Responses Solicited for Mixed-Use Development with the Goal of 100 Percent Affordable Housing
New York – September 1, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today announced the release of a Housing New York Request for Proposals (RFP) to create a mixed-use development that contributes to the overall vibrancy of the dynamic Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. This RFP will help meet the City’s goal to build or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units over the next 10 years. Respondents are encouraged to submit proposals that achieve maximum housing affordability, with the goal of reaching 100 percent affordability, financed by a mix of commercial or community facility uses. Located at 495 11th Avenue, the 24,687 square foot lot was once home to the New York Butchers’ Dressed Meat Company, and is currently used as NYPD parking.
“We have a unique opportunity through this project to activate a prime location in a growing neighborhood for new affordable housing development,” said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. “We look forward to advancing the Mayor’s Housing New York goals through this project and providing new opportunities and amenities for longtime residents and local businesses in Hell’s Kitchen. I want to thank Commissioner Been, Council Member Johnson, Borough President Brewer, Community Board 4 and the NYCEDC team for engaging the community in a robust dialogue about the future of this site.”
“Housing New York envisions the type of community engagement and interagency cooperation that results in the creative reuse of City-owned sites,” said HPD Commissioner Vicki Been. “The Slaughterhouse Site RFP takes advantage of the real momentum happening on the far west side of Manhattan to enhance the existing neighborhood through the creation of much-needed affordable housing. We are grateful to our elected officials for their leadership and look forward to working with them and EDC to transform this former slaughterhouse, now a parking lot, into a mixed-use development that brings job opportunities and essential services, along with affordable housing, to the community.”
Today’s announcement is the culmination of extensive community outreach and input from local stakeholders, including City Council Member Corey Johnson, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and Manhattan Community Board 4. Under the leadership of Council Member Johnson, and in partnership with Manhattan Borough President Brewer, NYCEDC and HPD engaged in a three-month long engagement process with Community Board 4 that was instrumental in identifying key community priorities for the RFP, including maximum affordability and a preference for essential services, such as a grocery store.
“This is a great achievement for the West Side,” said Council Member Corey Johnson. “This project will provide hundreds of families with affordable, high quality housing in the heart of Hudson Yards. We must use every tool at our disposal to keep the West Side affordable to working and middle class New Yorkers, and projects like this are key to helping us meet that challenge. I want to thank the de Blasio Administration for working with Community Board 4, my colleagues and me to make this a reality, and I look forward to working with them to ensure that 100% affordable housing is constructed as soon as possible.”
“This site gives us an opportunity to strengthen the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood with a fully affordable development, and we must work together with the community to seize that opportunity,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “If we do it the right way, the Slaughterhouse site can become a shining example of how mixed-use development with permanent, fully affordable housing can be achieved for years to come.”
“The Slaughterhouse site has long been part of Community Board 4’s Affordable Housing plan for the District, with the goal of making 100% of the housing permanently affordable while keeping it consistent with the contextual zoning of Hell’s Kitchen West and Manhattan,” said Community Board 4 Chairperson Christine Berthet. “Community Board 4 is pleased that this project is going forward.”
“I am excited to see this plan to bring hundreds of new affordable units to my district move forward,” said State Senator and Ranking Member of the Senate’s Housing Commitee Adriano Espaillat. “This city is in a housing crisis, and we need more 100 percent affordable developments so working class and middle class New Yorkers are able to stay in this city.”
“Today’s release of an RFP for a mixed-use development prioritizing affordable housing will help Hell’s Kitchen remain a diverse and vibrant community for everyone,” said Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried. “In a twist on the old lyrics, New York City is razing a parking lot and putting up not quite paradise but at least sensible development – and that’s great news for everyone.”
As part of the Mayor’s Housing New York plan, NYCEDC has identified development opportunities that promote mixed-use, mixed-income development throughout the five boroughs. Recently, NYCEDC released a Housing New York Request for Expressions of Interest for a mixed-income, live/work development on a City-owned site on Spofford Avenue in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. This followed an RFP issued earlier this year for a mixed-use, mixed-income development of a City-owned site on 168th Street in Jamaica, and in the coming months, NYCEDC will release additional RFPs that seek bold ideas to address the mixed-use, mixed-income vision set forth in the Housing New York plan.
The Slaughterhouse site is immediately west of the Hudson Yards Special District and is uniquely positioned to leverage neighboring development activity, including $16 billion in private capital commitments in the district; 20 million square feet of office space currently planned or under construction; and major public infrastructure improvements such as the number 7 Subway Extension and Hudson Park and Boulevard. These amenities will contribute to the livability of surrounding neighborhoods and will spur new demand for both residential and commercial uses.
Prior to the site’s current use as an NYPD surface-parking lot, it was the location of a slaughterhouse constructed in 1905 and owned and operated by the New York Butchers’ Dressed Meat Company. In the late 1950s the slaughterhouse ceased to be operational and was used as a warehouse and office building from the 1960s through the late 1970s. A move to confer landmark status to the slaughterhouse ended in 1988 and the building was demolished thereafter.
As part of the City’s efforts to expand economic and workforce opportunities, responses to this RFP must comply with a comprehensive workforce and procurement program that supports communities and helps create job opportunities, especially those that enable low-income New Yorkers to participate in the City’s economic growth. This includes the utilization of NYCEDC’s HireNYC program for disadvantaged workers, as well as contracting goals for minority and women-owned business enterprises, and requirements with respect to living wage and prevailing wage.
Responses to the RFP will be due on December 11, 2015. An optional information session will be held on September 21, 2015 in conference room 4A/B on the 4th floor of NYCEDC’s offices, located at 110 William Street, New York, NY. For more information or to download the Request for Proposals, please visit: http://www.nycedc.com/hny.
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City’s primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC’s mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City’s competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City’s many opportunities. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or visit our blog to learn more about NYCEDC projects and initiatives.
About HPD
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough Ten-Year Plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable units for New Yorkers at the very lowest incomes to those in the middle class. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/nychpd and www.twitter.com/nychousing.
