Council Member Julie Won (Photo courtesy of CM Won)
April 21, 2022 Op-Ed By Council Member Julie Won
In my letter to the Innovation Queens development team dated March 8, 2022, I laid out very clear requirements to ensure that the community was informed and empowered in the decision making process for this project before certification. After hearing from my community, it is clear that Innovation Queens has not met those requirements.
At last night’s town hall, we witnessed deeply troubling behavior from the development team.
Community advocates attempted to enter the town hall, but the IQ team refused to let them enter, falsely claiming that the event was at full capacity. However, members of my team were inside and saw a mostly empty venue.
It was only after the intervention of other elected officials that the tenant advocates were allowed to enter. These attempts to silence residents who would be affected by this development are unacceptable and show a deep contempt for our neighbors. Troublingly, the large police presence both inside and outside of the venue demonstrated the IQ team’s total distrust and even fear of our community members.
When members of the community were finally able to speak, we did not hear calls for more luxury residences or luxury retail. We heard the need for greater affordability above the bare minimum set by Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) to ensure that future development does not further raise rents and displace the working-class. 75% of the apartments here would be market rate, with many of those set aside as “affordable,” yet still astronomically out of reach for most people in our district.
According to the American Community Survey (ACS) for the project site and surrounding neighborhood1, 87% of residents are renters, 46% of whom are spending at least 30% of their income on rent, and 23% are spending over 50% of their income on rent. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development classifies individuals spending 30% or more of their income as “rent burdened” and those spending over 50% as “severely rent burdened”. Almost 70% of the area fits those classifications.
Attendees at the Innovation QNS Town Hall Wednesday (Photo by Michael Dorgan)
We also heard the need for a hospital with a trauma center to serve communities that need complex and fast care. We heard the need for maternity care and birthing centers, both of which are greatly lacking in our district.
The developers claimed that they have been in conversation with hospital providers, but have provided no details to the community, the community board, or our office. They also claimed to be providing a school, a claim which was proven false when I asked them directly about their plans during a community board meeting. Further conversations with the School Construction Authority revealed that they were aware that no school would be built before they presented their plan to the community board.
Local small businesses owners were not made aware of the potential for their businesses to be demolished and the need for relocation. The development team would not commit to concrete relocation assistance for these businesses, only promises to have conversations. There was also a clear lack of commitment to build this project with union labor, again with promises to have communication and conversation but no clear cut agreements. If this team has been working on this project for 2 years, they should have already committed to hiring unionized and local labor during all phases of the project.
Language access was another key complaint among residents. According to that same ACS data, 56% of residents speak a language other than English, with 25% reporting that they have limited English proficiency. Our team was able to independently verify that Bangla and Spanish interpretations were sub-par and only partially translated, with certain words being repeated verbatim in English.
This follows a trend of using Google Translate over community integrated translation services for printed materials, websites, and notices in advance of this meeting. We’ve also received a report that a deafblind constituent requested CART services directly from the IQ team and was left without confirmation of services to be provided, and none were available at the event.
Cultural and religious concerns of our community were also ignored. We received complaints from our Muslim neighbors observing Ramadan and Orthodox Christians observing Holy Week about the timing of this event. April 20th was the start of the final 10 days in Ramadan, which are the holiest and most solemn this month for Muslims.
Many expressed deep disappointment that they were unable to attend, as well as their frustration with the organizers who did not consider their needs in planning this event. Those who did attend made clear that they were fasting and how difficult it was to attend during this time. When I requested community engagement, I was clear that the needs of the community must be recognized and incorporated. This engagement plan has shown little consideration for the local community.
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani speaking at a protest outside the town hall meeting Wednesday (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
Last night was the first time that many of our neighbors were able to engage with the development team and their message was loud and clear: this project does not meet the community’s needs and they have been excluded from the over 2 years of outreach that the Innovation Queens team claims to have done.
I was clear that this project should not certify before aligning with the needs of the community and I stand by that today. I laid out a clear path for the developers to show themselves to be good faith partners in this plan, and they have decided to move ahead before meeting any of my requests. The Innovation Queens development team must delay certification and work to remedy the litany of complaints and issues from the community before this project can be not just viable, but a true benefit to our neighbors.
Council Member Julie Won represents the 26th Council District. The district incorporates the area where the development is proposed.
1) Data taken from the NYC Population Fact Finder American Community Survey Data from 2015-2019 from census tracts 171.01, 171.02, 31 ,51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 157, 155, 159, 153,161
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9 Comments
I appreciate CM Won’s articulate advocacy for the community she represents. Our community needs affordable housing. Less than a mile away, on Barnett Ave., we will have a building with 100% stabilized homes, ranging below 80% of the area median income (AMI). Cut the PR budget – as Shakespeare once wrote, “me thinks he protesteth too much.”
Thank you, Julie Won. An in-depth understanding of community needs and support for the true middle class. Hostile posts and exclusionary practices are hallmarks of the “construction jobs first,” residents far behind school have ruined Long Island City, whose Queenswest State planners sold out to Avalon, for example, tossing out a “sawtooth” building heights plan on the waterfront, to max “luxury” housing rentals. Result, a “wall” of tall buildings, overwhelmed police and Parks.
Thank you, Ms. Won. Keep up the good fight.
The councilmember is impressively articulate and thorough. Her constituents are indeed blessed.
Doesn’t seem like our leaders can work behind the scenes anymore after the Amazon deal because now any change has to be 100% approved by the community. If it’s a good deal, it will never be approved because someone will always be unhappy. We are going backwards.
Stop this overdevelopment Ms. Won.
I agree. Let’s keep the parking lots and auto shops that currently make up this part of the neighborhood!
Lots of people in this neighborhood and from out of this neighborhood are vehemently anti-new housing. 700+ permanently affordable housing units under $1500 per month. Total of about 5 people being displaced. Getting rid of a forgotten wasteland of empty buildings, parking lots and dirty streets. Adding open spaces and even a new playground for the community on 36 Avenue.
Ridiculous NIMBY-ism.
Maybe the City of New York should take over the space and build more NYCHA style developments that will be falling apart in a few years?
I had high hoes for Julie Won but she is coming across as another pandering politician.
I totally agree with you – the people don’t always know how to lead and we need a leader to help create opportunity for all of us. She needs to highlight what’s good about the project so the people can acknowledge that and feel great. But when you’re a politician, that doesn’t matter and picking on developers is the cool thing to do. The negativity and lack of exciting progress is sickening. The people need opportunities and they’re just going elsewhere to find them.
Agree. Not just pandering but being close-minded about the benefits gained.