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Council Member Brewer questions CUNY on plans for 450 West 41st Street building
1:42:32
·
148 sec
Council Member Gale A. Brewer inquires about CUNY's plans for a building at 450 West 41st Street, expressing concern about its potential use. CUNY COO Hector Batista explains that an RFP is out to determine potential uses, with the aim of monetizing the property to address financial challenges. Brewer strongly advocates for affordable housing, dormitories, or educational use, criticizing the focus on monetization.
- CUNY confirms the RFP allows for various uses, including affordable housing
- Brewer emphasizes the need to prioritize community needs over pure financial gain
- The exchange highlights the tension between CUNY's financial pressures and the city's housing and educational needs
Gale A. Brewer
1:42:32
Thank you very much.
1:42:33
The building that is at 450 West 40 First Street, I don't know what is the future for that building.
1:42:41
I know some people talked about it for affordable housing.
1:42:44
I know who owned it before, which university, and now I guess it's under your development possibilities.
1:42:50
So what's gonna happen to that building?
1:42:56
Oh, 450 West 41 Street.
1:43:43
of Okay.
1:43:44
It's my opinion, I'm gonna say this bluntly, is that it should either be for affordable housing, dorms.
1:43:49
I don't know if it's big enough for Gutman.
1:43:51
I understand you always wanna monetize.
1:43:53
I got it.
1:43:53
But at the same time, we can't talk out of both sides of our mouth.
1:43:57
We need affordable housing.
1:43:58
We need dorms.
1:44:00
So I would just suggest maybe you do a combination.
1:44:03
But when you just say monetize, that says to me, screw the form affordable housing, screw the dorms and screw Gutman.
1:44:11
So I just think you should be a little bit more understanding of what our real needs are.
1:44:15
Are you looking at those?
1:44:26
So does the RFP include the need for all of those things that I just listed?
1:44:55
Okay.
1:44:56
Thank you.
Hector Batista
1:42:53
Are you referencing the MFA Building?
1:42:55
Is that what you're referencing?
1:42:58
I think that's the one.
1:42:59
Yes.
1:42:59
Well, now, councilman, we have an RFP out to determine what potential uses could be in that space.
1:43:11
I think it is as part of our financial challenges that we were facing the university, the board had made a decision to sort of look at our real estates and see how we could monetize some of those real estate to try to bring additional resources to the university.
1:43:34
And so right now there is an RFP out and we're determined to see what the marketplace sort
1:44:17
Of course.
1:44:18
I mean, as trying to
1:44:19
a good partner in the city of New York, we always look at all those things.
1:44:25
I mean, my responsibility
1:44:29
I think the RFP allows for any of those needs to be available.
1:44:33
And in conversation with the local council They want affordable housing.
1:44:39
In conversations, we we stated that if he has folks that are interested in the site that we will be more than happy, and we've done that, to provide them with the information.
1:44:51
So we're, you know, we're open to whatever it is the marketplace will bring.
1:44:57
Thank you,
Lincoln Restler
1:44:19
be
Justin Brannan
1:44:57
counsel.
1:44:58
Okay.
1:44:59
Questions from council member Salaam.