pleasant streetscapes, and safe schools, everything that makes Chelsea a good and decent place to live so they can privatize public land and enrich Related Companies. It’s a scandal and a shame. That our elected officials have abandoned the community to curry favor with big real estate. I just do not understand them”.

Carol Ott, longtime Chelsea resident and president of a local block association said: “While this development clearly serves NYCHA’s financial objectives and Related/Essence’s profit margins, it does so by sacrificing our neighborhood’s historic character, eliminating existing open spaces, ignoring impacts on shared West Side resources, and disregarding the multi-generational families who have built their lives in NYCHA housing. Chelsea deserves to be treated as more than merely the ground beneath this project.”

More than 40 participants spoke over the course of Wednesday’s hearing, echoing concerns about environmental safety, affordability, displacement, and democratic process.

A second public hearing will be held tonight at Elliott-Chelsea House, starting at 6.30pm, at Hudson Guild (441 W 26th St.).

The DEIS comment period remains open until May 19, 2025. Advocates are urging all concerned New Yorkers to submit written comments and demand a fair, transparent, tenant-led process.

Media Assets: 

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF 4/23  PRESS CONFERENCE & HEARING

2D & 3D RENDERINGS

INTERACTIVE 3D COMPUTER-GENERATED MODEL AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

For press inquiries or interviews with speakers, please contact:
nodemolitionnycha@gmail.com

#SaveFultonElliott | #PublicLandPublicGood | #NYCHADeservesBetter

Media Contact:

Layla Law-Gisiko 646-420-6044

Renee Keitt 718-536-7401