Brooklyn, NY – Years after a controversial Ludlow Street parking garage site was tossed out of discussions, a New York City Councilwoman is calling for the site to be put back into affordable housing talks surrounding the Seward Park redevelopment project.
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ONLINE.WSJ.com (http://on.wsj.com/1qT7nZs) reports that Councilwoman Margaret Chin said, “It was part of the site [plan] back in 2012. We were very disappointed they took that off the table.”
According to reps for the council’s land-use division, the site, located close to the Williamsburg Bridge on Ludlow Street just south of Rivington Street, could potentially house up to 90 residential units.
“It’s an area where we see a lot of luxury condos going up…that would be a terrific site to build affordable housing for seniors, for working families,” Chin said.
The site was included on a list of possible city-owned properties the Bloomberg administration offered up years back, but was dropped amid debates over lost parking—debates that continue.
While the community board has yet to comment on Chin’s proposal, the board’s land-use committee chairwoman Linda Jones said the original reasons why the site was excluded are likely still valid.
“I know Margaret is looking for sites and I hope we find some but that’s probably not the best site since you’d have to develop the perfectly good parking garage,” Jones said.
get rid of that parking lot. it ws always dark and dingy
The site is better used for parking, given all the condos in the immediate area where most residents have a car but often do not have a parking space. The needs of the current neighborhood residents should not be ignored simply because some consider them yuppies.