At AY CDC, developer claims no knowledge of school timing (now it’s 2025!); blinkered ESD claims project on track to meet affordable housing deadline (very unlikely)
Meeting for the first time after nearly nine months, the Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC) heard project updates from the developer and the parent Empire State Development (ESD), with virtually no tough questions or new insights.
It’s hard for the purportedly advisory AY CDC to play much of a role if it meets infrequently and most members seem un- or under-informed (based on their lack of questions on contested or pending issues).
Near the end of the meeting, Director Ethel Tyus stated, “There were questions previously, I guess it's almost a year ago now, about the likely inability of the contractor to meet its deadlines on opening certain buildings. [Director] Gib Veconi was tracking it very carefully. He's not here now. I was depending on him to bring that forward.”
It’s hard for the purportedly advisory AY CDC to play much of a role if it meets infrequently and most members seem un- or under-informed (based on their lack of questions on contested or pending issues).
No one asked (or learned) about the level of affordability in the buildings opening or under construction, or how that met the project’s original promises. (It doesn't.)
No one asked (or learned) about when master developer Greenland Forest City Partners (GFCP) plans to start the two-block platform—crucial to construction of six towers—though it had said the first block would start in 2020, but hasn’t.
A few insights
The ever-delayed middle-school at B15 (662 Pacific St., or Plank Road), won’t open until 2025, though a representative of GFCP claimed not to know the schedule.
No one asked (or learned) about when master developer Greenland Forest City Partners (GFCP) plans to start the two-block platform—crucial to construction of six towers—though it had said the first block would start in 2020, but hasn’t.
A few insights
The ever-delayed middle-school at B15 (662 Pacific St., or Plank Road), won’t open until 2025, though a representative of GFCP claimed not to know the schedule.
At #AtlanticYards Community Dev. Corp. meeting, rep of developer says he doesn't know schedule for @pacificparkbk middle school (which I'd prev. reported as 2024)
— Norman Oder (@AYReport) December 13, 2021
Wow, it's now 2025, according to SCA capital planhttps://t.co/ynehcU3QQ6 pic.twitter.com/F846YVviy1
That GFCP rep, Greenland USA’s Scott Solish, indicated that a long-gestating plan to move the bulk of the unbuilt “Miss Brooklyn” tower (B1), once slated to loom over the arena at what is now the arena plaza, should start next year, enabling a huge two-tower project across Flatbush at Site 5, longtime home to P.C. Richard and Modell’s—though that plan has no specifics yet.
Affordable housing
ESD professed no qualms about the developer’s ability to meet a looming May 2025 deadline for affordable housing, with $2,000/month fines for each missing unit.
"In terms of the affordabile housing units?" asked ESD executive Marion Phillips III (who serves as AY CDC President).
Yes, Tyus said. Phillips added that, when the four buildings cited at the meeting “are completed, they will be around 60% of the total [affordable housing] goal.”
The graphic at right offers more statistics. Of the project's 6,430 approved housing units, including 4,500 rentals, 3,212 should be finished by mid-2023, or about 50% of the total.
Though the 1,374 affordable units represent 43% of the total units, they represent 61% of the required 2,250 affordable units.
“The goal still is 2025,” Phillips continued. “ They're working towards that goal. They have not approached ESD about changing that goal. And so at this point, we believe they will meet their goal. If not, as you all know, there are penalties in our agreements and we'll, you know, obviously execute those penalties when appropriate.”
That's very dubious. After all, at the previous AY CDC meeting in March, then-ESD Chair Steven M. Cohen raised the possibility of a legislative “fix” regarding the obligation. He might have meant an extension of the 421-a tax break, or an extension of the fines—who knows.
 |
| Total units 6,430, including 2,250 affordable rentals |
Though the 1,374 affordable units represent 43% of the total units, they represent 61% of the required 2,250 affordable units.
“The goal still is 2025,” Phillips continued. “ They're working towards that goal. They have not approached ESD about changing that goal. And so at this point, we believe they will meet their goal. If not, as you all know, there are penalties in our agreements and we'll, you know, obviously execute those penalties when appropriate.”
That's very dubious. After all, at the previous AY CDC meeting in March, then-ESD Chair Steven M. Cohen raised the possibility of a legislative “fix” regarding the obligation. He might have meant an extension of the 421-a tax break, or an extension of the fines—who knows.
But the deadline is looming, and that platform is required for six towers. The required affordable units might fit in two of them.
Note: it's hardly clear that the 1,930 approved condos will be built, so it's possible that more than 4,500 total rentals will be built.
The meeting and its flaws
The meeting lasted barely 35 minutes, with director Daniel Kummer serving as Acting Chair, in the absence of the ESD Chair, who typically serves ex oficio. Veconi, in recent years the most informed member, was not present, but seven directors joined on video, one on the phone.
In response to a question from Kummer, Phillips said that “14 people” had joined the meeting, though it’s not clear whether that included the participants.
No member of the public filed a public comment, with the deadline 4:30 pm on Friday, the previous business day. As I wrote, the President’s Report (bottom) was not posted publicly until the middle of that day.
Kummer, to his credit, said that if someone takes the time out to attend the meeting, they should have flexibility to allow their comments. He suggested that “this body has a somewhat different role than ESD, having been created as a vehicle for receiving input from the community.”
Phillips said he agreed. “We're trying to figure out what is the best way to do this,” he said, noting that “going forward, hybrid may be the reality,” with the need to incorporate people onsite and remotely.
Kummer said he hoped it would be “sorted out before our next meeting.”
Two new board members attended: Drew Gabriel, a former staffer with ESD and the Brooklyn DA, now serves as a VP at CAMBA; he’s a gubernatorial appointee. Deborah Young is a leader of the Crown Heights North Association, and was appointed by state Senator Zellnor Myrie. Both are on Community Board 8.
Developer’s report
Solish was upbeat, saying that the developers have been able “to make a lot of great progress,” given that B15 is now open, and “the affordable housing lottery for that building is launched.”
Unmentioned: all the units are for middle-income households at 130% of Area Median Income (AMI)
“And most importantly, to me at least, that is also the site of the future Department of Education School, new middle school that will be built by the SCA [School Construction Authority],” he said.
The core and shell of that school has been built by the tower’s developer, The Brodsky Organization. The turnover of that core and shell “will happen sometime hopefully by the end of this year,” he said, and then the SCA will start construction.
Gabriel asked about a timeline for a school.
“I don't have the completion schedule of when they expect to complete it,” Solish said, noting that there may be “supply chain and logistics challenges that we've all been struggling with throughout many industries but especially construction.”
Well, he could've gone to the SCA web site and looked at their latest capital plan, which says the school is due in March 2025, as I tweeted. (A year ago, based on the then-SCA schedule, I’d reported 2024.)
Schools don’t open mid-year, so I.S. 653 is now due in the fall of 2025.
Other buildings
Solish said that B4 (18 Sixth Ave., aka Brooklyn Crossing) is being finished, with a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy before the end of this year, allowing move-ins in January.
The affordable housing lottery may launch this month he said, which could allow some units to be filled in the first quarter of 2022. He said it would be 30% affordable but didn’t mention affordability. No one discussed whether it would be better to start the lotteries earlier, so the affordable units begin to fill as the building opens.
As to B12/B13 (615 Dean St., 595 Dean St.), those towers—developed by TF Cornerstone—have topped out and are expected to be “substantially complete sometime in the second quarter of 2023.”
That means that the open space on Block 1129, the southeast block, will more than double, connecting to open space built with the existing 535 Carlton and 550 Vanderbilt. Solish said “additional kids’ playground areas, dog park, seating and landscaping, as well as a main lawn feature that will be available for picnicking and more passive recreation uses.”
Unmentioned: the completion of the open space depends on finishing the project, since demapped Pacific Street, slated to serve as a staging area for construction of the northeast block, must be turned into open space, connecting the two blocks.
Site 5
Kummer noted that Solish had said that B4 was “likely” to be the last project on the arena block, and asked him to explain that possible exception.
Solish noted that the litigation between P.C. Richard and original developer Forest City had been resolved, unlocking the ability to plan for Site 5, involving the transfer of bulk from the unbuilt B1. (He didn't indicate any possibility of building the latter tower, which of course would interfere with arena operations.)
“There's been nothing formally decided,” he said, other than thinking about development possibilities, including the preservation of that open space in front of the arena plaza.
(That suggests that the plans discussed in 2015 and 2016 are getting a rethink, perhaps including re-assessment of the office market, and/or inclusion of affordable housing. Just spitballing here, but if Greenland Forest City proposed to meet the affordable housing obligation with the Site 5 building, they might argue for an extension if they promise more units or greater affordability than required.)
Community relations update
Tobi Jaiyesimi, executive director of the AY CDC, quickly ran through the discussion topics at the last four bi-monthly Quality of Life meetings.
They include affordable housing, traffic, parking, the construction timeline,, and permitted hours of operation. Unmentioned: the state’s answers have hardly been sufficient, as I’ve written.
Oddly enough, the one item she dwelled on was complaints with regard to the use of air horns as safety measures at the B12/B13 sites.
The meeting and its flaws
The meeting lasted barely 35 minutes, with director Daniel Kummer serving as Acting Chair, in the absence of the ESD Chair, who typically serves ex oficio. Veconi, in recent years the most informed member, was not present, but seven directors joined on video, one on the phone.
In response to a question from Kummer, Phillips said that “14 people” had joined the meeting, though it’s not clear whether that included the participants.
No member of the public filed a public comment, with the deadline 4:30 pm on Friday, the previous business day. As I wrote, the President’s Report (bottom) was not posted publicly until the middle of that day.
Kummer, to his credit, said that if someone takes the time out to attend the meeting, they should have flexibility to allow their comments. He suggested that “this body has a somewhat different role than ESD, having been created as a vehicle for receiving input from the community.”
Phillips said he agreed. “We're trying to figure out what is the best way to do this,” he said, noting that “going forward, hybrid may be the reality,” with the need to incorporate people onsite and remotely.
Kummer said he hoped it would be “sorted out before our next meeting.”
Two new board members attended: Drew Gabriel, a former staffer with ESD and the Brooklyn DA, now serves as a VP at CAMBA; he’s a gubernatorial appointee. Deborah Young is a leader of the Crown Heights North Association, and was appointed by state Senator Zellnor Myrie. Both are on Community Board 8.
Developer’s report
Solish was upbeat, saying that the developers have been able “to make a lot of great progress,” given that B15 is now open, and “the affordable housing lottery for that building is launched.”
Unmentioned: all the units are for middle-income households at 130% of Area Median Income (AMI)
“And most importantly, to me at least, that is also the site of the future Department of Education School, new middle school that will be built by the SCA [School Construction Authority],” he said.
The core and shell of that school has been built by the tower’s developer, The Brodsky Organization. The turnover of that core and shell “will happen sometime hopefully by the end of this year,” he said, and then the SCA will start construction.
Gabriel asked about a timeline for a school.
“I don't have the completion schedule of when they expect to complete it,” Solish said, noting that there may be “supply chain and logistics challenges that we've all been struggling with throughout many industries but especially construction.”
Well, he could've gone to the SCA web site and looked at their latest capital plan, which says the school is due in March 2025, as I tweeted. (A year ago, based on the then-SCA schedule, I’d reported 2024.)
Schools don’t open mid-year, so I.S. 653 is now due in the fall of 2025.
Other buildings
Solish said that B4 (18 Sixth Ave., aka Brooklyn Crossing) is being finished, with a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy before the end of this year, allowing move-ins in January.
The affordable housing lottery may launch this month he said, which could allow some units to be filled in the first quarter of 2022. He said it would be 30% affordable but didn’t mention affordability. No one discussed whether it would be better to start the lotteries earlier, so the affordable units begin to fill as the building opens.
As to B12/B13 (615 Dean St., 595 Dean St.), those towers—developed by TF Cornerstone—have topped out and are expected to be “substantially complete sometime in the second quarter of 2023.”
That means that the open space on Block 1129, the southeast block, will more than double, connecting to open space built with the existing 535 Carlton and 550 Vanderbilt. Solish said “additional kids’ playground areas, dog park, seating and landscaping, as well as a main lawn feature that will be available for picnicking and more passive recreation uses.”
Unmentioned: the completion of the open space depends on finishing the project, since demapped Pacific Street, slated to serve as a staging area for construction of the northeast block, must be turned into open space, connecting the two blocks.
Site 5
Kummer noted that Solish had said that B4 was “likely” to be the last project on the arena block, and asked him to explain that possible exception.
Solish noted that the litigation between P.C. Richard and original developer Forest City had been resolved, unlocking the ability to plan for Site 5, involving the transfer of bulk from the unbuilt B1. (He didn't indicate any possibility of building the latter tower, which of course would interfere with arena operations.)
“There's been nothing formally decided,” he said, other than thinking about development possibilities, including the preservation of that open space in front of the arena plaza.
(That suggests that the plans discussed in 2015 and 2016 are getting a rethink, perhaps including re-assessment of the office market, and/or inclusion of affordable housing. Just spitballing here, but if Greenland Forest City proposed to meet the affordable housing obligation with the Site 5 building, they might argue for an extension if they promise more units or greater affordability than required.)
Community relations update
Tobi Jaiyesimi, executive director of the AY CDC, quickly ran through the discussion topics at the last four bi-monthly Quality of Life meetings.
They include affordable housing, traffic, parking, the construction timeline,, and permitted hours of operation. Unmentioned: the state’s answers have hardly been sufficient, as I’ve written.
Oddly enough, the one item she dwelled on was complaints with regard to the use of air horns as safety measures at the B12/B13 sites.
“The construction team reached out to the Department of Buildings to discuss the best construction safety measures practices and ways to ensure that the worker safety was being met,” she said. “And while there were no alternatives that were able to be considered, the construction team did direct the staff to minimize the use of the air horns.”
Comments
Post a Comment