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Q&A
Council Member Brewer inquires about city-owned buildings, leasing costs, and space utilization
1:37:18
ยท
3 min
Council Member Gale A. Brewer questions DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina and Deputy Commissioner Shanna Midelton about city-owned buildings with scaffolding, reductions in lease costs, and plans for relocating employees from 100 Gold Street. The discussion covers the city's approach to managing real estate and adapting to changes in the workforce.
- DCAS is finalizing a space savings report that will forecast potential savings from rightsizing agency spaces.
- The 100 Gold Street project, led by the Economic Development Corporation, aims to create over 1,000 housing units.
- There is ongoing work to relocate agencies from 100 Gold Street, prioritizing available city spaces before considering leased spaces.
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:18
few more Two points.
1:37:19
One in terms of of scaffolding.
1:37:21
I know 2720 Broadway is I think it's Volunteers of America, but it's a city owned building.
1:37:27
So at some point, would be helpful to know you own the building, somebody else manages it, the scaffolding is up, and the complaints are endless.
1:37:36
So that would be maybe you could get us a list of the buildings that you own that also have scaffolding.
1:37:41
You can obviously check that by looking at who owns it and then comparing that with the DOB website, I assume.
Louis Molina
1:37:48
Thank
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:49
you.
1:37:49
Seven twenty is just nonstop complaint.
1:37:52
FYI.
Louis Molina
1:37:53
Thank you.
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:53
City owned building.
1:37:54
Number two, I just it says here, and maybe we covered this.
1:37:58
I was listening earlier.
1:37:59
I didn't hear.
1:38:00
1,100,000.0 for city funds for lease costs on DCAS, managed buildings, have been reduced.
1:38:07
It seems like it would be more because there are fewer city employees.
1:38:10
So I wanna know how was that funding determined?
1:38:13
What locations does it relate to?
1:38:17
And I guess it's just for one year only.
1:38:19
I mentioned that also because at a community board, borrow board meeting yesterday, community board one in Manhattan is very upset about a hundred gold because they weren't involved at all in the way in which it's going to be used in the future.
1:38:33
So, I mean, that would be an example.
1:38:35
You have to move all those people out.
1:38:37
I guess you're selling the building as opposed to affordable housing.
1:38:41
So how are you deciding how much and what kind of leases a fewer number of city employees are using.
1:38:51
Yes,
Shanna Midelton
1:38:54
council member that 1,000,000 adjustment you see was a technical adjustment done by OMB related to a couple of court sites, 141 Livingston and 151 West Broadway.
1:39:04
It's not related to the broader space savings program.
Gale A. Brewer
1:39:06
Okay.
1:39:06
But what is the number of fewer dollars for leased space because there are fewer employees?
Shanna Midelton
1:39:15
I'm sorry.
1:39:16
I would have to
Gale A. Brewer
1:39:16
The city of New York has fewer people working.
1:39:20
You'd think that if you're standing out here that they would have fewer leased space.
1:39:24
Right?
1:39:24
Just Yeah.
1:39:25
Computing.
1:39:26
So is there a reduction in the cost of leased space because there are fewer employees?
1:39:34
And then what are we gonna do with all those people at a hundred gold?
Louis Molina
1:39:36
Yeah.
1:39:36
So to your point, I think when we finalize our space saving report, we anticipate that we'll see a reduction not only because there are less employees, but also we have our work from home two days a week that's been extended.
Gale A. Brewer
1:39:52
Right.
Louis Molina
1:39:52
And just the world of work is just changing.
1:39:55
Right.
1:39:55
To your question regarding 100 Gold Street, that is an economic development corporation led project.
1:40:02
So they, I believe, have already released an RFP so that we can create, I believe, the goal is like over 1,000 units of housing.
1:40:10
A percentage of that obviously would be affordable.
1:40:13
And we do have agencies at 100 Gold Street, and we are working with we will be working with the agencies to make sure that we relocate them either first in any city space that may be available for their use, so that that's more cost effective.
1:40:27
And obviously, if we have to go to a lease space, then we would we would do that.
1:40:30
But we will work with each agency to figure out what their needs are and what will be the best thing for the city.
1:40:36
As far as engaging with the community that's affected by the 100 Gold Street project, I believe there has been community engagement.
1:40:42
But again, that project is led by EDC.
Gale A. Brewer
1:40:44
The community board was quite upset, FYI.
1:40:48
The other or so what you're saying is you're doing the space report and you'll give us a number as to how much we're saving in next year?
Louis Molina
1:40:54
We would we would forecast what we think that savings would be with sort of rightsizing the space that's needed or space that is just not utilized or underutilized at the different agencies and working with the agencies to right size their lease square feet.
Gale A. Brewer
1:41:09
So what's the timing of that?
Louis Molina
1:41:11
The report is in the final stages of being done, so hopefully soon you'll have it
Gale A. Brewer
1:41:15
to Thank you.