[NYguy]

Freedom Plaza says all 1,080 residential properties will be rent-controlled under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.

I don't want to see a single one of these politicians talk about building affordable and rent controlled housing. Ever. Now Soloviev is free to build his all market rate development.


https://www.westsidespirit.com/news/...vote-XY5100077

Much as on the West Side, representatives for Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams stood in favor of the “Freedom Plaza” project. Local representatives provided the fatal blow; they were acting on behalf of outgoing City Council Member Keith Powers, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, and Borough President Mark Levine.

Powers, Epstein, Levine, and Gonzalez issued a joint statement explaining their no votes: “Our neighbors on the East Side of Manhattan have communicated to us, and to the CAC, through hours of public hearings, significant concerns regarding increased congestion, public safety, and the quality-of-life concerns this project would introduce into our community. For this reason, we support the CAC’s decision today to not advance the casino proposal at Freedom Plaza.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Soloviev Group to accomplish the goal of activating this site for permanent affordable housing, green space, good-paying jobs, and more,” they added.

Virginia Maloney, the Democratic candidate seeking to fill the City Council seat being vacated by term-limited Keith Powers, applauded the move by the CAC.

“I fully support the Freedom Plaza Community Advisory Committee (CAC)’s no vote on the First Avenue casino license application in District 4. Their decision reflects the overwhelming consensus of the East Siders I’ve spoken with throughout my campaign,” she said in a statement of her own.

“The East River waterfront should be a vibrant community asset, not a destination for high-rollers,” she added. “Right now, residents contend with crumbling pavement, sinkholes, and chronic flooding just to enjoy our waterfront. That won’t change if the East River Esplanade continues to be underfunded and overlooked.”

This wasn't the best site of the competing bids, but again, none of the NO votes to date made any sense relative to what was being proposed. They all simply should have been allowed to proceed to at least being weighed and considered against the other proposals. That is how you get the best of the proposals. As it is now, they will have to choose from a very limited number of poposals. And even that number may yet grow smaller.