Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration abruptly and inexplicably halted funding for an affordable housing project in Astoria last fall, months after he and the developer, Douglas Durst, had a public argument over campaign donations.
The city's Housing Development Corporation was planning to issue $43.5 million in financing for a 163-unit development that is part of the sprawling Hallets Point project Durst is constructing in Queens. This particular building is planned for tenants earning up to 60 percent of the area median income, which amounts to $51,540 for a three-person household.
But the corporation pulled it from its agenda just days before its Nov. 17 meeting and reallocated the bonding authority, POLITICO recently learned.
The shift doesn't only impact the building in question and the seven-building, mixed-income Hallets project. It also stalls Durst's agreement to spruce up the grounds of the New York City Housing Authority's Astoria Houses development on which the building would be erected, and retrofit four boilers.
"Three days prior to HDC board approval for our 100 percent affordable building's bond financing, we were notified that the bonds were no longer available to us," Durst spokesman Jordan Barowitz said on Tuesday. "We have not heard from City Hall since then, and until we do, the future of the project is unknown."
Asked for an explanation, a city spokeswoman said projects are competing for tax-exempt bonds that many fear are under threat from federal cuts. The financing tool is always, however, a limited resource sought by competing projects.
She also pointed out this particular project would support other market-rate apartments in the Hallet’s development, even though this building would be entirely for low-income tenants.
7 comments:
"It also stalls Durst's agreement to spruce up the grounds of the New York City Housing Authority's Astoria Houses development on which the building would be erected, and retrofit four boilers."
Lookie here. This is the source of the city's neglect of providing heat to NYCHA tenants, notably children and the elderly, who had to freeze every day over the mayor's grudge against the developer who apparently didn't pay that much to play.
And also on the city's reliance on the nextgen style plan to hand over public grounds to the real estate barons to fund crucial fixes.
Demolition by neglect and vindictiveness.
Hey no problem - in some places you can Call out the Militia. In Western Queens, a developer can call out The Electeds of City Council!
You have Costa who can call in his team that thumbed their nose at the community as they made a few bucks mutilating the Steinway Mansion (a whose-who of Astoria's leadership as rumor has it), and Jimmy 'No Brainer' Van Bramer who knows all about good government going to the University of QBPL, and who watched an entire communities of people he grew up in Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, and Hunters Point (and next Sunnyside and Astoria) being displaced and tossed under a bus as collateral damage for this young lad to build his career.
With toxic venom like this on your side you are in uncharted territory, you can be a Force of Nature.
"and Jimmy 'No Brainer' Van Bramer who knows all about good government going to the University of QBPL, and who watched an entire communities of people he grew up in Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, and Hunters Point (and next Sunnyside and Astoria) being displaced and tossed under a bus as collateral damage for this young lad to build his career."
But..but...but...but Jimmy is a progressive and champion of the people, he fights for those less fortunate and is loved by children and the elderly alike, and he always puts the community first and he likes libraries so he must be real intelligent....and he is just so down with the millennial generation.... Yup...this is how the average political minion in Queens talks about Jimmy, and all of Crowley's cronies who laugh their way to the bank on the backs of working people
https://sunnysidepost.com/van-bramer-and-p-s-11-parents-demand-stop-light-and-cross-walk-on-skillman-avenue-by-school
"Like that picture of a smiling Jimmy who cares about school kids?" the reality is that the newspapers in Queens find it impossible to report straight on a politician.
Well, hell, he wants to put a school next to railroad tracks in Sunnyside Gardens in a secluded industrial area that will undoubtedly have some unpleasant tabloid stories featuring experiences of our unblemished youth - but then, its a good exercise to keep fit for they are about to go to school in the only place in western Queens that is a good 15 minutes from subways.
Gotta leave those spaces on Queens Blvd open for 10 story buildings from campaign donors.
Not so quick with the Millennials - sure the 'We Heart' crowd will patronize those money laundering 'eateries' but their fickleness means those places open and close on a two or three year revolving door schedule. Whole thing a flash in the pan.
The Anti-Gentrification crowd is a new kettle of fish. They are serious, they are pissed, and they have staying power. The fun with Jimmy has just begun.
Remember how he riled up the crowd with that march? He accomplished what the Occupy guys never did. He kicked over a beehive of activists that will end up stinging him in the [fill in the blank].
>The Anti-Gentrification crowd is a new kettle of fish. They are serious, they are pissed, and they have staying power.
They won't be staying once they're gentrified and priced out of the City. Neither will the rest of us.
"The Anti-Gentrification crowd is a new kettle of fish. They are serious, they are pissed, and they have staying power. The fun with Jimmy has just begun."
Load of tripe.You guys are getting dumped on by the greedy developers and the corrupt politicians...
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