Q&A
Council Member Brewer inquires about availability and utilization of city-owned space
1:57:47
·
3 min
Council Member Gale A. Brewer engages in a Q&A session with DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina about the availability and utilization of city-owned space. The discussion covers topics such as the quality of city-owned buildings, the publication of information about available space, and the leasing of city-owned properties for commercial use.
- Brewer expresses concern about the potential underutilization of city-owned buildings given the reduced workforce.
- Molina mentions the biennial publication of the city-owned and leased portfolio report.
- The conversation touches on the revenue generated from leasing city-owned space for commercial use, particularly storefronts.
Gale A. Brewer
1:57:47
That's a lousy video, so I'm sure that your communication staff did not make it?
Louis Molina
1:57:51
No.
1:57:51
They did not.
Gale A. Brewer
1:57:52
Wow.
Louis Molina
1:57:53
Thank you for recognizing the poor quality
Gale A. Brewer
1:57:56
Just The video.
1:57:56
Mister Hamilton, all that by itself, that is not appropriate, and he should be taken to task just for the video.
1:58:04
I have a question about just generally city owned space.
1:58:08
I do know that it's in poor shape in some cases.
1:58:11
Mhmm.
1:58:12
But do we have as a public the listing of the 55 buildings, some of which are garages, but I'm talking mostly about where we have offices.
1:58:21
And what space is available even if it has to be renovated.
1:58:27
Yeah.
1:58:27
That's something that's available to the public because I think what you're sort of hearing is even though it's bad space in terms of these renovations, the public, certainly me, in particular, still feels like there might be space available that's available that is less expensive in city owned buildings given the fact that we have fewer workforce.
Louis Molina
1:58:46
Yeah.
1:58:47
So we actually do, every other year, publish what's called the city owned and leased portfolio report.
1:58:54
It's it's in it's being done in conjunction with another agency that publicizes that report and often individuals peruse that report to see to see what space is available or there are times where individuals might have interest in renting city owned space and they contact real estate services and we do often lease out a lot of city owned space for retail and between short term leases and long term leases we generate nearly $40,000,000 in revenue a year.
Gale A. Brewer
1:59:25
Okay.
1:59:26
That's in terms of the commercial.
1:59:27
I would assume that would be 1st floor you're talking about or you're talking about office space also.
Louis Molina
1:59:33
A mostly commercial floor.
1:59:36
I would describe it as storefront space.
Gale A. Brewer
1:59:38
Okay.
Louis Molina
1:59:39
It was is what I would best describe.
1:59:40
We can give you a more detailed look.
Gale A. Brewer
1:59:42
I mean, I would love to, at some point, maybe to get more information because there's lots commercial space, 253, 280 Broadway.
1:59:49
I walk by them every day.
1:59:50
They're all vacant.
Louis Molina
1:59:51
Always happy to meet with you and any other man.
Gale A. Brewer
1:59:53
Okay.
1:59:53
We'd like to get those.
1:59:55
Now I'm talking more about what's available at one center.
1:59:57
What's available?
1:59:58
We know 2 left for you.
1:59:59
What's available at a 22 read, etcetera.
2:00:02
Yeah.
2:00:04
When you say we have to rent at a private location, okay, but then I'd like to see the data that we haven't fixed up the space or that we're in the midst of fixing up the space.
2:00:15
Even if it's older space, I know the whole issue with Twin Two Reid and the burial center.
2:00:20
I know the whole story.
2:00:21
But what is you know, is it really true that we I remember mayor Bloomberg said, or no.
2:00:27
Somebody said, you know, mayor Bloomberg said after he had sold some of the city owned buildings that maybe we shouldn't have done that.
2:00:33
We did.
2:00:34
So then the question is, what's left and what's available?
2:00:37
Is that something that you publish or that we can get our hands on?
Louis Molina
2:00:40
Happy to work with you and your team to get you that information.
Gale A. Brewer
2:00:43
Oh, so it's not public now.
Louis Molina
2:00:45
I don't I I believe through the city wide owned and leased portfolio, it may be public, what you're specifically asking for, but I'll follow-up and confirm.
Gale A. Brewer
2:00:53
Okay.
2:00:53
Thank you.
Louis Molina
2:00:54
You're welcome.
