City Council investigating claims of tenant retaliation at NYCHA properties

[Photo of Carlina Rivera yesterday at City Hall via Twitter]

City Council members are taking action following published reports that a resident of the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D received an eviction notice after complaining about the NYCHA during a PIX-11 story earlier this month.

During a press conference at City Hall yesterday, New York City Council members Carlina Rivera (District 2) and Ritchie Torres (District 15), chair of the Council Committee on Oversight and Investigations, joined NYCHA residents and advocates to rally against negligent property managers at the Riis Houses. The elected officials say that the property managers are allegedly retaliating against residents who have gone public over the lack of repairs and possible lead exposure in their apartments.

Keshia Benjamin, a Riis Houses resident and organizer of the rally, had her apartment featured on PIX-11 earlier this month over numerous unrepaired health hazards, including leaking pipes that flooded her apartment, damaged doors and bathrooms, and pest, mold, and lead exposure.

Management at Riis Houses reportedly then sent Benjamin a notice that they were examining her record to possibly begin eviction processes for unpaid rent, even though Benjamin said that she had fully paid.

NYCHA officials denied any retaliation, the Daily News reported yesterday.

Following a query by the News, NYCHA officials said that Benjamin's termination notice has been canceled. Per the paper: "It was automatically generated because she had been delinquent on rent within a 12-month period, but has been rescinded because she is now up to date, a spokesperson said."

The spokesperson also said, "NYCHA does not retaliate against residents for any reason."

City Council members claim that Benjamin's story is not the only one at the Riis Houses, and "it appears that Riis property managers are held unaccountable by central staff at NYCHA and use that power to promote a culture of silence amongst residents looking for help."

The Council’s Committee on Oversight and Investigations is now investigating reported instances of retaliatory actions at Riis Houses, as well as the grievance process for tenants and the overall accountability structure within NYCHA.

In addition to the Council investigation, Rivera is planning to introduce legislation to create a formal grievance system so that NYCHA tenants can submit their complaints anonymously and have them investigated fairly. This piece of legislation comes after the recently introduced legislation from Council member Rafael Salamanca that would mandate performance reviews for NYCHA employees.

"NYCHA seems to be focused on moving bad actors around the system whenever they are in the spotlight and not on providing accountability," Rivera said at City Hall yesterday. "This simply cannot continue — the NYCHA must explain themselves in person for these actions."

About the ongoing issues with the NYCHA

[Avenue D and 10th Street]

On Friday, embattled NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye shared a letter with residents of the city's public housing. The letter, marking her fourth anniversary as chair, noted some progress at the agency as well as addressed failures in lead paint inspections and heating outages.

The NYCHA posted Olatoye's letter on Twitter Friday evening...

.@NYCHA Chair & CEO @SholaOlatoye marks 4 years of progress with an open letter to residents. #NextGenNYCHA pic.twitter.com/dZeo0t29VV

— NYCHA (@NYCHA) March 2, 2018

Olatoye and the NYCHA continue to make headlines in recent months. Per the Daily News on Saturday:

Olatoye has faced relentless calls to resign after it emerged that she falsely told the City Council in December that properly certified workers had inspected some 4,200 apartments for lead paint. A Department of Investigation probe found the inspections were in fact done by workers who lacked the required training.

Meanwhile, last month, Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, launched an investigation into the recurring heat and lead paint problems at NYCHA properties throughout the five boroughs, including in the East Village and Lower East Side.

At the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D, one resident said that she has just gotten used to the lack of heat, even telling ABC 7 last month that she knows better than to complain.

"Some of us that do have the heat, if we complained then there's no heat for the rest of the winter," Cynthia Martin told the station.

Martin also said that she has peeling paint in her apartment, "which she fears is lead paint. Not to mention mold, which she blames for her kids' asthma."

This past Tuesday, the Citywide Council of Presidents, a group of tenant leaders chosen by residents, asked a judge to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the NYCHA "because it has failed to provide heat and hot water, keep residents safe from lead, involve tenants in policymaking and hire residents, as required by federal regulations," per published reports.

Here's more background from The New York Times last week:

Three authority officials, including the general manager, Michael P. Kelly, have resigned, and one was demoted. There are persistent calls for the authority chairwoman, Shola Olatoye, to resign or be removed, though Mayor Bill de Blasio has remained supportive of her.

“Lots of different of organizations have sued Nycha, but this is a first,” Nicholas Dagen Bloom, an associate professor of social science at New York Institute of Technology and the author of “Public Housing That Worked: New York in the 20th Century,” said about the lawsuit. “It does show a mounting, spreading activist spirit. Generally speaking, that council was a rubber stamp and it has been widely criticized for decades, though not always fairly.”

At the Daily News yesterday, author Ben Austen weighed in with an opinion piece titled "NYCHA at the crossroads."

From that piece:

New York City is at a crossroads. If its public housing is allowed to deteriorate further, the buildings will soon seem too dilapidated to save. They will become more dangerous, the cost of repairs ever-more insurmountable.

Some terrible harm to residents will come to define NYCHA's cruelty, and the value of the real estate on which the buildings sit will emerge as an irresistible lure. By then, demolition will be hailed as the only solution.

But for hundreds of thousands NYCHA residents who live and work in the five boroughs, there is no other viable alternative. The city already operates by far the largest Section 8 voucher program in the country. With de Blasio pressing his plans to add 300,000 units of affordable housing, generally above the public housing income threshold, it just doesn't make sense to let this major share of the city's low-income portfolio fall into ruin.

For his part, Mayor de Blasio still reportedly has Olatoye's back, saying in late January that when assessing the totality of what the agency has accomplished during her tenure, she has made "tremendous progress."

"When Shola took office, the Housing Authority was literally teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. She righted the ship. So I want to give her a lot of credit," the mayor said at an unrelated press conference in the Bronx in January, as reported by the Post. "I continue to have great faith in her."

Other elected officials don't share that sentiment. Gov. Cuomo told WNYC last week that the NYCHA's numerous problems stem from poor management, not underfunding.

"When they tell you it takes us three to four years to spend money they get today, that is a problem," Cuomo said. "People can’t wait three to four years to turn on the heat. Lead paint is a problem today. And, that's what the residents are complaining about and I think they’re right."

The Mayor, in response, said that Cuomo was being ridiculous.

For further reading:
Why Can’t de Blasio’s Housing Authority Keep the Heat On? (The Village Voice)

City Seeks Proposals For Large New Residential Project at La Guardia Houses (The Lo-Down)

Whatever happened to the Two Boots Restaurant? Plus: NYCHA puts up two prime storefronts on Avenue A for rent

BoweryBoogie had an update on Two Boots LES (still closed!) yesterday. Meanwhile, I never did get my arms everything that had happened with the former Two Boots Restaurant that became ReBoot at 37 Avenue A near Third Street. It had been open since 1987. There were some family issues, and I had heard that owner Doris Kornish was having problems with the landlord, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). According to the ReBoot Web site:

2008 -- Lease ended in May and was not renewed by NYCHA. No negotiation or explanation was offered by NYCHA. In legal proceedings from May to September, up to four offers were made by ReBoot to renew the lease. NYCHA refused, even after instruction from a New York district judge to move forward with the lease renewal. New York City statutes state that a judge cannot force the renewal, but can strongly advise. Considerable amounts of money and time were squandered by NYCHA, although they constantly complain about being broke. With no willing communication from NYCHA, the restaurant is currently closed with all its equipment inside.

Meanwhile, there are "for rent" signs up...



I'm curious what will happen to the illustrations...I always rather liked them...



Meanwhile, the long-shuttered coffee shop at 41 Avenue A on the corner is also up for grabs. Last summer, Jeremiah reported the good news that the Essex Card Shop would be expanding into that space. Unfortunately, that deal with the NYCHA must have fallen through...there's a "for rent" sign at the old coffee spot now...the Essex Card shop is still in business (thank God).



Thinking about renting the spaces? Here are the details from the NYCHA Web site. Rent at 37 Avenue A is $57.50 per square foot;$86,250 per year -- $7,187.50 per month. And 41 Avenue A: $65.00 per square foot;$101,075 per year -- $8,422.92 per month.

NY Senators seek transparency and resident input in NYCHA infill proposal

From the EV Grieve inbox...

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman joined State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Ranking Member of the Senate’s Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee, in calling for a Senate hearing on the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) infill development plans.

NYCHA has targeted thirteen sites in eight public housing developments in New York City, which collectively have 11,037 apartment units housing 25,031 residents, for private, market-rate residential development with affordable components. The proposal offers 99-year ground leases of the NYCHA-owned land to private developers to raise revenue and help close gaps in NYCHA’s capital budget.

Despite calls by advocates, elected officials and other community stakeholders for full transparency, NYCHA’s plans for engaging input on infill development largely disenfranchise residents. Therefore, it is critical that elected officials provide meaningful oversight and Senators Hoylman and Espaillat believe that the State Senate Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee is the appropriate venue in which to do so. NYCHA is expected to release its Request for Proposals in April.

Hoylman said: “From misleading sales pitches about the benefits of infill development to vague flyers advertising so-called resident engagement meetings, it’s clear that NYCHA is not interested in real transparency and community input. While infill development has the potential to generate much-needed revenue to pay for long-overdue capital projects, NYCHA will only score a win for the communities it serves by truly listening to residents and advocates before determining whether and how to proceed.”

Previously.

A look at the backlogged work orders and violations of local New York City Public Housing properties

[Photo of Scott Stringer from Monday's press conference]

According to a damning audit that City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released on Monday, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) makes its residents wait for weeks, months and sometimes even years before fixing serious problems.

In addition, "NYCHA officials have repeatedly fixed the numbers in the their backlog of repair requests without actually fixing the problems," as the Daily News put it.

Per the report (find the summary here; the news release here):

The audit ... revealed that NYCHA drastically under-reported data on its maintenance backlog, failed to properly train staff to get rid of mold, mildew, and excessive moisture conditions in tenants’ apartments, and fell dramatically short when it came to meeting its own deadlines for repairs.

The audit also found that the NYCHA routinely closed non-emergency work orders if residents were not home when workers visited their apartments. In total, the audit found 55,000 backlogged repairs ... while it took the NYCHA an average of 370 days to fix safety violations.

We asked Stringer's office for the stats on NYCHA properties in the East Village and Lower East Side.

The work order backlog numbers are as of July 2014 and violations are as of September 2014:

• 45 Allen Street: 42 backlogged work orders, 4 outstanding building violations
• Baruch Houses: 904 backlogged work orders, 55 outstanding building violations
• Bracetti Plaza: 20 backlogged work orders, 2 outstanding building violations
• Campos Plaza: 87 backlogged work orders, 5 outstanding building violations
• First Houses: 19 backlogged work orders, 1 outstanding building violation
• Gompers Houses: 147 backlogged work orders, 9 outstanding building violations
• LaGuardia Houses: 275 backlogged work orders, 26 outstanding building violations
• LES Consolidated: 180 backlogged work orders, 30 outstanding building violations
• Meltzer Tower: 60 backlogged work orders, 1 outstanding building violation
• Riis: 718 backlogged work orders, 43 outstanding building violations
• Seward Park Extension: 121 backlogged work orders, 16 outstanding violations
• Smith: 468 backlogged work orders, 32 outstanding violations
• Vladeck Houses: 335 backlogged work orders, 42 outstanding violations
• Wald: 330 backlogged work orders, 8 outstanding violations

For their part, NYCHA officials said that Stringer was recycling old data.

Per DNAinfo:

"Reviewing old work order data from January 1, 2013 — July 31, 2014, the audit measure a long-acknowledged, well-documented issue, which the new leadership at NYCHA was brought onboard to fix," NYCHA Chief Communications Officer Jean Weinberg said in a statement.

Stringer is "recommending investing in technology to track repairs in New York City’s public housing similar to the CompStat program that the Police Department uses to map and respond to crime," per The New York Times.

[Updated]: Unsafe levels of arsenic found in the drinking water at Riis Houses; when did city officials know?

Updated below

The NYCHA has said it has found traces of arsenic in the tap water at the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D. 

Signs in circulation around the complex between Sixth Street and 13th Street starting last night warned residents not to drink the water or use it for cooking indefinitely. According to the posted notices, the levels of arsenic are above levels considered safe by EPA standards.

In a bombshell report by The City, NYC officials were informed of tests showing traces of arsenic two weeks ago. However, officials didn't react until last night when the news outlet asked about the findings. 

Mayor Adams showed up to distribute bottled water at the Riis Houses last night around 10 ...

JUST IN: @NYCMayor joins officials and volunteers to distribute water bottles at @NYCHA’s Jacob Riis Houses. pic.twitter.com/By7EdPoXUk

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) September 3, 2022

An NYCHA spokesperson said the results from the tests only came back yesterday.

The report that NYCHA found arsenic in the drinking water at the Riis houses before notifying residents is deeply concerning.

NYCHA residents deserve clear communication and immediate access to clean water.⁰⁰My office is following the situation closely.https://t.co/OQ72N0HCb3

— Comptroller Brad Lander (@NYCComptroller) September 3, 2022

⚠️ RIIS WATER UPDATE: We’re alarmed by yesterday’s news at Riis Houses. We’ve been on site ensuring families have updates + drinkable water. As we await more test results, DO NOT consume water from the building.

NYCHA + DOHMH must give answers on previous findings + remediation.

— NYC Council Member Carlina Rivera (@CMCarlinaRivera) September 3, 2022

Per Gothamist: 

Levels of arsenic above 10 parts per billion can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, paralysis, and blindness, and prolonged exposure can lead to several types of cancer, according to the EPA. The mayor's office declined to say how high arsenic levels detected were. 

Over 2,600 people live at the Jacob Riis Houses.

I don’t know what to say. Other than my mom lives in this development and it’s a really scary situation. https://t.co/kidQg65YPs

— John M. Blasco (@JBlascoNYC) September 3, 2022

Updated 9/5

Here's more from a new story at The City:

According to an internal NYCHA email obtained by THE CITY, DOHMH [Department of Health & Mental Hygiene] doesn’t believe the contaminant emanates from the water supply but is somehow coming from the plumbing system at Riis itself. 

A key concern for DOHMH is whether construction from ongoing work related to damage inflicted 10 years ago by Superstorm Sandy, as well as current work on the development’s heating system, have stirred up the soil and contributed to the contamination of the water.  

From CBS New York:

NYCHA's federally imposed watchdog monitor, Bart Schwartz, notified NYCHA officials to "ensure the integrity of any inquiry," and for the safety of residents "preserve all documents related to this issue"... including electronic and paper communications, test results and timelines. 

Rosie Mendez leads call on NYCHA officials to improve infill development process

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Friday at 9 a.m. on the steps of City Hall, City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, Chair of the Committee on Public Housing, and Council Members Margaret Chin and Melissa Mark-Viverito will be joined by other elected officials, Tenant Association Presidents, community organizations, advocates and concerned residents as they hold a press conference to demand that the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) improve the Infill Development process to empower residents.

The Council Members will then proceed to Council Chambers in City Hall to conduct an oversight hearing of NYCHA’s Infill Development/land lease proposal and to consider a resolution that calls on NYCHA to “engage its residents in planning for and to include certain requirements in any ground leases for NYCHA land.”

In addition to the provisions in the resolution, the Council members will call on NYCHA to hold themselves to a “gold standard” of resident and community engagement, including, without limitation:

• Additional time between Infill meetings at affected developments so that all affected Tenant Associations and residents can secure independent legal and technical assistance to review plans and make meaningful comments

• Additional time between now and the release of the RFP — including a third meeting where residents and their “technical advisory team” can review a draft RFP and comment upon it before it is released

• NYCHA must ensure that all comments on the Infill plans are addressed and responded to; they must also provide a paper based system (to compliment the online portal) that captures the comments of those who do not have internet access. Lastly, suggestions should be centrally posted and logged for all residents to review

• NYCHA should commit to full Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) review for each Infill site, ensuring that the community has an effective voice in the process and that additional considerations and interconnected issues that major development presents are unilaterally addressed

Previously on EV Grieve:
Outrage over proposal to turn the green space at the Meltzer Tower into private development (35 comments)

Here's what's in store for Campos Plaza under the city's land-leasing plan (16 comments)

Here's what's in store for Campos Plaza under the city's land-leasing plan

More details are emerging about the city's controversial plan to lease playground and community-center space to developers within public housing areas.

Via The Lo-Down, we've learned that the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) finally posted details on the spaces that will be earmarked for private development.

Here's what's planned at Campos Plaza (image above) via the NYCHA website:

East 12th Street Site

Site Area: 26,122 SF (Approximate)
New Construction: 90,000 SF of Residential Floor Area (Approximate)
Note: 20% of proposed residential units will be available to households at or BELOW 60% of Area Median Income (AMI)*

Current Uses on Land Lease Site(s)
• 45 Parking Spaces
• Compactor Yard
• Basketball & Handball Courts
Note: NYCHA will continue to provide parking spaces for all NYCHA residents with a current legal parking permit.

Benefits for Campos Plaza Residents
• Central Plaza redesign with resident consultation
• Preference for new low-income apartments
• Emergency power generation for critical building systems
• Temporary and permanent job opportunities
• Enhanced security for development

According to the Lo-Down, the plan would see "a total of 2,026 new apartments on the Lower East Side — about 400 of them designated as permanently affordable."

Of course, all this info arrives with about a month to go before the city will issue Request for Proposals for eight NYCHA properties in NYC.

Meanwhile, tonight, Smith Houses reps are boycotting the "public information" meeting about the plan. Per their news release:

“The Tenants’ Association Exec. Committee asked NYCHA to reschedule the meeting in order to give residents at least a 10-day notice and opportunity to review the proposals, but NYCHA is deciding to go ahead anyway. The Authority is making it seem as though their plan is a done-deal and residents just have to put up with it.”

As the Daily News first reported in February, the NYCHA expects to generate $31 million to $46 million in annual lease payments, "all of which will go toward fixing up deteriorating buildings. The agency currently has a backlog of 420,000 repair orders and faces a $60 million budget gap annually."

Local elected officials, NYCHA reps get firsthand look at the problems at Mariana Bracetti Plaza

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

In a follow up to our initial story on the living conditions at Mariana Bracetti Plaza housing, local elected officials, a representative from Community Board 3 and NYCHA deputies met with tenant activists Kanielle Hernandez and Yvette Maria this past Thursday to view the buildings and grounds and map a plan for change here on at the complex on Third Street and Fourth Street along Avenue C. 

Present were District 2 City Councilmember Carlina Rivera and her assistant Irak Cehonski, NYCHA Deputy Director for Security Safety Strategies Andre Cirilo, NYCHA Regional Asset Manager Brenda Allen, State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and his Chief of Staff John Blasco (who has been particularly active in assisting people living in public housing) and Community Board 3’s District Manager Susan Stetzer. 

The group did a walkthrough to inspect the conditions of the buildings, making note of what needed to be done on both city and state levels to effect change. 

During the tour, the group witnessed and discussed flooding, leaks, sewage and infrastructure issues, broken door locks, cracked pavements, sidewalk shed safety concerns, trespassing, nonfunctioning elevators, biohazards, and PSA4 (housing police) response, drug use and busted locks.

The tenant activists are hoping to start a tenant patrol and resident association, as well as partner with NYCHA and elected officials to bring about change in the quality-of-life conditions. 

After the tour, I talked with Kanielle to see what has happened after our story was published this past Jan. 14, what is currently occurring, and what she sees in the future.

How did you feel when your tenant activism brought together city, state, and NYCHA representatives to help fix the conditions you detailed in your interview?

I felt great. I walked away feeling hopeful and thankful. I know everyone is busy but having them all come and hear us was amazing. The energy was one of unity. We took turns talking and listening. It felt nice to meet them in person and actually interact with one another. 

A divided community doesn’t get heard. It gets abandoned and taken over. The more we come together and unite our skills and resources we can identify, understand, and resolve the issues more effectively. 

Can you speak a bit about what happened after the story was published?

 

Since the story has published it seems like a lot has happened. Sadly, though a man was shot and killed on the corner of Third Street and Avenue C. There has been a lot more police presence in the building and the community since the shooting. Our front door was also fixed. And there seems to be fewer drug addicts waiting around in front of our building.

 

The walkthrough was put together by Assemblyman Harvey Epstein’s team. They reached out to me after the story was published and set up a conference call. Harvey, Aura [Olavarria] and John [Blasco] have been great. I also met Carlina Rivera and her team and two NYCHA representatives. I have connected with a lot of new people from the neighborhood. Most of them also dealing with a lot of the same issues.

 

What do you see going forward? What are some of the resolutions proposed at today's meeting?

 
Moving forward I see a lot of positive results. I see more unity in agencies, NYPD and the community. 
 
NYCHA has a resident watch division. It’s a part of the tenant patrol program. Tenant patrol is currently inactive due to COVID. The resident watch has created a tip-line number, which can be reached anonymously. It’s for the tenants so they can now report things like homeless addicts sleeping in our hallway, or getting high in the staircases.
 
And for neighbors that allow their guests to disrespect our building with illegal activity or inconsiderate behavior. For example, groups of people smoking, drinking and playing loud music in the hallways. Or neighbors that let their dogs piss and shit in the hallways and don’t clean it up. 

For the tenants who refuse to stop smoking cigarettes in the elevators. Your apartment will be given a warning. The security cameras work and the resident watch department has access to them. 
 
I would hate to see anyone lose their apartment over things that can be adjusted. Wait until you go outside to light your cigarette. Play your music but if the walls are vibrating then it’s just a li’l too loud. I’m not saying stop playing the music, I’m asking to simply lower it to a reasonable and considerate volume. Remind your guests when they visit to act accordingly. 

And if they are visiting you and are caught soliciting in the hallway or staircase then your apartment will receive a warning. A second warning will be an official complaint to management. Hopefully, tenants and their guests will get on board with the new boundaries set in place with the intention to restore peace and safety in our building. 
 
Another NYCHA representative took pictures and noted the building conditions and said she would work on NYCHA’s part. And the elected officials are doing their part by staying on top of the issues and working toward getting outreach programs for the homeless. Everyone seems on board with working together to rectify the issues at hand. 

And I have been busy with research, emails, meetings, and tons of phone calls. Gaining knowledge is imperative to pursuing this the right way. Along with a lot of patience and gratitude. 
 
What are some of the reactions (positive or negative) you received from neighbors?

The story received such positive feedback! And a lot of support, which I’m extremely grateful for. It’s been super encouraging. To the people who left such nice comments, thank you! You’re awesome and appreciated. It showed me that I wasn’t the only one with the same feelings and concerns for the conditions of our building and neighborhood. 
 
There actually hasn’t been much in terms of negative reactions. At least none that I’m aware of. Hopefully, I’m not jinxing it [laughs]. But my intention is not to cause any more negativity. I don’t know what the future holds for our building and our community as a whole, but I do intend to continue speaking up until we see the changes we want and deserve.
 
Anyone — all inquiries will remain anonymous — interested in hearing more or has any questions and/or concerns can email us at ourcommunityisyourcommunityles@gmail.com and/or sign the petition here.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Residents say dangerous safety conditions at Mariana Bracetti Plaza lead to illegal and hazardous activities

• Another look at conditions in and around the Mariana Bracetti Plaza public housing complex  

NYCHA officials appear before City Council: The latest from the Riis Houses water scandal

NYCHA officials appeared before City Council yesterday in an emergency hearing to answer questions about the agency's "lethargic response" to complaints about cloudy water and positive arsenic test results at the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D (Previously on EVG)... 

• NYCHA admits knowing of "cloudy water" at Riis Houses months before arsenic scare (Daily News) 

• NYC wants answers after tainted water scare (ABC 7) 

• Lab behind botched water tests at Jacob Riis Houses not authorized to perform work in NY, public housing officials say (Gothamist) 

• NYCHA could have fast tracked 24-hour water tests. Instead, it decided to wait weeks for results. (The City) 

• Malfunctioning water tank now under scrutiny as root of NYCHA arsenic crisis (The City)

Today, @NYCCouncil is holding an emergency hearing to investigate NYCHA’s response to concerns over water safety at Jacob Riis Houses.

For weeks we have demanded accountability and full transparency from NYCHA. We expect that today.

My opening remarks ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/103nB89ZsK

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) September 23, 2022

Developers eye air rights at Campos Plaza for long-stalled 14th Street development

[The long-stalled 644 E. 14th St.]

Back in December, Mayor de Blasio announced that the New York City Housing Authority would sell its unused air rights to developers for the first time ever as part of plan called NYCHA 2.0.

The cash-strapped NYCHA said that it would transfer a portion of its 80-million square feet of air rights to generate $1 billion in capital repairs for nearby developments.

PincusCo examined city records to find that several developers have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby the city for these air rights.

Many familiar names are on the list. According to the PincusCo investigation, Madison Realty Capital hired one of the city’s most active government lobbying firms, Capalino+Company, to approach NYCHA about the air rights at Campos Plaza II adjacent to the long-stalled development at 644 E. 14th St. at Avenue C.

Per PincusCo:

Madison Realty is not the fee owner, but the lender on the project. The property owner, Shulamit and Shaya Prager’s Opal Realty, purchased 644 East 14th Street for $23 million in 2016, from the Rabsky Group. At the same time, Opal borrowed $52 million from Madison Realty Capital.

How the firm will obtain air rights from NYCHA for its site is not clear, however, because the adjacent NYCHA development, Campos Plaza II, has no available residential air rights, according to a PincusCo Media analysis of city land use records.

That said, Madison Realty almost certainly has a legitimate strategy to obtain air rights. The firm may be seeking an upzoning on the NYCHA parcel, which would make air rights available.

Or alternately, the developers may be seeking a lot merger with two other tax lots co-owned by NYCHA that have more than 300,000 square feet of community facility space available. That would allow the developers to build, for example, a college dormitory space for students. Scores of New York University students live in apartments across the street at Stuyvesant Town. Madison Realty did not respond to a request for comment.

As previously reported (see the links at the bottom of this post), the pre-air-rights plans called for a 15-story residential building with space for a health-care facility.


[The most recent rendering of the development]

There hasn't been much, if any, activity at this southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue C in 15-plus months. According to city records, the new building permits expired in December. As the PincusCo report notes, this stall may be intentional. "With additional air rights, the project could presumably be larger."

Also, in late January, the Commercial Observer reported that Second Avenue Deli owner Jeremy Lebewohl filed a $10 million lawsuit alleging that his five-story residential building at 642 E. 14th St. sustained damages by the foundation work next door at No. 644.

As for the currently stalled new development, here's a rehash of the info I received on the project in September 2016:

Madison Realty Capital (MRC), an institutionally-backed real estate investment firm focused on real estate equity and debt investments in the middle markets, provided a $52.0 million first mortgage loan for the acquisition of a development site in the East Village and construction of an approved 76,259 square foot mixed use development on the site.

The plans for 644 East 14th Street include 50 residential units, 8,064 square feet of retail space with 200 feet of frontage on 14th Street and Avenue C, and 21,575 square feet of community facility space.

The property is located at the corner of 14th Street and Avenue C, along the Northern border of the East Village and directly across the street from Stuyvesant Town. Residential units will offer contemporary finishes and large balconies with East River views. The borrower is currently finalizing a lease with a major New York hospital to occupy the entire community facility portion of the new building.

This corner property previously housed the single-level R&S Strauss auto parts store, which closed in April 2009.

In 2015, Madison Realty loaned $124 million to Rafael Toledano, a then 25 year old with no track record as a landlord so that he could buy a portfolio of 15 buildings, mostly in the East Village. He eventually defaulted on Madison's loan.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Development back in play for East 14th Street and Avenue C

More details on the sale of 644 E. 14th St.

Here comes a 15-story retail-residential complex for East 14th Street and Avenue C

Prepping the former R&S Strauss auto parts store for demolition on East 14th Street and Avenue C

City OKs 15-story mixed-use retail-residential building on 14th and C

14th and C now waiting for the Karl Fischer-designed 15-story retail-residential complex

14th and C still waiting for its Karl Fischer-designed retail-residential complex

Report: New owners for the empty lot at 14th Street and Avenue C

With City Council vote looming, NYCHA residents speak out against East Side stormproofing plan

[Along East River Park]

The City Council's final vote on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR), the $1.45 billion proposal to protect the East Side from future storms and rising sea levels, is expected on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, this morning, the City Council Committee on Land Use will weigh in with a vote at 11.

Ahead of these crucial votes, the community pushback continues. Late last week, a group called NYCHA Speaks circulated a letter and petition "to speak out against the lies that are being told at our expense. We are not in favor of the demolition of our park!"

Their letter, sent to local elected officials, states in part:

These petitions are being submitted to you on behalf of nearly 2,000 NYCHA residents of Lillian Wald, Jacob Riis, and Baruch Houses.

These signatures have been collected over the past weeks to show that the vast majority of NYCHA residents do NOT support Option 4 of the ESCR plan. The East River Park has been a vital part of our community for generations, and the demolition of our park will have a devastating impact on the health and stability of our families.

To name just a few of our many concerns:

· The release of contaminants into the air during the demolition and landfill phases. We already suffer a high rate of asthma in our community.

· The negative effects of the loss of much of our local green space (including almost 1,000 mature trees) during the many years of construction. There are thousands of NYCHA families that depend on the East River Park for recreation, school sports, relaxation and family gatherings — in a community that has few alternatives.

Because this plan to demolish and bury the East River Park has received widespread opposition from the community overall, it has been particularly troubling to see how the DDC and City officials have used a very small handful of NYCHA representatives as their “vote of support.”

The staged appearances of these same 2 or 3 individuals in almost every ESCR Town Hall and Public Hearing has slowly created an outrage among NYCHA residents. These individuals are not speaking truthfully for their community! This petitioning effort is a reaction to what we considered was false representation on our behalf.

The Lillian Wald, Jacob Riis, and Baruch Houses suffered the impact of Hurricane Sandy firsthand, and we are aware of the need for flood protection. However, we do not want to sacrifice our park. We see the City’s push to demolish and bury the East River Park as an assault on our history, and on our continued presence in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. We understand that construction will need to be done to protect the neighborhood from flooding, but do not support the current plan that the City has chosen.

Last Monday, the City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Sitings and Dispositions voted for the plan.

Before the subcommittee vote, Mayor de Blasio announced the formation of a new community advisory group that will provide input on the design and construction progress in East River Park.

No word on who exactly will be part of this "community advisory group."

On Thursday night, officials from the Department of Design & Construction are scheduled to present updates on the plan before Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront & Resiliency Committee. That public meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the BRC Senior Services Center, 30 Delancey St. between Chrystie and Forsyth.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Dutch consultant files report on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (Oct. 11)

• More details on the city's new plan to keep East River park partially open during flood protection construction (Oct. 3)

• At the march and rally to save East River Park (Sept. 21)

• An annual reunion in East River Park (Aug. 4)

• A visit to East River Park (July 10)

52 new security cameras arrive at Campos Plaza

News release from the EV Grieve inbox...

New York City Council Member Rosie Méndez, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairman John B. Rhea, and Campos Plaza Resident Association President Dereese Huff formally announced the completed installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in targeted areas of NYCHA’s Campos Plaza I and II. The cameras should greatly enhance security and reduce the likelihood and incidence of crime at the development. NYCHA is only able to provide this additional security because of discretionary funding provided by elected officials such as Council Member Méndez.

“The safety and security of our residents is of great importance to NYCHA, and installing CCTV cameras deters crime and enhances the quality of life of our residents,” said NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea. “Through our roadmap for providing safe and secure housing for our residents, Plan NYCHA, we have been actively working with all public housing community stakeholders, including the NYPD, to ensure that issues of safety and security are addressed through a more collaborative approach.”

The City Council capital funding at Campos Plaza provided for 52 new cameras located in all 4 buildings and the infrastructure to connect all the cameras to a Security Operations Center, where all cameras can be viewed in one place. NYCHA, the NYPD, and Resident Association leaders worked together to determine camera locations at each building. The CCTV security systems are strategically placed to monitor key areas such as building entrances, street corners, elevators, and equipment rooms. The NYPD can access footage in cases of reported criminal activity.

Serena Solomon at DNAinfo covered the event today at Campos Plaza between East 12th Street and East 13th Street off of Avenue C. You can read her report here.

Work set to begin on 14+C, the 24-floor building coming to 14th Street and Avenue C

Work looks ready to commence inside the long-empty lot on the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue C. 

In the past week, workers have boarded up the corner of what will be 644 E. 14th St. ...

... and brought in the heavy equipment...

Madison Realty Capital apparently has the green light (DOB approved the permits earlier in the year) for a 24-story residential building here (and apparently the city addressed the contamination reported on the site). 

The rendering for the all-new 644 E. 14th St. is up on the plywood...

Plans for a development this size were first unveiled in June 2022. The 234-foot-tall building will be known as 14+C, according to the Fischer + Makooi Architects website. 

Details: 

14+C is a luxury rental with a modern façade composed of terracotta panels and window wall. 

The building houses 197 apartments ranging from studio, 1 & 2 Bedroom.

No word on how many "affordable" units will be included in 14+C, one of the stipulations for being allowed to build a larger (by nine floors) building.

There were already approved plans for a 15-floor mixed-use building, though no affordable units were attached to that version. As revealed in the spring of 2021, several developers spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby the city for NYCHA air rights to make this a larger structure with more housing.

In the spring of 2022, the NYCHA and Madison Realty Capital filed documents seeking a non-ULURP modification — known as an LSRD — to the development plan. (Madison Realty Capital paid Opal Holdings $31.3 million for the property in May 2020; Opal Holdings bought the parcel in June 2016 for $23 million.)

Here were some of the maneuverings necessary to expand the footprint of the building, as first reported by PincusCo:

The application seeks to modify the boundaries of the previously approved plans and zoning calculations by expanding the zoning lot to include 644 East 14th Street (Block 396, Lot 29). Through the zoning lot merger, the development rights from the existing LSRD comprised of Campos Plaza I and II, which are owned by a joint venture that includes NYCHA ... can be transferred to Block 396, Lot 29, a vacant property owned by Madison Realty Capital.

In June 2022, Community Board 3 signed off on the plan, which was expected to generate $19.5 million for the NYCHA, to be exclusively used at the adjacent Campos Plaza II for capital repairs and other programmatic needs as determined by a community planning process involving NYCHA and the residents of Campos Plaza II.

A previous post on the development has more background, including some opposition to the building. Per one resident: "While we are all for the development of that corner ... and the affordable housing element of the plans, we are not happy with the sheer size of the footprint and the excessive height that goes along with the proposal." There are also concerns about what the excavation work might do to the adjacent buildings on 14th Street.

The corner property has been in a stalled-development mode for years. This space last housed the single-level R&S Strauss auto parts store, which closed in April 2009.

No. 644 has an August 2025 completion date, per the rendering.

H/T Delphine!

Here's what the city has planned for open space at Meltzer Tower

This week, more details emerged about the city's plan to lease playground and community-center space to developers within public housing areas. On Wednesday, we looked at the plans for Campos Plaza.

In the image above, you'll see what's in store for the Meltzer Tower off of East First Street between First Avenue and Avenue A (via the NYCHA website):

Max Meltzer Tower on Manhattan's Lower East Side is a 20-story building exclusively for seniors with 230 apartments housing an estimated 246 residents.

Meltzer Tower has a $10.5 million unmet need for capital building improvements over the next 5 years.

Proposed Development on Land Lease Site(s)
East 1st Street Site
Site Area: 13,000 SF (Approximate)
New Construction: 121,500 SF of Residential Floor Area (Approximate)
18,500 SF of Commercial Floor Area (Approximate)
97 New Apartments

Current Uses on Land Lease Site(s)
-Landscaped Seating Area

Benefits for Meltzer Tower Residents
-Redesigned Central Plaza with resident participation
-Preference for new low-income apartments
-Emergency power generation for critical building systems
-Temporary and permanent job opportunities
-Enhanced security for development

Here's the presentation that officials gave on March 13.

NYCHA Infill Sites Presentation for Resident Meeting 3-13-13 (Meltzer Tower) from NYCHA Nyc-Housing

A reader pointed us to the FAQs for the proposal.

Wouldn’t this be disruptive to the community?
Construction would not take place forever, and would be conducted in a strictly monitored fashion. Additionally, construction would generate job opportunities for NYCHA residents. Once the new building is in place, there would also be additional, permanent job opportunities for NYCHA residents to pursue.

Report: Latest woe for St. Mark's Bookshop — possible eviction

[EVG file photo]

According to published reports, St. Mark's Bookshop is in danger of losing its home since July 2014 on East Third Street. The storefront in the First Houses between Avenue A and First Avenue is owned by the NYCHA, who reportedly started the eviction process this past July.

Per DNAinfo: "NYCHA ... said the shop owes $68,361.70 as of this month — a combination of its monthly $6,180 rent, as well as an additional $68.94 in monthly water charges."

Bookshop co-owner Bob Contant told DNAinfo that his attorney was working to get the notice dismissed because "there were a lot of problems with the way the notice was served." While Contant said that the Bookshop was behind on rent, the amount that he and his business partner Terry McCoy owe is less than what the NYCHA is claiming. ("The city has one figure, we have another. We're not on the same page.")

There is more information about the eviction at Bedford + Bowery, who first reported on this. And read the full DNAinfo story here, which includes a statement from the NYCHA.

According to an article in May 2014 at The New York Times, the Bookshop's rent is $6,000 at the East Third Street location, roughly one-quarter of the $23,500 charged by their landlord on Third Avenue, the Cooper Union.

The owners return to court on Jan. 20, though they must pay $6,180 to the NYCHA before the case resumes.

On Nov. 30, the Bookshop launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $150,000 that it needs to stay in business. As of last night, the campaign had brought in $18,756.

The Bookshop is now in its 39th year, spread over several East Village locations.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A.

Is this the new home for the St. Mark's Bookshop?

Report: St. Mark's Bookshop signs lease for East 3rd Street space

Renovations at the future St. Mark's Bookshop on East 3rd Street

St. Mark's Bookshop seeking buyers with an ownership interest

Report: Last stand for St. Mark's Bookshop

Proposed plans now call for a 24-story residential building on 14th Street and Avenue C

Updated 6/15: L+M Development Partners is not a developer in this project. According to a spokesperson, L+M's only role was assisting NYCHA in selling air rights. The post has been modified to reflect this.

There are proposed plans to build a 24-story, 166-unit residential building — including 50 "affordable" units — at the long-vacant lot on the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue C. The development would include retail space and a community facility. 

Tonight, CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee will hear a presentation from reps for New York City Housing Authority and Madison Realty Capital. 

The corner property — 644 E. 14th St. — has been in a stalled-development mode for years. (This corner property last housed the single-level R&S Strauss auto parts store, which closed in April 2009.) 

There are already approved plans here for a 15-floor mixed-use building, though there aren't any affordable units attached to this version. As revealed in the spring of 2021, several developers spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby the city for NYCHA air rights to make this a larger structure with more housing.

This past spring, the NYCHA and Madison Realty Capital filed documents seeking a non-ULURP modification — known as an LSRD — to the development plan.

PincusCo first reported on this. Per their report:

The application seeks to modify the boundaries of the previously approved plans and zoning calculations by expanding the zoning lot to include 644 East 14th Street (Block 396, Lot 29). Through the zoning lot merger, the development rights from the existing LSRD comprised of Campos Plaza I and II, which are owned by a joint venture that includes NYCHA ... can be transferred to Block 396, Lot 29, a vacant property owned by Madison Realty Capital.

According to a presentation posted to the CB3 website, the benefits of this air-rights deal would: 

• "Generate revenue for NYCHA, which will fund repairs exclusively at Campos Plaza II."

• "Enhance the pedestrian experience for both Campos Plaza and the surrounding community with new ground floor retail, ground floor community facility, lighting and new street trees." 

• "Provide additional affordable housing units pursuant to the Affordable New York Program Option B." 

• "MRC will commit to a resident hiring plan."

The presentation includes a rendering of the proposed building, a "massing evolution" and a slide on the "appropriateness of height" ... 

As previously reported, Madison Realty Capital paid Opal Holdings $31.3 million for the property in May 2020. Opal Holdings bought the parcel in June 2016 for $23 million. 

Concerns over new plans

Meanwhile, there are concerns about the plan for the larger-scale development.

One group of locals started a Facebook group to help notify residents of the ongoing plans at No. 644.

"While we are all for the development of that corner ... and the affordable housing element of the plans, we are not happy with the sheer size of the footprint and the excessive height that goes along with the proposal," one of the organizers told EVG. "We believe it will have countless negative effects on the local community and is out of place in this neighborhood. One major, immediate concern is that they have done little outreach and have kept plans for the project very quiet, which seems to be an obvious strategy to avoid any scrutiny from the local public."

Before a presentation last month prior to CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee, Tenants Taking Control, a group of 100-plus long-term tenants in 15 East Village buildings owned by Madison Realty Capital, spoke out against the plans.

In a "warning letter" to CB3 members and other local elected officials, the group, which has had Madison Realty Capital as a landlord since 2017, alleged: "We believe from first-hand experience that they disregard East Village tenant and community needs for their own financial benefit."

Tonight's committee meeting starts at 6:30. You can find the Zoom link here. 

News roundup: Feds say that the NYCHA covered up public housing dangers for years

BREAKING: In a blistering new report, Feds find NYCHA managers lied for years about squalid conditions; City agrees to pay $2 billion and appoint a federal monitor https://t.co/wihP4BFBGL via @NYDNGregSmith pic.twitter.com/dMv6k50sKA

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) June 11, 2018

Here are some excerpts from today's news coverage about how the city reportedly covered up dangerous public health conditions at NYCHA properties for the past eight years.

Via The New York Times:

The federal government on Monday delivered a withering rebuke of New York City’s housing authority, accusing officials of systematic misconduct, indifference and outright lies in the management of the nation’s oldest and largest stock of public housing.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said the authority, which houses at least 400,000 poor and working-class residents, covered up its actions, training its staff on how to mislead federal inspectors and presenting false reports to the government and to the public about its compliance with lead-paint regulations. The failures endangered tenants and workers for years, the prosecutors said, and potentially left more children than previously known poisoned by lead paint in their apartments.

Via Politico:

The report concludes a two-year investigation into one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's biggest managerial failings.

De Blasio signed a consent decree with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan that commits the city to $1 billion over four years and $200 million in subsequent years to fix dire conditions throughout the housing authority's 325 complexes.

In doing so, he took more ownership of an agency whose head he appoints but which is legally a responsibility of the federal government. Any changes will be made under the watch of a federally appointed monitor.

Via NBC 4:

As a result of the settlement, NYCHA will now have to create three new departments: one for compliance, one for environmental health and safety, and one for quality assurance.

Via the Post's coverage of the news conference with Mayor de Blasio:

When a New York Times reporter suggested the mayor had been forced to sign the decree by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, rather than agreeing to it willingly, Hizzoner blew up.

“It was not forced, it was a decision, my friend. Seriously my friend, you represent a rather prestigious journalistic entity. Do not put words in someone’s mouth. That’s really not cool,” the mayor said. “I was not forced for a minute. I had the choice if I wanted to do something different to do something different. So really try and respect the truth.”

Earlier in the day, de Blasio issued a statement blaming NYCHA’s problems on "decades" of underfunding by the federal and state government, and "neglect" by prior city administrations.

You may read the consent decree here ... and the complaint here.