Well, on a City Planning Commission dominated by mayoral appointees, one person can't sway the body, but it's certainly a non-Bloomberg-esque move for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio to appoint Michelle de la Uz of the Fifth Avenue Committee.
Perhaps de la Uz, whose group is a member of BrooklynSpeaks, may have some advice for the Planning Commission on the surface parking lot planned for the southeast block of Atlantic Yards.
At the very least, she might provide some real-world perspective on the project (as, presumably, Borough President Marty Markowitz's appointment, Shirley McRae, also does).
A press release from Public Advocate Bill de Blasio:
Perhaps de la Uz, whose group is a member of BrooklynSpeaks, may have some advice for the Planning Commission on the surface parking lot planned for the southeast block of Atlantic Yards.
At the very least, she might provide some real-world perspective on the project (as, presumably, Borough President Marty Markowitz's appointment, Shirley McRae, also does).
A press release from Public Advocate Bill de Blasio:
DE BLASIO TO APPOINT MICHELLE DE LA UZ TO CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio today announced he has designated Michelle de la Uz as his appointee to the City Planning Commission. De la Uz has more than twenty years of experience in public service and real estate development. Since 2004, de la Uz has served as Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, one of the nation’s most successful comprehensive community development corporations and nonprofit housing developers. De la Uz will appear before the City Council later today as part of the confirmation process.
“Michelle knows how to get things done. At a time when we need to put people to work and build affordable housing, we need someone with Michelle's expertise getting shovels in the ground. She will make a superb addition to the City Planning Commission,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
“I’ve devoted my professional life to making this city and its diverse neighborhoods a better place for all New Yorkers to live and work. Every development project or land use decision is an opportunity to grow our economy, lift people up and build a more livable city. I am excited to bring my experience as a community leader, a housing advocate and a Brooklynite to the Commission,” said Michelle de la Uz.
As Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, de la Uz oversaw the development of New York State's first LEED Platinum supportive housing project. The number of projects in the agency's real estate pipeline has increased five-fold during her tenure. Prior to the Fifth Avenue Committee, de la Uz served as Program Director for the Center for Urban Community Services in Washington Heights and Harlem, and oversaw social services in supportive housing for 400 low-income tenants with special needs. She holds a B.A. from Connecticut College, completed a Master of Science degree in Social Work and graduate studies in Public Administration at Columbia University, and recently completed the Achieving Excellence in Community Development Executive Education program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
If approved by the Council today, de la Uz will be formally appointed by the Public Advocate immediately.
but will she recuse herself on all planning issues involving the Gowanus Public Place site--a site that FAC was hoping to take for free from the city. a site originally intended for public park to relieve the intense need for appropriate open space in brooklyn.
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