Bedford-Union Armory Plan Puts Luxury Homes On Public Land, Residents Tell City

MANHATTAN, NY — Angry Crown Heights residents filed into the latest in a seemingly endless string of public hearings about the future of a vacant armory Tuesday, this time before the City Planning Commission.

"It is a shame that we are even here to discuss this today," Bertha Lewis told the panel. "It's an outrage that this sham of a deal is even coming before this body in this form. And it's yet another example of the mayor putting the needs of the people who funded his campaign above the people who elected him."

Lewis and about two dozen of her fellow community members are unhappy with the extent of market-rate housing included in the city's plan to renovate the Bedford-Union Armory, on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Union Street. Part of the proposal calls for luxury condominiums.

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"What is luxury doing on public land?" she asked. "We don't just say no. We say, oh hell no. Public land means that it belongs to us, to the public."

The public hearing before the planning commission is the latest step in the city's lengthy land-use review process necessary for major zoning changes. The commission will next vote on whether to send the project to the city council.

Local councilmember Laurie Cumbo has vowed to vote it down, though she has said she's open to a change in the plan that would include more than the current 50-50 split of affordable and market rate rentals.

Community Board 9 and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams have both overwhelmingly recommended scrapping the plan as it is now.

The hearing started with a nearly hour-long presentation from BFC Partners, the developer chosen by the city to renovate the site.

The commission then opened the hearing to supporters of the project that included community organizations that will service activities at the rec center, nonprofits getting affordable office space and a union which will provide services for workers at the armory.

"We support the Bedford-Union Armory, and we believe we need to get a swimming pool in this area that the public can access," said Brendan O'Melveny, whose organization, Imagine Swimming, would give swim lessons and host competitive swimming at the armory's pool.

District Leader Geoffrey Davis, a regular voice of support for the plan, said the armory would be a welcome community space in a neighborhood with few such options.

"This particular community, Crown Heights, over the years lost a lot of wonderful programs, activities," he said, citing a movie theater, bowling alley and bingo hall that have since closed. "The recreation center is extremely important because it allows the young people and seniors to have a community area to engage."

The first opponent to speak was state Assemblywoman Diana Richardson, whose district sits just a block away from the armory but who grew up in the area.

"What good is it to get this gem of a community recreational center with all of these nonprofit organizations inside of them, when the mission of the people they seek to touch will be displaced as a result of the housing portion of this project?" she said to loud cheers in the hall.

Richardson said the city's metrics for determining affordable housing are based on federal benchmarks, which aren't in line with salaries of people in Crown Heights.

"The word 'affordable' is being used very loosely here and we all know it," Richardson said. "Not one apartment is available to someone making $15 an hour."

Richardson added that Gov. Andrew Cuomo didn't seem interested in providing state funds to subsidize more affordable housing at the armory.

Candidates for the Crown Heights-area's city council seat from opposite ends of the political spectrum — Green Party candidate Jabari Brisport and Republican Christine Parker — also both said they oppose the deal.

The City Planning Commission will continue to accept comments on the project online through 5 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2017. You can submit comments on the armory here.

Image via Marc Torrence, Patch