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  • 23 Aug 2018 6:07 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Steve Dwyer

    New York City’s ambitious brownfield cleanup program is lapping the efforts of many states, demonstrating the aggressive stance and urgency to return properties back to productive reuse—benefits seen in everything from new tax generation, civic pride and environmental vigilance.

    The Voluntary Cleanup Program, created in 2009 to fill the gaps in a state program for cleaning up contaminated land, was designed to address tainted acreage that had been ineligible for tax credits under the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. Nine years later, it has succeeded very well in achieving that mission.

    The City program is outpacing the entire state program, according to a new report. Moreover, the city program is outpacing those sponsored by other states. According to a report released in July by the Furman Center at New York University, the city program has enrolled an impressive number of sites—560 since 2009—compared with statewide programs that started earlier, like New York’s 713 since 2003, or Illinois’ 799 since 1994. The biggest year in the city so far was 2015 when 153 applications were made; in 2017, there were 68.

    You know the expression “a New York minute” very well. The Furman report revealed that it took 20.81 months for the average city site to be remediated compared with 57.96 months for the state sites—a gap that likely reflects the heavier contamination of the state sites, but also epitomizes the efficiencies seen in the way the city approves applications.

    What remains unclear is what impact the remediations are having on the neighborhoods and people nearby. Furman notes that the city’s remediation sites are heavily concentrated in areas like Greenpoint that have seen pronounced gentrification.

    Whether the remediations helped foster rising neighborhood incomes, or merely occurred at the same time—as well as whether those changes benefited incumbent residents or bumped them out—is not answerable with available data. Almost none of the remediated city sites were intended to return to industrial use: In the vast majority of cases, the land’s new lease on life was residential.

    An even bigger question is whether there is more land out there that needs remediating. The Furman report notes that the city’s sites are heavily concentrated in areas that have been rezoned, meaning there might be untapped potential elsewhere on the map.

  • 12 Aug 2018 6:04 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Jarrett Murphy, City Limits (NY)

    A city initiative launched nine years ago to fill the gaps in a state program for cleaning up contaminated land has moved faster and more efficiently than its Albany counterpart, a new report finds.

    The Bloomberg administration created the Voluntary Cleanup Program in 2009 to address tainted acreage that was ineligible for tax credits under the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. Both programs aim to address the legacy of industrial pollution that renders many hundreds of parcels in the city unusable, but the state’s program – born in 2003 – targeted more heavily poisoned land. The city’s VCP, which offers regulatory streamlining and grants to facilitate cleanup, is suited for sites with light to moderate levels of toxicity.

    According to a report released this week by the Furman Center at New York University, the city program has enrolled an impressive number of sites—560 since 2009 – compared with statewide programs that started earlier, like New York’s 713 since 2003, or Illinois’ 799 since 1994. The biggest year in the city so far was 2015, when 153 applications were made; in 2017, there were 68.

    For the entire article, see

    https://citylimits.org/2018/08/02/checking-in-on-the-citys-brownfields-program/

    To download the report, go to

    http://furmancenter.org/files/Analysis_of_NYC_Voluntary_Cleanup_Program.pdf

  • 6 Aug 2018 6:03 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    News12 Brooklyn (NY)

    A vacant lot on Driggs Avenue could soon become home to new condominiums.

    It’s currently a so-called brownfield site — a former industrial lot that needs excavation and cleanup.

    Residents say they’re excited to see it spruced up so long as it doesn’t disrupt their neighborhood.

    The 40 new housing units will range in size from studios to four bedrooms. Many of them will have outer spaces inspired by McCarren Park, according to the developer.

    Construction is expected to begin this winter and conclude in 2020.

    For the entire story, including a video, see

    http://brooklyn.news12.com/story/38625030/former-williamsburg-industrial-lot-to-become-green-condominiums

  • 23 Jul 2018 6:02 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Kristin F. Dalton, Staten Island Live (NY)

    Following two years of work on the West Shore, the 179-acre area has been designated a Brownfield Opportunity Area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

    Recommendations from the study include major site renovations or developments for seven underutilized properties on the 179 acres, roadway consolidation and infrastructure improvements, and expanded public transit that will serve the Amazon and IKEA facilities.

    The study paid careful attention to creating a district flood resiliency plan, which anticipates flooding issues associated with sea-level rising water in the West Shore’s low-lying areas that currently have limited sewer and stormwater infrastructure.

    For the entire article, see

    https://www.silive.com/news/2018/06/west_shore_brownfield_grant.html

  • 23 Jul 2018 6:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A special state designation will allow Flushing to transform 62 acres of industrial wasteland into a new district with affordable housing.

    By Danielle Woodward, Flushing-Murray Hill Patch (NY)

    Acres of industrial wasteland that have long line Flushing’s waterfront could soon give way to a vibrant new downtown area complete with affordable housing, thanks to a special designation from the state.

    Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in June designated 62 acres of land in west downtown Flushing as a “Brownfield Opportunity Area,” a title that helps neighborhoods fast-track transformations of polluted industrial sites into housing or business developments that could drive economic growth.

    “This Brownfield Opportunity Area program gives local leaders the power to bring about much-needed change to properties that have been neglected within their communities,” Cuomo said.

    For the entire article, see

    https://patch.com/new-york/flushing-murray-hill/plans-redevelop-flushing-waterfront-get-state-approval

  • 11 Jul 2018 5:59 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Stephen Merrill Smith, Esq.

    Ernie Rossano of ERM and the President of the NYCBP joined representatives from the Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association (LSRPA) and the Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast (BCONE) at the Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop held in May at NJIT to discuss the services each non-profit provides to communities, non-profit groups, and students.

    All three groups have scholarships to give, but the overall feeling is that they could do a better job of getting the word out.

    Each has some version of a “pro bono counseling program” for communities and/or organization members.

    One important difference pointed out by NYCBP President Ernie Rossano is that that the Partnership works closely with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER). Sue Boyle of GEI Consultants, Inc, and the contracted Executive Director for each organization reiterated how important it is to form a good relationship with government agencies; in the case of the NYCBP, OER has resources to get the word out and when it hears questions about brownfields, they can send them to the Partnership. Many small developers and property owners are unfamiliar with the government programs and possibly even scared of going to the government. So it’s extremely helpful to have the Partnership as a non-governmental group that can work with interested parties and developers.

    Denise Nickel of Middlesex County and the BCONE Advisory Board emphasized how important it is to constantly work all avenues to get the word out on the services available from non-profit organizations like LSRPA, BCONE, and the NYCBP. She reiterated the need effective and constant marketing.

    Suggestions from session participants included participating in an annual summit with the legislators and other members of the state government, perhaps once a year if the legislature devotes an entire day to listening to groups and organizations about what they do and how they can be of benefit to the state.

    Regarding scholarships, the topic of contacts within colleges and universities was suggested by several participants. Participants suggested that contacts be made at all pertinent individual departments within the university that needed to hear about scholarship resources available. For example, establish a contact in the business school, in the engineering school, and in the environmental courses and programs that universities and graduate schools have. President Rossano mentioned that establishing the right individual person contact was key, that the NYCBP had reached out to financial aid offices without much success. He and others agreed that the most important individual contact to get the word out would be individual professors, such as faculty advisors to students getting their masters or doctorate degrees. Of the three organizations, NYCBP has the longest-running scholarship program and provides a higher number of scholarships per year than the other two groups.

    Regarding outreach, one participant mentioned that the Association of Associations could be tapped to multiply the network of people who can get the word out. Another participant suggested that when academics send out requests for interns for their offices, that this would be a good time to send out scholarship information as well. Still another participant suggested a process of being in constant contact. She said there are three things that worked well: first, send out scholarship information way in advance, second, keep lists of everyone that you’ve worked with– any organization or any school worked with. Third, determine five touch points to remind people. This was especially important. Her organization found that five reminders was the right number to get people to attend events, turn in applications, or complete anything that had a deadline.

    Social media came up as an important way to get the word out. Additionally, a participant suggested going to sororities and fraternities, or perhaps to one of the meetings of the Greek Society (an organization representing all the sororities and fraternities on campus) with scholarship information. It was also suggested that it might not be too early to give information to high school counselors to information them about the availability of these scholarships for their pre-college seniors.

  • 28 Jun 2018 5:52 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The NYCBP Legislative/Policy Committee held a conference call on June 26, 2018, with a really full agenda. Chairman David J. Freeman, Esq. asked that this information be shared with the entire membership of the Partnership. If you are interested in these topics, please join the Legislative/Policy Committee and become active in its work.

    New York State

    1. The NY Construction Materials Association’s Part 360 lawsuit resulted in settlement discussions with NYSDEC and the Attorney Generals’ office. The most recent meeting happened on June 21, 2018. An important aspect of the settlement was that the settlement agreements would be legally binding (court ordered) stipulations and would be posted on the NYSDEC website. 11 agreed-upon implementation issues were posted on NYSDEC’s website yesterday. Both sides (NY Materials and DEC) have agreed that “plain language” versions must be developed before the work is finalized. Here is a link to the stipulations as posted on the NYSDEC website: https://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/81768.html
    2. Rick Clarkson of NYSDEC’s presentation on 360 Revisions was shared by the CCLR, a like-minded non-profit organization that partners with the NYCBP on the exchange of information and ideas. Click here to view the presentation.
    3. CCLR also shared Governor Cuomo’s Press Release on new Brownfield Opportunity Area program designations. Click here to view the Press Release.
    4. Two pieces of legislation, S8636A as passed in the NYS Senate and the “long bill” (A10954) introduced in both houses and referred to Environmental Conservation committees can be accessed here: S8636A and A10954.

    NYCBP Legislative/Policy Committee member, Phil Bousquet, Esq. provided comments on the ”long bill;” this information may ease your reading of it.

    “There is a typo on page 4, line 46 – the language should read “Site preparation cost *shall* include the costs of remedial action cover systems …” [i.e., replace “shall not” with “shall”]. As it currently reads, “shall not include” directly contradicts the addition of “remedial action” at line 30 on that same page. My understanding is that the failure to delete the word “not” is simply a drafting oversight that will be corrected.

    With that one exception the Tax Law changes in the long bill should work well as written, and the underlying (and closely knit) ECL changes would be very helpful to clarify questions that I often encounter in practice when helping clients understand the scope of remedial activities going into the site prep credit calculation.

    The effective date language in the long bill is confusing, and I’m not quite sure what the drafter intended it to mean. If the idea is that the amendments are to supersede any prior definition or interpretation of the definition by the NYS Tax Dept, then that is helpful. However, my guess is that the drafter would not want taxpayers whose site preparation claims have been finally determined (after audit and after any appeals are closed off) to somehow have a “reopener.” Conversely, for taxpayers whose site prep claims have NOT been finally determined, the new definition should definitely apply, because this bill is intended to correct the Tax Department’s ongoing misreading of the definition. The effective date language in S8636A addresses these points, and should be worked into the “long bill” before reintroduction in the next term. “

    Federal

    USEPA is seeking comments on 3 aspect of brownfield funding in the BUILD Act. See the Federal Register notice sent by Larry Schnapf, Esq., NYCBP Legislative/Policy Committee member, who, in addition to Chairman David Freeman and the Gibbons Environmental Law group, is keeping the NYCBP updated regularly on federal activity on brownfields, including the Superfund Task Force’s efforts to make those sites available for redevelopment. Click here to view EPA BUILD Act and Brownfields.

  • 12 Jun 2018 5:04 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Steve Dwyer

    States threatened with brownfield funding dilemmas—which is most of them—might get a much-needed shot in the arm soon: It comes in the form of federal-sponsored tax breaks for brownfield projects.

    But in late April, a potential “knight in shining armor” emerged: Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. House that would authorize tax deductions toward the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields—a huge potential shot in the arm for New York City’s large portfolio of brownfield properties that need capital infusion.

    The proposal is armed with New York-level endorsement as Rep. Peter King is a cosponsor of H.R. 5579, calling the tax incentive “an essential piece” for reviving the many contaminated sites. “Rather than spreading deductions over time, this legislation will encourage private-sector involvement in the cleanup and rehabilitation of brownfields properties,” King said in a statement about the legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).

    Clearly, the U.S. Senate and House need more folks who “get it,” like King and Turner. That is, understanding the magnitude of impact that brownfield properties have on the fortunes of local communities.

    Rep. Turner witnessed up close and personally the impacts of funding for local brownfields when he served as mayor of Dayton, Ohio. “I developed brownfields to reinvest in our city and spur economic growth, including the building of the Dayton Dragons stadium,” Rep. Turner said. “I know firsthand how important brownfields are for communities looking to rebuild. Our bill extends the brownfields tax credit to help cities like Dayton continue to grow.”

    The Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Reauthorization Act of 2018, H.R. 5579, would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend expensing of environmental remediation costs through 2021. Sound familiar to some of you? It should. Brownfield practitioners know the historical narrative. The brownfields tax incentive was first ratified as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, permitted taxpayers to deduct remediation expenditures for the cleanup of a property that was used for a trade, business or to produce income. A two-year extension occurred in 2009 and then expired on Jan. 1, 2012 and hasn’t been reauthorized since.

    U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) joined Turner in introducing H.R. 5579, which has been referred to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. “I hear time and time again from business owners, developers and local leaders across central and northwestern Connecticut that the high costs of cleanup deter initial private sector investments,” Rep. Esty said in a news report. “Cities and towns throughout Connecticut have strong industrial histories and are now in the process of transitioning to new sources of economic growth, which is critical to creating good-paying jobs right here in our state. I’m doing what I can to be a strong partner in these efforts.”

    If enacted, H.R. 5579 would reauthorize the tax incentive through Dec. 31, 2021, and provide four years of certainty for potential developers, according to the congressman’s staff.

    Let’s hope that Reps. King and Turner get majority buy-in from the U.S. House because the clock is ticking on the position, and fate, of a good number of New York City brownfield projects. H.R. 5579 is one integral means to supporting that end.

  • 7 May 2018 4:55 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    On May 1, 2018, the NYC Brownfield Partnership held its annual Big Apple Brownfield Awards at the New York Law School, recognizing the following outstanding New York City remediation projects:

    Project Location:

    The Residences at PS 186 / The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem

    Project Team:

    • Impact Environmental
    • Monadnock

    The 2018 Big Apple Brownfield Award for Community Outreach is presented to The Residences at PS 186/The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem located in West Harlem in Manhattan, NY. This project is a full renovation of the former PS 186 school building, which has been converted into a 78-unit affordable residential apartment building developed by Monadnock Development LLC. This previously abandoned property was remediated under the city voluntary cleanup program overseen by Impact Environmental and now offers affordable housing for families earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income. In addition, the ground floor was converted to a 10,000-square foot community facility utilized by the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. Previously, The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem served an average 1,500 local children but with this new location the club’s capacity increases to 2,000 individuals. Community outreach will also extend to the Washington Heights community. Located within the West Harlem Rezoning Area, The Residences at PS 186/The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem has achieved the goals of the rezoning effort to allow for mixed-use development opportunities while preserving the character of West Harlem neighborhood.

    Project Location:

    25 Kent, Bronx, NY

    Project Team:

    • EBC
    • AMC Engineering
    • SPR
    • 19 Kent Partners LLC
    • Lehrer LLC
    • TG Nickel

    The 2018 Big Apple Brownfield Award for Economic Development is presented to the 25 Kent development located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The team responsible for this development worked with the Department of City Planning and the non-profit organization Evergreen to design and construct the new 10-story building in accordance with the Mayor’s Industrial Action Plan and the recently proposed Enhanced Business Areas. The property was originally developed in the 1860’s as part of the Charles Pratt Astral Oil Works Refinery which was later taken over by John D. Rockefellers Standard oil company which continued refinery operations there in the 1940’s. The property was later used as a construction equipment storage facility from 1950 through 2014. The Site is now home to a new mixed-use, commercial/industrial building that includes 380,300 square feet of retail, light manufacturing, and office space, as well as, 14,400 square feet of public open space and two subsurface parking levels. This is the first new office building constructed in Williamsburg in over 60 years and will certainly serve as a road map for future projects to be developed in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Industrial Business Zone.

    Project Location:

    One Flushing, Queens, NY

    Project Team:

    • Monadnock
    • Roux Associates
    • SPR

    The 2018 Big Apple Brownfield Award for Environmental Protection is presented to One Flushing located in Downtown Flushing, Queens. Developed by Monadnock Development, Asian Americans for Equality and HANAC, this project transformed a former pay-to-park municipal parking lot into a 10-floor multi-story building which houses parking in the cellar, retail and community space on the ground floor and 232 affordable residential units. The Site was transferred from the OER Jumpstart Program to the DEC Brownfield Cleanup program. Implementation of a remedy by Monadnock Construction with oversight by Roux Associates included excavation of 25,000 tons of fill, excavation of 2,000 tons of petroleum impacted soil and removal of an underground storage tank. In addition, in-situ chemical oxidation was applied during construction activities directly to the base of a petroleum source area in order to remediate groundwater. The project achieved a Track 1 Unrestricted Use Cleanup in 2017.

    Project Location:

    Seaside Park & Ford Amphitheater, Coney Island, NY

    Project Team:

    • FLS
    • iStar
    • GKV Architects
    • Newbanks NY
    • Hunter Roberts

    The 2018 Big Apple Brownfield Award for Open Space is presented to Seaside Park & Ford Amphitheater located on the Coney Island boardwalk. The 126,000-square-foot site previously comprised a bus parking lot and vacant roller skating rink inside the landmarked Childs Building. Following remediation, the Childs Building exterior was restored and its now storm-hardened interior houses a 700 person restaurant and a 350 person rooftop terrace. Furthering its incorporation into the development of the amphitheater it houses the stage, ADA restrooms and provides space for the back-of-house functions such as dressing rooms. The covered 5,000 seat amphitheater is able to host a mix of ticketed and free community events via a partnership with its operator Live Nation, the non-profit Coney Island USA, and various other non-profit arts and cultural organizations. The remainder of the site was developed as Seaside Park, a landscaped accessible community space and a multi-age playground. The community is prone to flooding and the dense vegetation planted in the park acts as a long-needed coastal resiliency measure. This new development effort between the EDC and New York City based iStar Incorporated embraces the legacy of Coney Island as an affordable entertainment destination for both the seaside community and what is hoped to be an even greater influx of tourists during the summer months.

    Project Location:

    La Casa Del Mundo, Bronx, NY

    Project Team:

    • 3475 Third Avenue Owners Realty LLC
    • WCD Group
    • Real Builders
    • Kings Point Heights
    • OCV Architects
    • AtoZ Consulting Engineers

    The 2018 Big Apple Brownfield Award for Supportive/Affordable Housing is presented to La Casa Del Mundo located in the Bronx, NY. Developed by KingsPoint Heights LLC, this development has created multiple affordable housing options for the local community. The former warehouse/storage facility was remediated with oversight from the WCD Group LLC and redeveloped into a 12-story affordable housing residential building with commercial space on the ground floor. All 101 units in the building are income restricted and to be occupied by families earning 60% or below the Area Median Income. La Casa Del Mundo was constructed through the New York City Housing Development Corporation and Housing Preservation and Development Extremely Low and Low-Income Affordability program. The design of the building, by OCV Architects, emphasizes sustainability and meets the Enterprise Green Community Criteria. This project transformed an underused space to provide much needed affordable housing in the Bronx.

    Distinguished Service Aware Winner - Schenine Mitchell

    Schenine Mitchell works as an Environmental Scientist in the Emergency and Remedial Response Division and as a Brownfields Project Officer for several Brownfields Assessment, Area Wide Planning, and Environmental Workforce and Job Development Training Grants. Schenine serves as the Lead Regional Coordinator of both the Area Wide Planning and Environmental Workforce and Job Development Training Programs. Equally important, Schenine serves as the Federal liaison to the Regional Inter-Agency Working Group on Brownfields.

    Schenine also assists with field work for the development of solar panels on decommissioned landfills and brownfields. Schenine has partnered with The City College of New York (CCNY) to work with volunteer summer interns from their Environmental Science and Engineering Programs. This led to collaboration with CCNY on using GIS in an analysis of the economic and environmental impact of the EPA’s Brownfields Program in NY and NJ. Schenine presented this research at the 2017 Environmental Information Association Conference and Expo.

    Schenine holds a B.S. in International Environmental Studies with a Minor in Political Science from Rutgers University (Cook College) and a M.A. in Environmental Management from Montclair State University. She has been a two-time recipient of the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund. She is currently pursuing a PhD. in Environmental Management at Montclair State University with an interest in doctoral research on inter-agency collaborations and brownfields redevelopment.

    The NYC Brownfield Partnership Would Like to Thank…

    EVENT PARTNER:

    New York Law School, Center for Real Estate Studies

    PLATINUM EVENT SPONSORS:

    • Aarco Environmental Services, Corp.
    • BCONE
    • Brown Duke & Fogel, P.C.
    • GEI Consultants, Inc., P.C.
    • Roux

    10TH ANNIVERSARY GIFT SPONSOR:

    York Analytical Laboratories

    GOLD EVENT SPONSORS:

    • SPR
    • Tenen Environmental

    SILVER EVENT SPONSORS:

    • AKRF
    • Alpha Analytical
    • AWT
    • Blue World
    • Brookside Environmental
    • Rigsby Search Group LLC
    • Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP
    • Schnapf, LLC

    AFTER-PARTY SPONSOR:

    Langan

  • 25 Apr 2018 4:53 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    by Steve Dwyer

    Across its five boroughs, New York City has developed a strong fluency for converting former brownfields into affordable housing reuses. The message is this—keep it up, New York, stay the course, because the strategy is paying prime dividends.

    It’s a point of fact that the scale of vacant properties across New York City’s five boroughs is massive, with many end use redevelopments flashing diversification all depending on the footprint, the specific need and other factors.

    Affordable housing has become a very viable option in New York City and beyond, as other cities are following suit on their pursuit of this end-use strategy. Other cities in other states might have taken a page from Via Verde, a mixed-income housing development in the Bronx acclaimed for using energy 30% more efficiently than comparable buildings, saving residents money.

    There are several myths dogging affordable housing that many groups advocating for this end use are always eager to dispel. For instance, Community Housing Partners Corp. (CHP) finds that affordable housing is “affordable in the sense of being less costly to live in because it is supported by financing from a variety of public and private sources—not because it is cheaply built or operated.”

    Building affordable housing near jobs supports the increased use of public transportation, shortens commutes and lessens congestion. The National Personal Transportation Survey found that low-income households make 40% fewer trips than other households. Studies show that affordable housing residents own fewer cars and drive less often than those in the surrounding neighborhood.

    One key is critical mass: The larger an urban footprint—such as NYC—the better the chance to leverage an idea such as affordable housing. Think about it: When critical mass is achieved—paving the way for a “brownfields by the bunches” approach to redevelopment—affordable housing quadrants located within a city schema helps avoid housing “disbursement” in favor of unification.

    The consolidation of affordable housing components across a city grid fosters public transit, biking and pedestrian options. This assists owners or renters to avoid having to either a) acquire an automobile or b) allow them to rely less on that vehicle.

    Another urban legend is that this type of project can lead to over-crowded schools, but studies show that traditional single-family home neighborhoods have two to three times the number of school-aged children than those residing in apartments, according to CHP.

    Like other similar studies, one from Wayne State University tracked property values before and after affordable housing was built and found that affordable housing often has a positive effect on property values located in higher-valued neighborhoods while also improving values in lower-valued neighborhoods—a double benefit.

    New York City got the memo about the power of this redevelopment concept a long time ago. For proof, take a look at several former Big Apple Brownfield Award winners: The Hour Apartment House III in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens now provides much-need affordable housing to formerly incarcerated mothers and their children.

    In 2017, Big Apple Brownfield Award winners that made their mark by underscoring and helping champion the affordable housing conversation included Webster Residence and Park House, which features units with rents affordable to households with incomes below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Over 50% of the Webster Residence units and 12% of the Park House units are reserved for formerly homeless persons with special needs.

    West Tremont Residences was built upon a collaborative effort between the city and state—resulting in 61 apartments available to senior citizens at affordable housing prices. Elton Crossing (Melrose C – Family), saw the creation of a mixed-use commercial and residential building to house low and moderate income families in the Bronx, to great success.

    Affordable housing is an idea that will continue to be championed across the country—and rightly so. Give New York City an assist as it’s clearly the poster child for how effective this redevelopment concept can be if executed with a unified team approach.

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