Lottery Opens for New Affordable Apartments in Financial District Building
Above: The front entrance of 7 Dey Street (known more colloquially as 185 Broadway), where 63 rent-stabilized, affordable apartments will soon be awarded by lottery to applicants who qualify. Below: The tower of 7 Dey will also contain 143 market-rate apartments, along with several floors and office and retail space.
Lower Manhattan’s meager inventory of affordable rental apartments will soon swell by 63 units, thanks to a new development nearing completion at 185 Broadway, at the corner of Dey Street. The building, which will be known by its branding address of 7 Dey, will contain a total of 206 apartments (the remaining 143 units will be market-rate rentals), along with several floors of retail and office space. In exchange for committing to affordability protections on the 63 units, developer S.L. Green received tax incentives worth many millions of dollars, which helped to build the $300 million project.
People wishing to live in the affordable units at 7 Dey are urged enter the affordable housing lottery being overseen by the City’s the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and operated by non-profit Settlement Housing Fund. These apartments are set aside for applicants making between 70 and 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), which qualifies them as low and middle income. (“Low income” is actually a demographic middle zone, situated above “very low income,” and “extremely low income.”)
The range of apartments being offered at 7 Dey includes studios (25 units), one bedrooms (30 units), and two bedrooms (eight units). Applicants earning between $45,566 and $167,570 (depending on the size of apartment desired, and number of people in the household) will be considered.
Rents for these affordable units range from $1,329 for a studio for one person earning between $45,566 and $58,520 per year, to $3,235 for a two bedroom for two to five people, earning a total of between $110,915 and $167,570. For comparison, the market-rate units at 7 Dey start at $3,500 to $4,920 for studios, and go up to $7,370 to $9,500 for two-bedrooms.
While this disparity is already considerable, projections for how much market-rate rents will diverge from those of affordable units (which will be rent stabilized) within the building during the years ahead point to an ever-widening financial chasm. Projecting forward the average historical rates of increase permitted by the City’s Rent Guidelines Board (which sets allowable rent hikes for stabilized apartments), contrasted with the average local increase in market-rate rents in recent years, the cost of a representative one-bedroom apartment in 7 Dey is currently $2,480 less per month for affordable tenants, but is expected to be $4,840 less each month by the year 2036. This translates into almost $60,000 per year in savings.
In a related development, a City government online, interactive map, which tracks progress toward Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ambitious goal of creating 300,000 units of affordable housing by the year 2026, illustrates a stark reality. Since Mr. de Blasio’s administration took office in 2014, Lower Manhattan has seen the creation (or preservation) of only 143 affordable apartments at just three sites (prior to the opening of 7 Dey, early next year).
The City’s map, illustrating the creation of affordable housing, indicates that Mayor de Blasio’s vaunted effort to build 300,000 units of affordable housing by the year 2026 has resulted in just 143 such apartments (at three sites) in Lower Manhattan—in sharp contrast to many more sites and units in nearby districts.
For the purposes of this review, Lower Manhattan is defined as falling within the borders of Community Board 1 (CB1) — a collection of neighborhoods, usually thought of as Battery Park City, Tribeca, the Financial District, the South Street Seaport, and the Civic Center, encompassing 1.5 square miles, bounded roughly by Canal, Baxter, and Pearl Streets and the Brooklyn Bridge.
From 2014 through the present, Lower Manhattan has absorbed more than 6,000 new apartments, divided among dozens of buildings—some of which were new construction, others of which were conversions of former office towers. This translates to a local rate of creation for affordable housing of slightly less than 2.4 percent among all new apartments.
Put another way, the de Blasio administration points with pride to its record since 2014 of having preserved 52,000 affordable homes, and having begun construction of 25,000 more. The 143 units located in Lower Manhattan represent slightly less than one-fifth of percent of this City-wide total, or roughly one out of every 550 new affordable homes created throughout New York City.
Because Downtown is an increasingly affluent area, it would be intuitive to conclude that affordable housing is necessarily more difficult to create or preserve here. But this seems not to be the case in other, similarly fashionable districts. For example, Community Board 2—which covers Manhattan north of Canal Street, south of 14th Street, and west of a line extending from the Bowery through Fourth Avenue, including neighborhoods such as the West Village and SoHo—saw the creation or preservation of 268 units of affordable housing in five buildings during the same period.
And Community Board 7—the Upper West Side, or Manhattan between 59th and 110th Streets, between Central Park and the Hudson River—benefitted from the creation or preservation of 991 affordable housing units in 14 separate buildings.
The locations of the new affordable units in Lower Manhattan described here are new buildings at 456 Greenwich Street (in Tribeca), 118 Fulton Street (in the Financial District), and 56 Fulton Street (near the South Street Seaport). The building at 456 Greenwich Street offers 22 affordable units, out of 107 apartments. The tower at 118 Fulton Street contains 97 affordable apartments, out of 483 dwellings. And the building at 56 Fulton Street has 24 affordable homes, out of 120 units.
To review the City’s map of affordable housing creation and preservation, click here
‘It Will be Very Easy’
New Governor Plans to Get BPC Opinions Regarding Essential Workers Monument
While many residents and community activists may have hoped that plans for an Essential Workers Monument in Battery Park City had perished in tandem with the political demise of former Governor Andrew Cuomo (who resigned in disgrace, in August), his successor may have other ideas.
Konstantinos (Gus) Ouranitsas, a pillar of the Battery Park City community and the longtime Resident Manager of the Liberty Court condominium, passed away at age 65 on Friday, September 10, surrounded by his family.
Mr. Ouranitsas, who succumbed to complications from pancreatic cancer, is survived by his devoted wife of 33 years, Maria; his loving children, Konstantine, Nestor, and Marina; his mother, Eleni; and his sister, Vasiliki Tourloukis, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.
Providing Companion and Home Health Aide Care to clients with dementia.Help with grooming, dressing and wheelchair assistance. Able to escort client to parks and engage in conversations of desired topics and interests of client. Reliable & Honest
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The urgent radio call to “all available boats” went out from the United States Coast Guard on the morning of 9/11, requesting help from any mariner to help evacuate people from the shores of Lower Manhattan. The brave captains and crews of more than 100 boats responded—tugs, ferries, pleasure boats, police boats, tiny motorboats, and more—and an estimated 500,000 people were rescued in a few short hours and taken across the water to safety.
On September 10, 2021, a flotilla gathered in New York Harbor to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 Boatlift. Fireboats sprayed long arcs of river water in the bright sun and vessels of all kinds paraded past a shoreside ceremony at Wagner Park (photo above). The fleet was blessed, and mariners of all stripes watched and remembered that fateful day two decades ago.
Alison Simko photo and text
The Aftermath
A Resident’s Recollections from the Months After September 11, 2001
Everybody asks me what it is like to live “down there.” They mean, of course, near Ground Zero, which is a block away from my front door. The sounds, smells, and changes that pervade my daily life here make it hard for me to know how to respond with an easy, short answer.
Today it is gray. The streets are wet, not from rain, but from the sanitation trucks that pass by every few hours spraying strong jets of water to keep down the dust. To read more…
The Broadsheet Sept 7 – 20
Wondering Whether You Have Been Worth the Windfall
You recall the frenetic chaos—people wandering blithely into traffic, while cars with flashing lights and bleating sirens tried to make lurching progress by driving on sidewalks. And everyone staring upward, transfixed.
Even amid the bedlam, one anomalously serene (even festive) detail stood out. Confetti—a jumble of office paperwork and shredded aluminum—drifting lazily toward the ground. Reminiscent of nothing so much as a ticker tape parade, but in reverse. The honorees didn’t know the parade was for them, because they had not yet become heroes and martyrs. Although in just a few moments, they would.
A few minutes later, you stood at the foot of a tower, looking up at an airplane-shaped hole in its side and thinking, “there is no way that building is going to fall down.” To read more…
EYES TO THE SKY
September 6 – 19, 2021
Reach out to Jupiter, Saturn all night
Planet Jupiter shines with startling brilliance above the southeast horizon in evening twilight. The great planet, orbiting fifth out from the Sun in our solar system, could be mistaken for the light of an airplane flying low above the skyline. Jupiter (-2.83 magnitude) is the Evening Star rising in the southeast while dazzling planet Venus (-4.05m), is the Evening Star setting in the west-southwest during twilight. Note that the smaller the number the greater the magnitude of a celestial object. Sunset is, roughly, 7:15pm this week and 7:00pm next week. Twilight begins about half an hour later and, for nightfall, add another hour. To read more…
with its amazing gardens and views of the Hudson River and New York Bay, Wagner Park is the perfect setting to practice your art. Participants are expected to bring their own drawing and painting supplies, including drawing boards and containers of water if they are planning to paint. BPCA will supply drawing paper and watercolor paper only. Masks required. Participants must maintain six feet of physical distance between households. All programs will be held in accordance with New York State reopening guidance. Free
6PM
Sunset Yoga
Wagner Park
Namaste! Unwind from the day with outdoor yoga. Immerse yourself in this meditative practice- surrounded by the Hudson’s peaceful aura. Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels are welcome. Participants are expected to bring their own equipment: yoga mat, yoga blocks, water, etc. Masks required. Participants must maintain six feet of physical distance between households. Programs will be held in accordance with New York State reopening guidance. Free
How will artificial intelligence change our world? Join Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China and bestselling author of AI Superpowers, and celebrated novelist Chen Qiufan, author of sci-fi sensation Waste Tide, online for the launch of their new book AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future. The authors will discuss AI’s advances in China and how the technology is poised to burst into our daily lives on an unimaginable scale.
School’s back! Celebrate the return to school at this family community event with beats by DJ Susan Z. Anthony, chalk drawings, a picnic area, and an array of classic lawn games. Fast break to the basketball court for a New York Red Bulls freestyle soccer show. The evening ends with a screening of The Sandlot complete with popcorn. 4:30PM: freestyle soccer show; 5:30PM: festivities; 7:30PM: movie. Free. RSPV here.
The tall ship Wavertree, the schooner Pioneer, and the tug W.O. Decker are open to the public. Explore Wavertree while she is docked; cruise New York Harbor on W.O. Decker and Pioneer! Wavertree visits are free; Pioneer and Decker prices vary. Check website for times, prices and other details.
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Report
More Survivors than Responders Now are Submitting Claims
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has released its annual report for 2020, which documents some significant developments.
Over the course of its ten years of operation thus far, the VCF has awarded $7.76 billion to more than 34,400 individuals who have suffered death or personal injury as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath. The vast majority of these injuries take the form of illness caused by exposure to toxic materials that were released by the destruction of the World Trade Center.
Samascott Orchard Orchard fruit, strawberries from Columbia County, New York
Francesa’s Bakery Breads and baked goods from Middlesex County, New Jersey
Meredith’s Bakery Baked goods from Ulster County, New York
Riverine Ranch Water Buffalo meat and cheeses from Warren County, New Jersey
1857 Spirits Handcrafted potato vodka from Schoharie County, New York
SNAP/EBT/P-EBT, Debit/Credit, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks accepted
TODAY IN HISTORY
September 15
1835 – HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, reaches the Galбpagos Islands. The ship lands at Chatham or San Cristobal, the easternmost of the archipelago.1835 – HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, reaches the Galбpagos Islands. The ship lands at Chatham or San Cristobal, the easternmost of the archipelago.
668 – Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse, Italy.
1776 – American Revolutionary War: British forces land at Kip’s Bay during the New York Campaign.
1812 – The Grande Army under Napoleon reaches the Kremlin in Moscow.
1830 – The Liverpool to Manchester railway line opens; British MP William Huskisson becomes the first widely reported railway passenger fatality when he is struck and killed by the locomotive Rocket.
1835 – HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, reaches the Galбpagos Islands. The ship lands at Chatham or San Cristobal, the easternmost of the archipelago.
1862 – American Civil War: Confederate forces capture Harpers Ferry, Virginia(present-day Harpers Ferry, West Virginia).
1916 – World War I: Tanks are used for the first time in battle, at the Battle of the Somme.
1940 – World War II: The climax of the Battle of Britain, when the Luftwaffe launches its largest and most concentrated attack of the entire campaign.
1942 – World War II: U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Wasp is sunk by Japanese torpedoes at Guadalcanal.
1958 – A Central Railroad of New Jersey commuter train runs through an open drawbridge at the Newark Bay, killing 48.
1959 – Nikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
1962 – The Soviet ship Poltava heads toward Cuba, one of the events that sets into motion the Cuban Missile Crisis.
1963 – Baptist Church bombing: Four children killed in the bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
1967 – President Lyndon B. Johnson, responding to a sniper attack at the University of Texas at Austin, writes a letter to Congress urging the enactment of gun control legislation.
1981 – The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
1981 – The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C.
2008 – Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.
1881 – Ettore Bugatti, Italian-French businessman, founded Bugatti (d. 1947)
Births
1736 – Jean Sylvain Bailly, French astronomer, mathematician, and politician, first Mayor of Paris (d. 1793)
1789 – James Fenimore Cooper, American novelist, short story writer, and historian (d. 1851)
1857 – William Howard Taft, American lawyer, jurist, and politician, 27th President of the United States (d. 1930)
1881 – Ettore Bugatti, Italian-French businessman, founded Bugatti (d. 1947)
1888 – Antonio Ascari, Italian race car driver (d. 1925)
1889 – Robert Benchley, American humorist, newspaper columnist, and actor (d. 1945)
1890 – Agatha Christie, English crime novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1976)
1894 – Jean Renoir, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1979)
1907 – Fay Wray, Canadian-American actress (d. 2004)
1924 – Bobby Short, American singer and pianist (d. 2005)
1945 – Jessye Norman, American soprano
Deaths
668 – Constans II, Byzantine emperor (b. 630)
1750 – Charles Theodore Pachelbel, German organist and composer (b. 1690)
1938 – Thomas Wolfe, American novelist (b. 1900)
1978 – Willy Messerschmitt, German engineer and academic, designed the Messerschmitt Bf 109 (b. 1898)
1980 – Bill Evans, American pianist and composer (b. 1929)
2014 – Eugene I. Gordon, American physicist and engineer (b. 1930)
