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Q&A
Addressing concerns about displacement and gentrification
0:36:57
·
3 min
Council Member Salaam raises concerns about displacement and gentrification, while Developer Teitelbaum argues that the project will bring economic benefits without displacing current residents.
- Teitelbaum asserts no direct displacement will occur as the site is currently non-residential
- He claims secondary displacement is unlikely due to surrounding subsidized housing
- Teitelbaum emphasizes community desires for job opportunities, retail, and private investment
- The developer argues the project strikes the right balance between development and community needs
Yusef Salaam
0:36:57
Thank you.
0:36:57
The median household income in my district is really under $53,000, which is roughly about 40% of the area median income.
0:37:09
Throughout this process, constituents have voiced their concerns about affordable housing and fear of being displaced, and in fact, fear of gentrification.
0:37:17
How would you suggest that this proposal, especially without the enhanced affordability scenario, address those concerns even when the affordable units are largely out of reach for the average family now living in Harlem?
Bruce Teitelbaum
0:37:29
So because the site currently has no residential use, and it hasn't as far as I know for decades, not a single person will be displaced.
0:37:42
Some folks talk about secondary displacement, talking about people who live in surrounding buildings and the fear that they'll be displaced.
0:37:51
That's not gonna happen here because the vast majority, I think it's over 90% of all of the other residential units in the immediate surrounding area are Mitchell Lama or NYCHA or other heavily subsidized buildings.
0:38:04
So there is almost no fear that anyone will be displaced, certainly not at the site because no one lives there now and we don't believe that the issues of secondary displacement are at play here.
0:38:16
With respect to gentrification, that's a big topic and we could spend I guess a hearing about that as well.
0:38:21
But here's what I would say.
0:38:24
Councilman, as you know, the the location of of the development site is in a critically important area of Central Harlem.
0:38:31
It's at an intersection, an important commercial and residential corridor in the in in in Central Harlem.
0:38:37
Currently, it is in in my view unacceptable.
0:38:40
It is it is a development site that is crying out for jobs, for retail, for opportunity, for hope, and for housing.
0:38:51
So I I can't speak to the issue of gentrification at this point.
0:38:55
Again, bigger topic.
0:38:56
But I do know this.
0:38:58
After almost eight years of meetings with hundreds of people in the community, I can tell you what they've told me.
0:39:05
They've told me they want better job opportunities.
0:39:09
They told me they want better opportunities to shop.
0:39:12
They want the site cleaned up.
0:39:14
They want safe and welcoming places for young people to come to and frankly for older people as well.
0:39:20
And they want something that other communities regularly enjoy.
0:39:23
And that is private investment in the community that will create hope and opportunity.
0:39:28
And I can assure you and I'm very mindful and we appreciate the concerns of folks who think, well, maybe if they are at the lowest end of the economic spectrum and would be challenged to find an apartment at the site, Again, I believe that there were plenty of folks in the community who can afford on the affordable side the apartments.
0:39:49
And by the way, 52% of the district makes over a hundred thousand dollars a year and those folks who want to move into the market rate apartments can.
0:39:57
But I think overall, we have to look at the big picture here and the big picture is this project will create enormous economic activity in Central Harlem, create jobs and opportunity, give people something they currently don't have.
0:40:09
So in balance, I think we've struck the right balance.
0:40:11
We'll continue to try and do better, but at this point I think this project, as I said, achieves the right balance and it's something that's desperately needed.