$10 Mil Offer to Pfizer to: Build Affordable Housing
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By Phil Miller
Local non-profit groups have teamed with a private developer to put forth a proposal to build affordable housing on two parcels of the former Pfizer Pharmaceuticals factory within the Broadway Triangle.
The so-called Pfizer Legacy Project calls for 840 units of affordable housing that will ensure an economic, racial, and religiously diverse community. In a place where many North Brooklyn residents once were employed, these groups are determined to ensure that the site keeps serving community needs.
Pfizer Development Sites A and C are currently on the market. The organizations – St. Nicks Alliance and Los Sures – have put together a for-profit/non-profit development team and a $10 million offer for those properties. (The private entity in the partnership is Gowanus-based developer Monadnock Construction.)
Because the acquisition leverages $450 in new investment, the development project will create hundreds of jobs.
The development team’s credentials are strong: Between its members, the team has built over 10,000-units of affordable housing across the city, including 3,500 units in Williamsburg and 450 units in the Broadway Triangle itself.
The team has the experience and local know-how to fulfill the community vision, and its plan meets the parameters of the Request for Proposals Pfizer issued in 2008 prior to the closing of the Pfizer factory. The development team has the financial capacity, engineering expertise, and environmental track record to build affordable housing on a site currently zoned for industrial use that is in need of environmental cleanup.
Given Pfizer’s history of good corporate citizenship in North Brooklyn and its stated commitment to continue this legacy, the development team is confident Pfizer will accept the offer, so that the community can proceed with building this much-needed affordable housing.
“We believe that Pfizer will support our submission to develop the sites as housing,” said Colvin Grannum, Executive Director of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.
“Pfizer repeatedly promised our community that they would ‘not sell and run.’ As good corporate citizens, they promised they would ensure that property sales addressed community priorities. We have put together a substantial purchase offer. This is not a giveaway.”
Pfizer has partnered with local non-profits in the past for the construction of 450 housing units around the factory that sustained the local environment and provided hundreds of jobs.
Among these 450 housing units were 150 two-family homes known now known as the Edmund Pratt Homes, named in honor of the former Pfizer Corporation Chairman (no relation to Pratt Institute benefactor, Charles Pratt). Additionally, Pfizer facilitated and invested in 150 units of affordable rental housing near its plant, which was developed by local non-profits. In return, the non-profits helped clear vacant land, and helped keep the environment surrounding the plant conducive to creating jobs and employing people.
Pfizer opened the plant in 1849 before closing in 2009 after 150 years. When it closed, it employed 600 people, a fraction of those it employed in its heyday. Still, it was generally assumed that Pfizer would retain its longtime community partnership after its closing.
After the plant closed in 2009, the six partnering community organizations led an inclusive, community-wide planning process to brainstorm ideas for the Pfizer campus and Broadway Triangle in general. The planning process produced two key objectives: The creation of new jobs, and building desperately needed affordable housing.
“The process was remarkable. It brought together a diverse group of residents and generated so much positive energy,” said Ramon Peguero, Executive Director of Los Sures.
The planning process for the Pfizer plant was hailed as a model for inclusive community planning. It included hundreds of local stakeholders from the Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant communities, along with the urban planning and design experts from the Pratt Institute.
Last year, Pfizer took the first step in fulfilling the community vision for job creation when it selected Acumen Capital Partners to develop a “food incubator” in the eight-story building that anchors the site. Acumen is leasing space to local food vendors, like McClure’s Pickles, Brooklyn Soda Works, and Steve’s Ice Cream.
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
CB 1 and GREC: Go Slow!
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Reduced Speed Saves Lives
By Karl Benson
Community Board 1 and the Greenpoint Renaissance Enterprise Corporation, or GREC, have asked the Department of Transportation to designate parts of East Williamsburg and Greenpoint a “slow zone.” The designation would reduce the speed limit in the area to 20 miles per hour and see the installation of new signage and speed bumps.
The DOT has received more than 100 applications or expressions of interest from across the city and is expected to make a decision soon. The East Williamsburg/Greenpoint slow zone would be bordered, among other streets, by Meeker Avenue, Graham Avenue, Conselyea Street, Metropolitan Avenue, and Morgan Avenue.
The program was piloted last year in the Claremont section of the Bronx, a residential area nestled between traffic arteries and industrial area that had the most traffic deaths per 100,000 residents.
In slow zones, the speed limit will be reduced from 30 miles per hour to 20. This is much safer, for obvious reasons: A pedestrian hit going 30 miles per hour has an 80 percent chance of living. A pedestrian hit at 40 miles per hour – which many city drivers who flaunt the speed limit drive – has just a 30 percent chance of living.
Eric Bruzaitis, Chair of the GREC Traffic Committee, said, “GREC is deeply concerned about traffic issues in North Brooklyn, including the presence of trucks and speeding. The slow zones will institute traffic-calming measures to insure that we don’t need constant police presence to enforce speed limits.”
The slow-zone GREC and CB1 have lobbied for is concentrated in the eastern portion of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, home to many truck routes going to and from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and to the area’s industrial businesses. A large portion of this area East of Graham Avenue, near Cooper Park, has seen an explosive increase in residential growth, though the habits of drivers have not changed.
For years, area residents have asked the DOT to institute traffic-safety measures, to little avail.
Said Karen Nieves, Co-Chair of the Community Board 1 Transportation Committee, “This area is plagued with speeding cars and speeding trucks taking short cuts. We have a park, a daycare center, a children’s school and two churches. We have been turned down for pedestrian signals and need calming measures ASAP.”
Leah Dilworth, a Maspeth Avenue resident, said, “My children and I risk our lives every time we cross Maspeth to use Cooper Park. Maspeth is not a truck route, but trucks constantly come barreling along it to make the light at Morgan and Maspeth.”
Even though it’s illegal to do so, trucks frequently use Maspeth as a shortcut to the BQE. Many of these are garbage trucks carrying trash to waste transfer stations. This means that as well as being a safety hazard, these trucks often leave garbage on the street.
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
North Brooklyn Advocates Rally in Albany for Affordable Housing
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Neighborhood Preservation Program is Vital for Individuals, Communities
By Lionel Robinson
With the economic downturn continuing and with the specter of devastating economic cuts still on the horizon, a multitude of affordable housing residents – including 50 from North Brooklyn – made their annual pilgrimage up to Albany to advocate for affordable housing.
Under the leadership of Assemblyman Vito Lopez, Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee and a staunch supporter of affordable housing, affordable housing programs have largely been preserved in these recent austere years.
This year, Lopez mobilized fellow legislators to support local housing legislation after Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget was slashed. Though Lopez’s leadership, key affordable housing resources were protected.
“We were able to secure $2.2 million to ensure the state network of affordable housing organizations remains vibrant. In addition, we preserved $3.2 million for the Housing Trust Fund, and 40 million in targeted neighborhood initiatives such as Access to Home, Main Street, and Urban Initiative.”
The 50 North Brooklyn met with elected officials who support affordable housing, including Lopez, Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, and Senator Martin Malave Dilan.
These residents and elected officials advocated for the preservation of the Neighborhood Preservation Program, which Governor Cuomo eliminated from his proposed budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. This program funds vital services like tenant counseling, landlord/tenant mediation, legal service, housing rehabilitation and homebuyer counseling.
Three local community development organizations are funded through the program: Los Sures, St. Nicks Alliance, and North Brooklyn Development Corporation. These organizations have assisted thousands of local residents facing eviction and seeking housing opportunities, and have created or preserved more than 4,000 units of housing in North Brooklyn.
Jessica Vasquez, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of New York State, said, “After 35 years, we know that the NPP is a good investment. The program saves money and improves the quality of life for individual New Yorkers and communities as a whole. Last year, neighborhood preservation coalitions leveraged more than $52 for every state dollar appropriated.”
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
Newtown 1 of 3 Waterways to Get ‘Green Infrastructure Master Plan’
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Green Roofs, Porous Pavement, Gardens to Prevent Sewage Overflow During Storms
By Phil Miller
Newtown Creek is one of three city waterways selected for a $12 million pilot project to receive “green infrastructure” improvements. As part of the project, Newtown will receive green roofs, porous pavement and other technology to help prevent sewage from running into it during rain storms.
Like many other cities, New York City has a combined sewer system, in which storm water and sewage are carried in one pipe. During rain storms, the sewage system becomes overburdened, causing a mix of storm water and sewer water to overflow into surrounding waterways. Sewer overflow poses the greatest threat to water quality in the New York area.
Contracts to develop master plans for this “green infrastructure” were put up for a Request for Proposals, or RFP, last month. The Department of Environmental Protection estimates that by this summer, selected consultants will begin identifying locations for green roofs and “bioswales” – landscape features designed to remove silt and pollution from runoff water.
In addition to Newtown Creek, contracts for green infrastructure projects will be awarded for master plans for Flushing Bay, and the Gowanus Canal. The Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek were both declared federal Superfund sites because of long-term industrial pollution.
The $12 million is part of $187 million the city plans to spend in the next three years, and $2.4 billion it hopes to obtain in public and private financing over the next 18 years to install similar green improvements citywide.
By 2030, officials estimate that around 1.5 billion gallons of sewer overflows will be removed from local waterways.
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
Domino Project in Jeopardy
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Affordable 33% Non-Binding
By Brad Nelson
The proposed redevelopment of the former Domino Sugar refinery site, which received city approval two years ago after a long community debate, appears to be in jeopardy because of its developer’s financial troubles.
The 2,200-unit mixed-use development was slated to feature 660 affordable units on its 11-acre site, along with four acres of open space and ample community facility space.
But the project’s developer, Community Preservation Resources, the for-profit subsidiary of the non-profit Community Preservation Corporation, defaulted on its $125 million bank loan late last year. Now, CPCR has agreed to give its lender, Pacific Coast Capital, an 84 percent stake in the property in exchange for forgiving its debt.
However, CPCR is being sued by the Katan Group, its development partner on Domino, to block the sale to Pacific Coast Capital. The Katan group is alleging that CPCR mismanaged the project.
Y. David Sharf, a lawyer for the Katan Group, said, “Through the inaction and misdirection of CPCR, over many years, the project now stands in grave danger of falling into the hands of potential lenders who do not have a direct interest in the housing, economic, or social goals set forth for the Domino Sugar Refinery site by the City of New York or the community.”
Rafael Cestero, CEO of CPCR, told the Wall Street Journal that the project’s affordable component isn’t binding, but that CPCR is committed to fulfill its promises to the community. However, if CPCR sells the project – which Cestero acknowledged is a possibility – the affordable component could be jeopardized.
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
Welcome Back, Rep. Maloney!
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Return to North Bk After Redistricting
Williamsburg welcomed back an old friend last month, as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who had represented a swath of the Northside and Greenpoint in the 1990s, will represent the area again thanks to the latest round of redistricting.
Maloney, a Democrat, has been a Congresswoman since 1993. In addition to North Brooklyn, her district includes most of the Upper East Side, along with Roosevelt Island, Asotria, and Long Island City.
Formerly, Nydia Velazquez represented the Northside and Greenpoint. But under the new lines, Velazquez’s district now encompasses Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, along with Southside Williamsburg. Maloney’s district will be the 12th Congressional District. Velazquez’ district – formerly the 12th – will be the 7th.
The fact that Williamsburg and Greenpoint have been split up has not gone over well with many. Recently, District Leader Lincoln Restler wrote a letter objecting to the split to Judge Roanne Mann, who was designated by a court-appointment to draw up the district lines.
“These neighborhoods represent a community of interest with a shared set of common issues,” Reslter wrote, pointing to the fact that this area shares a community board and a school district.
“The court should not separate these full communities, or sever the majority-Latino Southside of Williamsburg from the Northside of Williamsburg and Greenpoint along racial lines.”
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
Toxic Mold at MS 577: Parents Want DOE to Find a new Location
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By Brad Nelson
As of press time, parents and community leaders were furious with the Department of Education for what they characterized as a slow, indifferent and incompetent response to concerns about toxic black mold found in several classrooms at MS 577, on North 5th and Roebling Street.
At an emergency meeting on April 2nd, parents and leaders called on the DOE to temporarily relocate the school. The DOE has said that the school is safe, but community members are skeptical.
A week ago, after finding and removing mold in one classroom, DOE officials similarly maintained that the school was safe. But a subsequent United Federation of Teachers study revealed mold in seven additional classrooms later in the week. DOE officials say those rooms have been thoroughly cleaned up, but parents are wary about sending their children back into the building.
The school is undergoing a $10 million renovation for leaks. Since December, four teachers have become sick with respiratory problems. Last week, eighteen students reported being sick with these respiratory problems.
MS 577 shares space with PS 17. DOE officials said the mold has not impacted PS 17.
At a rally on Monday calling for an alternate location, local Councilwoman Diana Reyna said, “It is now fact that our children have been exposed to a mold-contamination environment for at least two weeks. It concerns me greatly that the DOE has not yet established a safe, alternative space for the students nor allowed for an independent assessment of both the mold contamination in the building and the subsequent clean-up.”
Reyna added, “Community leaders, parents, and teachers of M.S. 577 have repeatedly demanded that the DOE take appropriate action to ensure, beyond a doubt, that the MS 577 facility is safe. Unfortunately, the DOE has lost the trust of the community by issuing premature and even false assurances of MS 577’s safety. To resolve this issue, the DOE must allow for an independent review of MS 577.”
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
Fortunado ‘Fred’ Rubino Passes Away
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Fortunado “Fred” Rubino, the immensely popular longtime IS 318 Principal who was appointed District 14 Superintendent several weeks ago, died suddenly on the morning of April 2 after a heart attack.
The loss saddened countless community residents who Rubino affected. Rubino started as a Special Education teacher at IS 318 before rising to become principal. He served as principal for ten years before being promoted to superintendent.
IS 318 was Williamsburg’s most in-demand middle school because of its academic reputation and the many programs it offered, among them the school’s national championship-winning chess team.
Rubino was a steadfast and passionate advocate for public education who had vocally opposed many tenets of Mayor Bloomberg’s educational policy. As a principal, he made and presented DVDs of teachers who he felt had been made to look unfairly bad by their teacher effectiveness rating. He would present the DVD of their teaching to show that good teaching cannot always be quantified.
Brian Leavy DeVale, Principal of PS 257 and a close friend of Rubino’s, said, “Mr. Rubino was simply the best of us all. He represented the best of everything a community can offer.”
Leavy DeVale added, “He was a wonderful son, brother, father, educator, community leader and human being. Whether he was playing banjo or guitar at a fundraiser at his local church, coaching neighborhood kids in CYO basketball, mentoring young teachers or fellow principals, he was always a leader and a trusted and respected friend.
“He was one of those great shining stars,” he added. “Our community lost a giant today.”
**
Mr. Rubino will be interred at Evergreen Funeral Home, at 131 Nassau Avenue. Viewing times are: Wednesday, April 4, 2 to 5 pm; Thursday, April 5, 2 to 5 pm. Funeral mass will be held at St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church, at 84 Herbert Street.
In lieu of flowers, Mr. Rubino’s family would appreciate any donations be given to Rachel Cooper Foundation in Rego Park; Faith in the Future in Maspeth; and the IS 318 Chess Club.
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
90th Precinct: 5th Highest Incidence of ‘Stop and Frisk’
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By Karl Benson
Cops in the 90th Precinct performed the fifth-highest number of “stop and frisks” of any precinct in the city in 2011, according to NYPD data compiled by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
The 90th Precinct performed 17,566 stop and frisks last year, representing 48 per day and more than two per hour.
The 75th Precinct in East New York led the city with 31,100 stop and frisks, or 3.5 per hour. Brownsville 73rd Precinct was second, followed by the 115th in Jackson Heights and the 40th in South Bronx. 90th.
Last year, the NYPD conducted 684,330 stops, the highest number since the City Council began collecting data in 2002. That represents a 14 percent increase over 2010 and a astronomical 600 percent increase from 2002.
Twelve percent of these stops resulted in an arrest or summons, and one in every 66 stops resulted in an arrest for firearm possession.
Of the people stopped and frisked, 87 percent were black or Latino. In the 90th Precinct, whites accounted for 10 percent of the stops. Because of this, critics have alleged that the practice smacks of racial profiling.
“Stop and frisk as a policy is just an excuse for the NYPD to violate the civil rights of black and Latino residents,” said Esteban Duran, Chair of Community Board 1’s Education Committee.
“It’s a racist policy, and the NYPD would serve us better by trying to solve the white collar crimes that crashed our nation and the city’s economy rather than harassing young men of color.”
Supporters of the practice say that the make-up of stop and frisk suspects is pretty much in line with the make up of crime suspects overall. In an email to WNYC radio, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said blacks made up 53 percent of stop suspects and were 66 percent of violent crime suspects. Latinos made up 34 percent of stop suspects and 26 percent of violent crime suspects.
In order to initiate a stop and frisk, police have “reasonable suspicion” of involvement in a past crime or imminent involvement in a future crime. “Reasonable suspicion” is a lower standard than “probable cause” but a higher standard than merely a hunch. It is generally defined as being based on “specific and articulable facts… taken together with rational inferences from those facts.”
If an officer suspects a suspect to be in possession of a weapon, the officer is permitted to conduct a search of the suspect’s outer garments. The search must be limited in extent to what is necessary to discover weapons, but police can seize contraband – like drugs – discovered during the course of the search.
Critics say police frequently stretch the parameters of the search.
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
Alison Cordero Honored
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Lifetime Achievement Award for Tireless Community Advocate
Congratulations are in order for Alison Cordero, who last month received the Association of Neighborhood and Housing Development’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Neighborhood Activism.
For decades, Cordero has been on the front lines of the fight for affordable housing and social justice. As the longtime Deputy Director of Community Preservation for St. Nicks Alliance, an ANHD member organization, Cordero oversaw a department that helps around 3,000 North Brooklyn tenants and small homeowners each year.
In addition to her work at St. Nicks, Cordero is involved in many other community causes. Among them are her work for the Organizations United for Trash Reduction and Garbage Equity (better known locally as OUTRAGE), the New York State Advisory Council on Lead Poisoning, and the North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence.
“Alison always got the job done,” reads the ANHD congratulatory letter.
“Her impact in the local community can be seen in the community gardens created from rubble-strewn lots; a brand new 10,000-square-foot recreation facility at the Williamsburg Houses; the reduction in truck traffic and waste carried on our streets and the thousands of tenants who maintained their homes because of her intervention.”
kbenson @ April 6, 2012
