Thursday, February 13, 2025, 12 P.M.
Committee Room, City Hall
Good afternoon, I am Council Member Shahana Hanif and I represent the 39th District in Brooklyn. Thank you, Chairs Kevin Riley and Rafael Salamanca for holding today’s hearings and including the 441 & 467 Prospect Avenue Rezoning, also known as the Arrow Linen Rezoning, on the agenda. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to every constituent who has shared their position on this project throughout the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). I’d like to specifically thank Housing Not High Rises, Community Board 7, and of course, the entire Windsor Terrace community for your advocacy. The project before the Committee today is stronger because of your engagement.
I am proud to support this critical project which if approved, will provide desperately needed affordable housing in Windsor Terrace. Since the project was previously brought before the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on January 9th, we’ve been able to secure a number of key modifications and negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that prioritizes the two key issues that constituents raised throughout every step of the ULURP: affordability and height.
The original proposal was for an R7-1 development, two 13 story buildings but with no height limit and the potential to be even taller, with 25% affordable units under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) Option 1. The proposal in front of the Committee today is an R7A development and a legally-binding commitment in a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) to build 250 units in two 10 story buildings and 100 affordable units, making 40% of the units permanently affordable. Of these affordable units, over half would be 2- and 3-bedroom apartments to ensure that families can continue to make Windsor Terrace their home.
The Community Benefits Agreement also includes subsidized community space for Sakhi for South Asian Survivors, a local organization that serves survivors of domestic violence, and a childcare center run by a local provider. The applicant has also committed to the creation of a Construction Task Force that will engage my office and constituents to ensure continued accountability and that construction is as least disruptive as possible for residents. Further, through partnership and an agreement with 32BJ, the developer has given credible commitment to create good jobs for New Yorkers. The development will also include a green roof that will improve energy efficiency and beautify the space, as well as other elements that address flood mitigation, such as bioswales, and water retention equipment in each of the buildings.
The terms of the CBA between the applicant and the CBA administrative partner, Fifth Avenue Committee, make sure that this project will fulfill multiple neighborhood needs. Fifth Avenue Committee is a trusted community institution that has worked on the implementation of several successful CBAs.
Regarding height, our negotiations were informed by a number of constituents who have advocated for a shorter development. I am excited that we were able to meet this goal by reducing the number of stories in the project from thirteen to ten. Thanks to a new bulkier design, we were able to secure this height reduction without impacting the total count of 250 units. This is a win-win modification that makes the project more contextual in Windsor Terrace without undermining affordability goals.
Additionally, for the homes that are located in the horseshoe shape that exists between the two Arrow Linen buildings and the rent-stabilized building on the west end of the block, we’ve secured a separate R6B zoning designation. This helps mitigate concerns raised by neighbors about these buildings being subject to potential future speculation while also requiring MIH affordability.
We all know that the City is in a housing crisis that is caused in large part by a shortage of affordable housing units. This dynamic is particularly pronounced in Windsor Terrace, which is a beautiful, transit-rich, and expensive neighborhood where there has been a reduction in housing units and little to no below market housing has been constructed over the last decade. At the Subcommittee’s previous hearing, I made it clear that the applicant’s original proposal to include only the minimum number of affordable units per the requirements of the MIH program failed to meet the demands of this moment. My constituents were united in sharing this assessment, regardless of whether they supported or opposed the project presented in January as a whole. I am proud to have secured improved affordability that everyone can agree on.
Altogether, this modified project would be a triumph for the Windsor Terrace community. That’s why this proposal has the support of: Speaker Adams, Chair Salamanca, Chair Riley, local State Senator Myrie, Borough President Reynoso, and 32BJ SEIU. Without a rezoning agreement, this site would become an as-of-right luxury development with zero affordable units. Instead, we have an opportunity to create 100 new affordable units and do so without constructing super-tall buildings that would disrupt the character of the neighborhood. As one of the first rezonings being considered following the adoption of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity and City for All, this project sets a strong standard for community-driven and affordability-focused land use policy. I urge my colleagues to vote yes.
