2 Controversial Developments Face Hell's Kitchen's Scrutiny

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Two proposals to build affordable housing on empty Hell's Kitchen lots went before the scrutinizing eyes of a neighborhood community board this week, as members sharply criticized one of the projects while expressing openness toward the other.

Wednesday's meeting by Community Board 4 focused on two proposals: an eight-story building planned for the city-owned "DEP site" on 10th Avenue between West 48th and 49th streets; and a nine-story project to be built on an MTA-owned lot on the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 54th Street.

Both developments grew out of a 2009 agreement between the board and the city that stemmed from the 2005 Hudson Yards rezoning. In the deal, the city agreed to build housing on the two sites for middle-income households — filling in a glaring gap in the neighborhood's housing stock.

In 2019, however, the city changed its plans for both sites, saying they would instead serve low-income residents to help alleviate New York's desperate shortage of deeply affordable housing. In meetings over the past two years, city officials admitted to going back on the 2009 deal — infuriating the community board.

Since both projects require a slew of zoning changes for their height, bulk and other factors, they faced the board again this week as they begin the monthslong review process known as ULURP. But the receptions they received were starkly different.

10th Avenue "DEP site"

The first project presented Wednesday was the eight-story building planned for the DEP site, known as Rialto West.

Clad in brick and containing 158 affordable apartments as well as ground-floor commercial space, it will be built by Douglaston Development and the Actor’s Fund. It will be built on the western side of the full-block lot, while the east side closer to 10th Avenue will become a public park managed by the Parks Department.

Notably, in response to complaints about the loss of middle-income housing, developers revealed this week that they had changed the building's proposed income brackets to include 10 percent of units serving 120 to 130 percent of the Area Median Income — or about $100,000 for a single person.

Neighbors reacted warmly to that addition, but pressed developers to fill in the income gaps that still remained in the proposal.

"I really want to press you to finesse these bands, so that ... we hold out the possibility that anyone within this range can walk in and potentially find a unit," board member Dale Corvino said.

Besides housing, the building will also include community space that will be leased by IndieSpace: an organization that creates "real estate solutions" for indie theater groups. Its partners will include The Artist Co-op and Waterwell theater.

The project will begin the ULURP process sometime this winter, hoping to win city approval by the summer or fall, a representative said.

9th Avenue "MTA site"

Getting a far harsher reception was the city's proposal for the MTA site: a 112-unit building known as The Lirio.

Built by Hudson Companies and Housing Works, the Lirio will have 67 apartments for formerly homeless people, including 59 for long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS. Another 44 affordable units will be included, serving lower-income households that make up to 80 percent AMI.

To the dismay of board members, this week's presentation was largely unchanged from the city's initial plan rolled out last fall — which the board had rejected in a unanimous vote.

"Frankly, I’m flabbergasted that there has been no movement since our October meeting," CB4 land use committee chair JD Noland said.

With income brackets going untouched, the proposal's only change involved shrinking the size of the area to be rezoned — a response to neighbors' concerns that the zoning changes would usher in a wave of new development.

That, too, failed to placate residents, who still suggested Wednesday that approving a rezoning within the Clinton Special District would set a precedent for more development.

Nearly all of those who spoke Wednesday had harsh words for the 9th Avenue proposal. Among the few supporters was Eric Sawyer, a long-term survivor of advanced HIV symptoms who said the low-income units would serve Hell's Kitchen's large population of HIV-positive people.

"With an absence of supportive housing, people are having to leave areas like Hell's Kitchen, which have been their long-term home, because they're priced out of their housing, but also priced out of supportive services and care," Sawyer said.

But new CB4 chair Jeffrey LeFrancois seemed to speak for most of the board members when he lambasted the city for going back on the 2009 agreement for middle-income housing, saying the board's working relationship with the city was being "burn[ed] to the ground."

"It really is just shocking to me how the city can just sit here so plain-faced and just present something that really considers nothing of the past decade of work," LeFrancois said.

Having already begun ULURP, The Lirio will face a final vote by Community Board 4 in March — though it has no formal ability to stop the project. A final vote by the City Council will happen later this year.

Related coverage:

• Hell's Kitchen Board Says City Betrayed Affordable Housing Pledge
• Hell's Kitchen Supportive Housing Plan Breaks Promise, Board Says