December 18, 2009

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) today urged the New York City Council to override Mayor Bloomberg's veto of their decision earlier this week to promote responsible development by disapproving the administration's plans for the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory.

"The Council has sent a strong message that economic development has to be good for the community and not just a private developer," said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and KARA co-convener. "The Mayor is wrong to veto the Council's decision. New York needs a development strategy that puts people first, and that begins with the developers guaranteeing the rights of workers to a living wage and the right to join a union without fear or intimidation by employers."

KARA believes the development plan was voted down 45-1 because it is bad plan. It would result in the loss of businesses and jobs along the bustling Fordham Road corridor. It would cause a traffic nightmare with accompanying environmental and health decay. It does not include local hiring, and more. In short, there is little in it for the community despite the developer receiving $60 million in public subsidies.

"Our billionaire Mayor pulled the plug on the redevelopment of the Armory to prevent a publicly subsidized development from including a binding Community Benefits Agreement that includes living wage jobs, first source local hiring, protection of the right of retail workers to join a union, community and recreation space and the exclusion of a supermarket or a big box grocery store," said Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, KARA leader and Executive Board member of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. "He believes government has no role in setting mandatory wage requirements. According to him, there should be no minimum wage law, no child labor law, and no protections for working people. He is on the wrong side of history. The people of the Bronx have spoken. Every one of our elected officials whose district includes the Armory has supported our demand for a binding Community Benefits Agreement. By overriding his veto, the Council will show that we can do better than what Bloomberg has come up with."

The City Council will meet on Monday, December 21, to vote on whether or not to override the Mayor's veto.

Numerous City Council members cited the findings of an independent traffic report when they voted to reject the administration's development plans for the Armory. Under the City's Land Use Review Procedure, traffic and its environmental impacts must be taken into account on such projects. Below is a summary of the report by Brian T. Ketcham, P.E.

An independent traffic analysis shows far greater impacts on the community than either The Related Companies or the City's Economic Development Corporation admit in the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Contrary to the FEIS, the Armory project will produce very significant congestion levels around the project site as well as along Kingsbridge Road from the Grand Concourse to the Major Deegan. Total traffic delays will increase by 140% and fuel consumption will almost double, Increased traffic and delays would result in increased pollution and this would negatively affect the health of the surrounding communities already suffering from high asthma rates. There is no way to mitigate these impacts and still build the project as it is now proposed. The only way to substantially reduce the harm the traffic impacts will do to the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood and to the surrounding communities is to drastically reduce the amount of retail space that would be created.

SUMMARY OF TRAFFIC IMPACTS

Project Description: The Related Companies is planning a 600,000 square feet suburban-style mall with destination retail, a cinema and community facilities for the Kingsbridge Armory.

• Traffic impacts cannot be mitigated: The project will add tens of thousands of auto trips daily to the Kingsbridge community streets; many impacts cannot be mitigated and will result in significantly increased congestion levels.
• Traffic impacts could actually be worse: The Final Environmental Impact Statement has under-reported traffic impacts; traffic could be 20% to 50% greater than reported.
• Project truck trips have also been under-reported: Estimated truck trips are about half what has been assumed for other similarly sized shopping malls.
• Off-street parking will accommodate a fraction of demand: Related would provide just a fraction (20%) of the off-street parking needed to support the Armory project and relies, instead, on the Kingsbridge area local streets to supply parking.
• Kingsbridge Armory traffic will result in increased traffic accidents: Contrary to claims, the project will result in 60 more traffic accidents injuring 20 people every year.
• Total vehicle delay increases by 143%, fuel consumption increases by 92%, average vehicle fuel economy declines by 29% while vehicular emissions increase by 96% due to project traffic near the project site. This will bring additional environmental and health hazards to an area already suffering from high asthma rates.
• The only way to significantly reduce or mitigate the traffic impacts of the project is to drastically reduce its size - from the current 600,000 SF (500,000 SF of retail space) to about 300,000 square feet.

The struggle around securing living wages at the Kingsbridge Armory has provided a spark for the movement to mandate living wages in all city-subsidized development. Living wage legislation was introduced late last week at the City Council.

Community Benefits Agreements have been negotiated in cities around the country with developers receiving tax dollars and tax exemptions to help underwrite their projects. These agreements have helped developers build profitable projects while guaranteeing good jobs that pay living wages and create community spaces. Of particular concern to many Bronx residents are the types of jobs that will be created.

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) is a large coalition of community groups, churches and unions that seek high road, equitable development for the Kingsbridge Armory. The alliance wants the redevelopment to meet the community's needs for living wage jobs, community space, recreational facilities and schools. City, state and federal officials have endorsed KARA.