Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Council Member Yusef Salaam questions developer Bruce Teitelbaum on affordable housing and community benefits
0:40:22
·
5 min
Council Member Yusef Salaam engages in a detailed discussion with developer Bruce Teitelbaum about the One45 for Harlem project, focusing on affordable housing units, community benefits, and the developer's commitment to addressing local concerns. Salaam presses for increased affordability and emphasizes the importance of meeting the community's needs.
- Teitelbaum commits to exploring ways to increase affordable housing and improve the project's benefits for the Harlem community.
- Discussion touches on alternative design plans, workforce housing, and the historical context of divestment in Harlem.
- Salaam acknowledges the developer's efforts while pushing for further commitments to generosity towards the community.
Yusef Salaam
0:40:22
As you are aware, if HPD fund if HPD funding were to be used to fund 100% of the affordable building, the design would require two separate buildings instead of the two towers on a single basis.
0:40:34
As is illustrated in your presentation today, do you have an alternative design plan with these HPD requirements in mind?
0:40:43
And if so, can you share them with us?
Bruce Teitelbaum
0:40:45
Yeah.
0:40:45
We've, know, as I said, we've had extensive conversations with HPD and other city officials.
0:40:50
So in the event that we're able to find a way to increase the affordable apartments and and increase the the affordable basis of this plan.
0:41:04
We have worked with our architects and with the other architects revolving the project and again, councilman, we've spent countless hours with them and we're prepared to to move in that direction if need be.
Yusef Salaam
0:41:17
Before I move on to other areas of the proposal, I wanna strongly reiterate my position that hold on for one second.
0:41:34
I wanna strongly reiterate my position that 291 affordable units is definitely too low, and including the MIH affordable targets that far exceed the average household income in Central Harlem is deeply troubling.
0:41:49
So today I'm asking you to commit on record to continue to diligently pursue much greater affordability than what you presented here today and to make changes that reflect the reality in my community.
0:42:03
Specifically, in terms of and this is something that's been been appreciated by many of us, and I think we've had conversations about this as well offline, you know, making sure that even like the workforce, the backbone of our community, the people like, you know, teachers and so forth and so on, would actually be able to say, you know what, wow, I wanna be able to move into that building and actually be able to move into it.
0:42:28
So I wanna make sure that, you know, on record we are asking, will you make that commitment?
Bruce Teitelbaum
0:42:33
Yeah.
0:42:34
Council Councilman, you know, because I've said this privately to you, but I'll say it publicly now and I've said it publicly before.
0:42:40
We take all of your concerns and the concerns and observations of the community very seriously.
0:42:45
We have tried our very best to meet and address those concerns, But I will publicly commit, as I committed to in the memorandum of understanding that I signed with the borough president and in my private conversations with you here publicly, that I will continue to do whatever I can to work with you and community leaders to make this plan the best plan that we can make it for the most number of people in your community.
Yusef Salaam
0:43:11
And I mean that I appreciate that because I'm not asking you to solve the problems of every single person
Bruce Teitelbaum
0:43:19
No.
Yusef Salaam
0:43:19
100%.
0:43:20
But, you know, definitely, we make a as we march in the right direction, you know, I wanna make sure that the community knows that we we we we're hearing you, the developers are hearing you.
0:43:34
Right?
0:43:34
You know, I wanna echo what what I've heard really in more recent times, the words which are, we wanna make sure that the developers are being very very generous to our community, especially in light of the fact that we've been so divested of in the past.
Bruce Teitelbaum
0:43:50
I I appreciate that.
0:43:51
If I could just add, and I agree with you.
0:43:53
And we've talked about that and I agree with you, which is why in addition to the housing plan that we've put forth, we've talked about a lot of benefits that we're specifically targeting for the community.
0:44:07
Whether that has to do with workforce training, we're gonna target people in the community.
0:44:12
Mhmm.
0:44:12
Whether that has to do with a community center that as you know, it's something you were very very very important to you.
0:44:18
Something that's unprecedented that's gonna provide young people in Harlem and anyone in Harlem with access to opportunity that they but for this wouldn't have.
0:44:28
We're talking about having the green energy sustainable piece of this which will make the community healthier and safer.
0:44:36
We're talking about creating jobs and retail that didn't exist before.
0:44:41
Everything that we do in this plan, everything has the folks in Harlem in mind.
0:44:47
And that's the reason why we've engaged with them and spent so many years talking to them.
0:44:51
And the plan that we have is a reflection of that commitment councilman and I will continue to do whatever I can working with you to to make this plan as as good as it can be for your your constituents and the people in Central Harlem because you're right for way way too long, For years before we ever arrived on the scene, the community has been underserved, neglected, red line, reverse red line, discriminated against.
0:45:17
And as you know, this is our private investment.
0:45:22
We're getting no government subsidy at this point.
0:45:25
This is all at risk dollars private investment that we're committing to this community because we believe in the community and we will continue to do what we can to make this the best project that we can for your community.
Yusef Salaam
0:45:39
Well, thank you.
0:45:39
I definitely appreciate that commitment.