Bed-Stuy neighbors push back on plan to turn high school lot into affordable housing
Neighbors said the area is already densely populated and what they really need right now are more spaces for the community to enjoy.
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Neighbors in Bed-Stuy are pushing back on a plan that would turn a lot at the historic Girls High School into affordable housing.
"We would love to see public land be in service of the community," said Omar Walker, head of the 200 Jefferson Avenue Block Association. "Trading this off to a private developer, it's just unethical."
But Walker says that's exactly what the city plans to do under the Atlantic Ave Mixed-Use Plan. The project calls for redeveloping a roughly 20 block stretch of Atlantic Avenue and nearby streets, with hundreds of homes set aside for affordable housing.
"I really would wish people, especially our politicians, would stop using the words affordable housing," said Walker. "It's misleading."
A longtime resident of Bed-Stuy, Walker is joining about 2,000 neighbors who have signed a petition under the Thrive Bed-Stuy initiative organized by the Halsey and Macon Street Block Associations. They're demanding local leaders ensure the site remain a publicly owned space.
"Affordable housing does not serve communities," he said. "We see it already 1215 Fulton St., an affordable housing building that was just constructed within blocks of this site, almost $3,000 for a studio. How does that make sense? That's luxury housing."
Neighbors said the area is already densely populated and what they really need right now are more spaces for the community to enjoy.
"I'm interested in keeping Bed-Stuy whole. My grandmother attended this school," said Ayisha Doyle. "Though we have beautiful tree lined blocks, we do not have large green spaces or swaths of green spaces residents can use."
Sources close to the project told News 12 the city has no plans on selling the site to a private developer and instead. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development has agreed to issue a request for proposals for a 100 percent permanently affordable, mixed-use building. But neighbors argue creating a space for community events, like a local market or park, would be a better support for both residents and businesses.
