On March 19, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg responded by letter to Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh and a coalition of elected and community officials who wrote to the Mayor on February 20, 2013 regarding the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) plan to develop market-rate housing on the grounds of public housing complexes in Manhattan.
In his response, the Mayor articulates the City’s rationale for pursuing the development proposal and provides a description – the most specific the City has made available to date – of the plan and the City’s proposed process for implementing it. The ”NYCHA Infill Public Consultation Strategy” enclosed with the letter includes a schedule of pre- and post-development events from Fall 2012 through the end of 2014, while a chart, also enclosed, indicates each of the proposed development sites, its current use, the maximum floor area of housing that might be built, the approximate number of new apartments, and other details.
Last week, Kavanagh, Assembly Housing Committee Chair Keith Wright, and their colleagues on the Committee sought information from NYCHA Chair John Rhea, advocates, and tenant leaders regarding the plan. The hearing and the correspondence with Mayor are intended to ensure proper oversight and public review of the plan and the likely affects on NYCHA residents and others in communities surrounding the proposed building sites, before the plan moves forward.
While there are still many unanswered questions and much more information will be necessary to properly evaluate the City’s plan, Kavanagh welcomes the increased dialogue of the last few days – Chair Rhea’s extensive testimony and responses to the committee’s questions, the Mayor’s letter, and his expression of the administration’s willingness to meet to further discuss the coalition’s concerns.
