City Council Approves Bedford-Union Armory Redevelopment Plan

CROWN HEIGHTS – Despite The Legal Aid Society‘s attempt to block the City’s Bedford-Union Armory redevelopment plan, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced late Thursday that the City Council has voted to approve the project.

Legal Aid Society questions the methodology used to evaluate the potential for residential displacement in land use decisions and argues that even the developer’s recently modified plan lacks true affordability for Crown Heights residents.

At a press conference on Wednesday announcing their lawsuit to halt the project, the Legal Aid Society stated that the developer’s current proposal would exacerbate the potential for displacement in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. The plaintiffs noted that the City uses City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) to assess the potential for residential displacement, however, it only considers the impact on free-market residential units, which are deemed potentially vulnerable.

The Legal Aid Society’s attempt to obtain a temporary restraining order was denied yesterday, however the case will go to court on February 8, 2018.

“Over the past four years, we have proudly worked with Council Member Cumbo and the Crown Heights community to redevelop a vacant armory into a center of opportunity for this neighborhood,” NYC Economic Development Corporation President, James Patchett, said in a statement announcing the City Council’s vote.

“This project will deliver an accessible world-class recreation center, 250 units of affordable housing for families earning between $25,000 and $57,000 a year, and permanently affordable space for local non-profits. We thank Council Member Cumbo for her leadership, and her City Council colleagues for voting in support of a project that will serve the needs of families and residents in Crown Heights for generations to come.”