Fulton and Elliot Chelsea Tenants Against Demolition

December 17, 2024 | johnmudd

Fulton and Elliot Chelsea Tenants Against Demolition, Renee Keitt, December 17, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bombshell Revelation at Manhattan Community Board 4 (M-CB4) Meeting: NYCHA Demolition Project Exposed as Costlier, Lengthier, and Unfair to Chelsea Community

New York, NY – December 17, 2024 – At last night’s Manhattan Community Board 4 Land Use Committee meeting, a stunning revelation emerged regarding NYCHA’s proposed demolition of Chelsea public housing. NYCHA and its partner, Related Companies, and Essence (Development Partners) have promoted this plan for over a year, claiming it as the most effective path forward. However, M-CB4 member David Holowka underscored cost estimates that cast doubt on this narrative.

Holowka noted that demolition and redevelopment are most recently estimated at $1.98 billion , $836 million higher than Related, Essence and NYCHA’s own 2022 renovation estimate of $1.144 billion which was said to equal the cost of replacement, triggering the current demolition-based plan.

The discussion also established that demolition would not only be more expensive but would take significantly longer. M-CB4 Housing, Health & Human ServicesCommittee chair Joe Restuccia pressed NYCHA, Related and Essence representatives, confirming that the demolition and mixed-income redevelopment timeline is much lengthier compared to a renovation. This directly contradicts the narrative NYCHA, Related and Essence have pushed to tenants and the public for the past year.

Even more troubling, it was disclosed that revenue generated from land leases may not be needed to build the replacement buildings and furthermore the proposed mixed-income development revenue would not be reinvested into the Chelsea community. At the same time, the Chelsea community would be asked to bear the impact of a large upzoning. NYCHA also revealed that they would have full discretion to allocate the funds anywhere in the city, leaving Chelsea tenants and the neighborhood without direct benefit.

Longtime tenant leader Renee Keitt delivered a powerful statement at the meeting, calling for NYCHA, Related, Essence and M-CB4 to abandon the demolition project. Keitt said “We are people, we are not [real-estate] to be leveraged”. She urged the parties involved to prioritize the needs of current tenants over corporate interests.

The M-CB4 Land Use Committee revelations have brought new urgency to the debate surrounding Chelsea’s public-housing future. Questions about costs, delays, and fairness remain unanswered, and last night’s meeting laid bare a truth that many tenants have suspected all along: the demolition plan prioritizes profit and land acquisition over people and community.

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For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact

Renee Keitt at Resimke@gmail.com

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