The project was debated at a City Council subcommittee meeting on Tuesday
Are the embattled Bedford-Union Armory redevelopment plans going to be shelved? Some city officials that spoke with the New York Daily News yesterday said they might be leaning toward scrapping a part of the redevelopment project in its current state.
The Armory came up for discussion at a City Council subcommittee hearing yesterday. As plans stand right now, the developer, BFC Partners, wants to convert the armory site into 330 rentals (half of them affordable) and 60 condos, 20 percent of which will be affordable units. In addition, they also plan to create massive recreational and community spaces including basketball courts, and a swimming pool.
The project has faced fierce opposition right from the start. Crown Heights residents are opposed to the idea of a market-rate development on city-owned land, and city's response has been mixed so far. The local community board rejected the project, but the redevelopment was cleared by the City Planning Commission last month, and has the backing of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
At Tuesday's meeting, the main opposition was focused on the market-rate condos, according to the Daily News. The president of the Economic Development Corporation, James Patchett, said the mayor was considering whether it was appropriate to build market-rate condos on any city-owned land, and whether to introduce this as a citywide policy, according to the Daily News.
City Council member Laurie Cumbo, who represents Crown Heights, continued to voice her opposition to the project in its current state. Other members of the City Council generally tend to side with the neighborhood Council member, so the project will find it hard to pass without her backing. Cumbo is also opposed to the market-rate condos at the development.
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