The de Blasio administration plans to put up hundreds of market-rate apartments on public land at NYCHA developments in two hot real estate neighborhoods, officials said Wednesday.
The plan targets two developments — Wyckoff Gardens in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, and Holmes Towers on the Upper East Side — both in neighborhoods where land is considered “high value.” NYCHA would either sell to or enter into 99-year leases with developers to build more than 1,000 units, half to be affordable and half to rent at market rates.
The plan would allow the cash-strapped housing authority to build more affordable housing and also generate revenue, officials said.
De Blasio’s mixed-use project is a slightly revamped version of a failed plan by his predecessor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who suggested the developments be 80% market rate apartments.
The Bloomberg plan — which specifically targeted eight Manhattan developments — was attacked by tenants who felt they hadn’t been consulted. Many were also concerned it would further exacerbate gentrification in their rapidly changing neighborhoods.
Wyckoff Gardens is located in a downtown Brooklyn neighborhood that’s been gentrifying over the last decade, sending land values through the roof.
Under the NYCHA plan, a developer would be asked to build up to 550 to 650 apartments there, nearly doubling the size of the development. Of that, up to 300 units would be affordable, and the project would go up on two “underutilized” parking lots.
At Holmes Tower on the Upper East Side, NYCHA suggests building one tower of 350 to 400 units, of which 175 to 200 would be affordable. The development would go up on a playground, which NYCHA would relocate.
Last May, de Blasio announced a big strategy to address the troubled housing authority’s many problems, from deteriorating buildings to scarce funds.
The mayor mentioned a vague plan to build mixed-income housing at unnamed developments on “high value” land, but he did not say where this would occur. On Thursday, the administration will roll out the specifics.
Starting this week, NYCHA will begin meeting with tenants and neighbors of both developments, addressing what critics saw as the Bloomberg plan’s fatal flaw of poor communication.
“We are reaching out to residents to inform them about the program and benefits this week, will hold briefings and meetings starting next week, and host a resident forum in the next few weeks,” NYCHA officials said in a statement.
NYCHA also emphasized that a “significant portion” of the revenue generated by the project would go directly to upgrade conditions at Wyckoff and Holmes.
Wyckoff was built in 1966 and needs $45 million in upgrades. Holmes was built in 1969 and needs $47 million in improvements.
At Wyckoff, tenants association president Charlene Nimmons said she wasn’t able to comment because she hadn’t yet discussed the plan with her residents and didn’t know all the details.
