New York City officials announced on Monday, August 31, its proposal to convert a former slaughterhouse into an affordable housing complex with other amenities.
The proposed site located at 495 11th Avenue, used to be a Manhattan slaughterhouse during the early 20th century, reports the Politico New York. Over the years, the slaughterhouse was converted into a warehouse and is now a parking lot for the New York Police Department (NYPD). The city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is reportedly looking for bidders to present their plans and proposal for the mixed-use property.
The Politico New York report also mentioned that Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration is hoping the 24,687-square-foot city owned property will attract developers given its proximity to the Hudson Yards project and the upcoming 7 train extension in the area. The housing project is also part of the administration's plan to build 80,000 affordable housing units, while preserving another 120,000 in the city, by 2024.
Vicki Been, Department of Housing and Preservation Development commissioner, said in a prepared statement, "The Slaughterhouse Site Request For Proposals 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."
The city's request for proposal (RFP) also encouraged interested developers to build a completely affordable residential project, preferably without any city subsidies, according to Politico. The city plans to accomplish that "through cross-subsidy from the commercial and/or community facility uses, without ongoing public subsidy." However, the RFP was also very careful on how it worded its requirements and stated that it was a "goal." This reportedly leaves an "open possibility of public subsidies for the project."
The RFP also did not indicate the specific targets for the project, states Politico. The RFP did set a ceiling of 165 percent of the area median income - $128,184 for a family of three, according to federal standards. Aside from that, the city officials are reportedly on the look-out for proposals which would include recommendations from the local community board. The city has set a deadline of December 11 for project proposal submissions.
Meanwhile, Manhattan's Community Board 4 previously wrote a letter to the city wherein a proposal for a 322 housing unit was mentioned, reports the site DNAinfo. The letter was sent in May which proposed a "100 percent permanently affordable building" to be developed on the same site. The EDC said then that they envisioned the site as a "mixed-use, mixed-income development containing affordable housing."
