The new development will be replacing a parking garage and repair shop.
Council Member Julie Menin has reached an agreement with Friedland Properties and the Chapman Group on the proposed rezoning of East 94th Street between Second and Third avenues.
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The negotiations came in response to community concerns regarding the height of the building and the number of affordable housing units. Menin spearheaded negotiations that decreased the building’s height and increased the number of and percentage of affordable housing units at 231 East 94th Street (which we first wrote about here).
This development project is part of an ongoing ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) assessment by the Department of City Planning. ULURP, NYC’s land use review process, is used if a developer wants to build in an area that doesn’t fit that area’s particular zoning designation.
According to a press release from Menin’s office, the developer has agreed to:
- Reduce the proposed height of the tower from 484 feet to 414 feet.
- Increase the number of affordable housing units from 113 to 146. The percentage of affordable units in the plan has increased from 25% to 30%.
- Commit $150,000 towards improving James Cagney Plaza (on 91st between Second and Third avenues).
- Create a task force charged with noise mitigation during construction.
- Make “efforts” to lease part of the building’s retail section to a daycare or child-care provider.
- Work with City agencies to pursue housing vouchers in order to increase affordability within the proposed development.
- The developer also “has an executed agreement with SEIU Local 32BJ with respect to building service workers in the proposed development and should Albany bring back 421- A or its equivalent, the developer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to negotiate, in good faith, with the New York City District Council of Carpenters.”
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“These negotiated changes represent a significant step towards achieving a more equitable and sustainable future for our neighborhood that is in dire need of affordable housing,” said Council Member Julie Menin. “We refused to accept that lowering the height and increasing the number of affordable units are mutually exclusive. By securing this unprecedented agreement, we are ensuring that this development aligns with the priorities of the Upper East Side community and Community Board 8. Today’s agreement will greatly increase the percentage of affordable units, decreasing the building’s height, beautifying James Cagney Plaza and addressing all quality of life concerns through a community construction task force.”
I live directly across from this. Why is it a good thing that the height is reduced? Don’t we want to build more housing units? This seems like a bad thing
And why couldn’t anyone care less about reduction in the number of neighborhood parking spaces?
Is this part of the current hate-all-motorists ethos currently plaguing the city?
Is it an administration aim that garage operators should be able to raise their fees to any stratospheric height?
More of an issue is the shelter on 91 York /1st! This is wrong those of us who are paying high rents on York and te surrounding are are go to be subjected to 100 residents roaming around. There have been at least 8 crimes in the last week in Yorkville. I would not suggest anyone moving here. Thus Was always such a great neighborhood.