Imagine If the Bedford Union Armory Were Transformed Into 100% Affordable Housing

By Kings County Politics News Service

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Central Brooklyn lawmakers including U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, State Senator Jesse Hamilton and State Assemblymembers Walter T. Mosley and Diana Richardson have joined forces to demand the Bedford Union Armory at Bedford Avenue and Union Street be filled with 100 percent affordable housing under a new development plan.

In a joint letter to the City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the lawmakers laid out their concerns about the impending development, and insisted the community have a seat at the table.

“Public land means public accountability," Hamilton said. "Joining with colleagues, I want to make clear that development, especially development on public land, is accountable to the community. They must meet neighborhood needs like offering truly affordable housing and stronger STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education offerings."

"That is the only path I see for this project to move forward,” Hamilton said.

The Bedford Union Armory redevelopment project has been mired in controversy since it was first announced almost a year ago, in December 2015.

Under that original plan, the Slate Property Group — along with BFC Partners — was tasked with redeveloping the 138,000-square-foot armory into a mixed-use building featuring condos; market-rate and affordable housing; and a recreation center.

However, Slate pulled out of the deal in late August after the firm came under fire for its involvement in another controversial redevelopment project on the Lower East Side.

The good news: Slate's pullout cleared the way for local lawmakers, civic leaders and community activists to call for a complete re-imagining of the Bedford Union Armory project.

Here are the priorities stated in their letter:

• Use every single public resource to provide affordable housing at all income levels. The Bedford Union Armory is a rare public site where the City has the opportunity to build 100% affordable housing, working with the not-for-profit development community. These income levels should include 50% of AMI and below and up to 130% of AMI, in order to contribute to solving the housing crisis and meet local needs. In order to accommodate this 100% affordable building, the EDC should use NYC affordable housing program subsidies at the proposed development sites.

• Increase the Community Board 9 community preference from 50% to 80% of the affordable housing units — though we recognize pending litigation may have significant bearing on community preferences and the latitude for their imposition.

• Decrease the percentage of one bedroom and studio apartments to no more than 40% of the total rental units developed on site, with the remaining units equally divided between two and three bedroom apartments.

• Incorporate the community’s architecture to better blend the housing units to fit into the larger community aesthetics.

• Use a Community Area Median Income instead of a regional AMI for income qualifications for affordable units; related, ensure that obstacles do not hinder one’s ability to apply for affordable housing (e.g. using credit scores).

• Require more education and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs for the facility operator in the community and education space so that a larger number of community residents can take advantage of the community, education and recreational space.

• Place on the record the advantages of union labor, particularly union apprenticeship programs and laudable safety records — we remain concerned as to whether union labor will be used in this project.

A EDC spokesperson said the letter was received and was being reviewed.

Sources told Kings County Politics that BFC Partners will be advancing the project as planned, pursuant to public review and in collaboration with community stakeholders and elected officials. The city is expected to enter into the ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) in early 2017.

In the meantime, Hamilton will hold a special Bedford Union Armory update meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, at his office at 1669 Bedford Ave. in Crown Heights.

Two days later, Richardson will host another informational meeting on the Armory project, where residents can gain more insight and learn how to affect the future of the Bedford-Union Armory. This meeting will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 at Middle School 61, 400 Empire Blvd. Call (718) 771-3105 for more info.

A version of this article originally appeared on the Kings County Politics news site. Lead image via Google Maps