Armory Plan Moves Forward Despite Protests
From AM New York:
The city’s Economic Development Corporation promised on Tuesday to reevaluate its controversial affordable housing plan for the Bedford-Union Armory redevelopment project in Crown Heights.
Amid critics’ pleas for the plan to be rejected, the proposed redevelopment faced its first test in the City Council on Tuesday during a subcommittee hearing on several land use applications filed by the EDC.
James Patchett, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation, said during the hearing that his agency and the developer are reevaluating the project’s affordable housing plan.
“We are aware that Council Member [Laurie] Cumbo – along with other local leaders and members of the Crown Heights community – have concerns about certain elements of the housing plan, especially the inclusion of market rate condos,” Patchett said. “That is something we are currently reevaluating, not only in the context of this specific project, but going forward in the policy we will apply citywide to other projects on city-owned land.”
No decision on the project was made, but the subcommittee was expected to weigh in later this month.
