By Dan Murphy
A divided Yonkers City Council did not approve a draft environmental review plan for Ludlow Point, a large redevelopment of southwest Yonkers next to the Ludlow Train Station, proposed by Ginsberg Development Company, GDC. After a healthy discussion, the Council voted 3 yes, 2 no, and 2 absentions NOT to accept a draft environmental impact statement, which is usually adopted as a formality in the development process for any project.
Four City Councilmember, Council President Mike Khader, and Councilmembers Shanae Williams, Tasha Diaz and Anthony Merrante, all called for the developer to reach an agreement with Union labor on the construction of the project, called a Project-Labor Agreement, PLA.
Council President Mike Khader said that he will not support the project unless a PLA and a suitable Affordable Housing component of apartments are set aside for low and middle income Yonkers residents. “I support project labor agreement and I have sat on picket lines. Labor needs to have a seat at the table and I have a concern that while we are moving along with procedural steps, these major issues are not being addressed. The developer also has to be a part of the affordable housing crisis that we face.
“If developers are opposed to affordable housing and project labor agreements, its not my job to make developers rich, its my job to represent the community and at this early stage the needs of the communty have not been met. I will not support any project where a developer does not support increased affordable housing and a project labor agreement.” said Khader.
Councilmember Anthony Merante said, “I have spoken with members of Labor and they say that the developer has not been listening and not willing to come forward and negotiate. I think that we need to push the developer to work with labor on this project.”
Khader and Merante voted no, while Councilmembers Diaz and Williams abstained, with both calling for affordable housing and a PLA with the developer.
Majority Leader Corazon Pineda-Issac, Minority Leader Mike Breen and Councilmember John Rubbo voted yes. Breen said he was “looking for a negotiated settlement for a PLA,” between the developer and the unions. “If the developer won’t come to the table that is a problem but I’m hopeful that an agreement can be reached because that is what the people of Yonkers are looking for.”
Councilman Rubbo said, “This is a good development project for Yonkers. Finally we have economic development moving south from the downtown-waterfront. I will continue to ask the developer to come to the table, but I support this project.”
GDC’s Ludlow Point, a $199.7-million investment, is the centerpiece development of the new Ludlow Station Area Master Plan. Located at 150 Downing St., the project will feature 520 residential units in two 10-story and two 11-story towers. The unit mix will be comprised of 80 studios, 320 one-bedrooms and 120 two-bedroom apartments. Building amenities will include a club lounge, fitness center, swimming pool, business center, bike racks and tenant storage lockers. A total of 10% of the units (52) are to be affordable under the Yonkers Affordable Housing Ordinance.
Ludlow Point will feature a new Promenade Park overlooking the Hudson River and the cliffs of the Palisades that will connect to O’Boyle Park, which will be refurbished by GDC. Ludlow Point will represent the largest private investment made in Southwest Yonkers in decades, according to the IDA, and is estimated to create approximately 600 construction jobs and 14 permanent jobs. IDA financial incentives for the project include $4,752,563 in sales tax exemptions and $2,520,000 in mortgage recording tax exemptions.
The other GDC project, 70 Pier St., is a $14.2-million mixed-use building to be constructed on the south side of Abe Cohen Plaza at the Ludlow Metro-North Train Station. The project will consist of a four-story building containing 36 residential rental apartments with a unit mix of six studios, 18 one-bedrooms and 12 two-bedroom units.
Four votes were needed to move the item forward, and it did not pass. The item may be resumbitted in two weeks, at which time another vote will be taken.
Councilman Merante’s no vote on the Draft EIS was not expected. Several more votes will have to take place for the final approval of the plan and four votes are needed.
The issue of a PLA has been discussed in recent years in Yonkers concerning redevelopment. The City and IDA were requiring a PLA for development projects until the decision was made not to continue the requirement.
The argument against PLA’s was that some developers walked away from some Yonkers projects because of them. The argument in favor of PLA’s is that it provides good paying jobs and that members of contrucrtion union live in Yonkers and pay taxes.
The Council meeting held on Feb. 16 was one of the most interesting in years, with many itmes on the agenda, including calls for a Marina on the downtown waterfront, a return of a Ferry Service at the same locale, a resolution supporting the elimination of student debt and more, which we will repoort on next week.
