Vote On Bedford-Union Armory Should Come Before City Council Election, Candidate Says

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — The city council vote on the controversial Bedford-Union Armory project should come before September's primary election, a challenger for the seat says.

Laurie Cumbo, who currently holds the seat, will cast a crucial vote on the city's plan to turn the armory into a rec center, office space and condominium tower. Last month, she vowed to vote no, calling the plan "gentrification at its worst" and saying the 56 market-rate condos in the plan are a "non-starter."

Cumbo's main challenger, Ede Fox, wants to expedite the city's lengthy Uniform Land-Use Review Process (ULURP) so Cumbo has to put her vote on paper before voters go to the polls to choose the Democratic nominee for the council seat.

"It's easy for Laurie Cumbo to say she'll vote no on a major issue of this campaign, especially when that vote won't happen until after the primary," Fox said in a statement.

"The question is whether she finally chose to listen to the community, or is just pandering for votes to save her own political career. The only way we can know for sure is to see the Council Member expedite the ULURP process and show us once and for all that she stands with the community, not major developers."

In a statement emailed to Patch, Jennifer Blatus, a spokeswoman for Cumbo's campaign said Fox "has been absent from the conversations surrounding the Armory for the last four years, despite working on housing policy in the New York City Council" and criticized her knowledge of city law.

"Ms. Fox should be well aware that the ULURP requirements in the New York City Charter cannot be 'fast tracked,'" Blatus said. "This is simply an attempt to raise her visibility by creating false solutions."

Blatus continued: "Council Member Cumbo has made her position clear to the Administration and BFC Partners: until a plan is presented that is reflective of the true economic realities of the Crown Heights community, there is no need to discuss any other aspects of the project. The plan as presented is a non-starter and the elimination of luxury housing is non-negotiable. The Council Member also made it clear that she would like to see BFC Partners commit to local hiring in this project, as well as build with the highest safety standards available. Right now this project is in the hands of the administration; it is their responsibility to ensure these needs are met. Until then, nothing will be negotiated."

It's unclear if or how Cumbo could expedite the city's review process. ULURP involves a review by the local community board, the borough president's office and the city planning commission before it goes to the city council for a vote. (Councilmembers generally defer to the local councilperson on land-use issues.)

Community Board 9's land-use committee will review the armory plan at a meeting on Tuesday, June 13, and the full board meets next on June 27.

A spokesman for BFC Partners, the developer chosen by the city for the project, decline to comment and referred Patch to a previous statement.

"BFC is fully committed to revitalizing the Bedford-Union Armory and providing much-needed recreational facilities, affordable housing and affordable office space for the Crown Heights community," the statement said. "The economic realities of cross-subsidizing a new rec center and the lack of housing subsidies mean that 50% affordability is the only option currently available at the Armory."

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Photo by Marc Torrence