Bedford Union Armor Urged To Be 100% Affordable
Things aren’t going well for the Bedford Union Armory redevelopment in Crown Heights. After losing Knicks star Carmelo Anthony’s support for the proposed sports center, the project continues to face resistance, and officials are now calling for all of its units to be affordable.
Half of the 300 units are slated to have restricted rents, but activists insists that even these units are too expensive, the New York Daily News reports.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, state Sen. Jesse Hamilton and assembly members Walter Mosley and Diana Richardson wrote a letter to the Economic Development Corp pointing out that the city-owned site is the last large-scale vacant site in a gentrifying neighborhood and the EDC shouldn’t waste its “one chance to get this project correct.”
The officials also demanded that 40% of the units be studios and one-bedrooms, and 80% of the units must give preference to current residents. The latter figure now stands at 50%.
Slate Property Group and BFC Partners were slated to develop the property, but Slate dropped out of the deal after it was accused of misleading the city to get a deed restriction lifted at the Rivington House. [NYDN]
