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De Blasio criticizes City Council vote on Inwood rezoning
Mayor claims opposition to project "makes no sense"
Mayor de Blasio on Thursday slammed a City Council vote not to rezone an Inwood development site.
“There was a chance to get, I think it was 67 affordable units of those in the community,” the mayor said during a Bronx press conference. “Now we have zero affordable units. Someone tell me why that’s a victory.”
“So this one makes no sense to me, and I’m going to be very straight-up with people in this community and every other community: Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face,” he added.
The proposed rezoning at 4650 Broadway would have been the first under City Hall’s mandatory inclusionary housing program, which allows developers to build taller in exchange for affordability concessions. But local Council member Ydanis Rodriguez opposed the rezoning, and on Tuesday City Council followed suit, voting down the proposal 45-0.
The developers Washington Square Partners and Acadia Realty Trust [TRDataCustom] had planned to build a 15-story property with 175 affordable apartments of the total 355.
Some local residents had publicly opposed the project, claiming it would “displace” locals.
De Blasio on Thursday attacked that logic. “If people are frustrated by gentrification and development, and then turn down an opportunity to create affordable housing, brand-new affordable housing, that does not make sense,” he said. “And now the developer gets to do whatever he wants.” [Crain’s] — Konrad Putzier