By Dan Murphy
As the City of Yonkers continues to move forward with its development “Boom” of more than $2 Billion in projects completed or underway, the future of the Glenwood Power Plant and its proposed redevelopment remains in doubt. That is because members of a Yonkers Community Coalition are still waiting for a promised Community Benefits Agreement, CBA, that the developers, The Plant, have agreed to provide to the residents, taxpayers and concerned citizens of Yonkers.
The Glenwood Power Plant is located directly on the Hudson River in Northwest Yonkers. And the proposed redevelopment of the property is impressive. The plans call for a 157,00 square foot, mixed-office, banquet space-catering hall, and “a global home for climate solutions.”
A pedestrian bridge from the Glenwood Metro North station is also included in the plan, which according to the Environmental Assessment submitted by the developer, would “transform this historic building into a center for resiliency with co-working space, business incubators, maker spaces, and a grand convening space for events, workshops, public art, and gatherings that engage entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, artists, youth and government engaged with climate solutions.”
The major problem with any redevelopment of the old power plant is that there is no parking on site, and two attempts by the developer to try and secure parking at nearby Trevor Park and at JFK Marina were met with vocal opposition and were dropped.
Now a third proposal to build additional parking at a small portion of Trevor Park where city greenhouses currently stand appears to have the support of the City, because the new garage would be operated by the Yonkers Parking Authority. The greenhouses, which are rundown, would be relocated to another location. The garage would also provide much-needed new parking spaces designated for residents on Glenwood and Ravine Avenues.
As The Plant moves forward with a submission to the Yonkers Planning Board, one major obstacle remains: support from the Yonkers community. That support was supposed to come in the form of a Community Benefits Agreement, CBA, between The Goren Group and several residents who were picked by the developer to represent the Yonkers community in negotiations on the CBA.
That group, called the Yonkers Community Coalition is currently comprised of Steve Simpson, Effie Philips, Hector Santiago, Christine Peters, Ryan Crews, Jamal Epps, and Terrance Hamilton. The commitment from the developer called on the CBA to provide certain incentives to the community in exchange for their support.
The Plant wanted to be the first developer to agree to a CBA in the history of Yonkers development projects, and their suggestion was met with hope and anticipation by members of the community and the Yonkers public. The Plant hired a consultant, Yonkers resident Jeni Wallace, to draft a CBA to present to the coalition. Yonkers Rising has confirmed that Wallace was hired to finalize the agreement and write the CBA. Mrs. Wallace stated she was hired on a three-month contract, which she fulfilled, with the contract ending in August. She would not comment on the status of the CBA, stating she is no longer privy to those negotiations, but Wallace’s proposed CBA never made it to the YCC.
The developers asked the Yonkers Community Coalition “what benefits do you think the community needs?” The Yonkers Community Coalition answered job opportunities for Yonkers residents who will be paid a living wage, access to the Plant’s resources, job training in renewable energy, a guarantee that a percentage of construction jobs would be awarded to local Yonkers residents through an apprenticeship program, and the construction jobs would be paid at prevailing wage. And finally, that a percentage of the profits would go directly to the Yonkers Public Schools.
The third request is the most unusual but comes from the theory that over the past 16 years of development in Yonkers, developers have been able to avoid paying their fair share of property taxes through a PILOT, (payment in lieu of taxes) through IDA incentives. And this lack of payment of property taxes has resulted in an ongoing shortfall in the Yonkers Public Schools.
These suggestions by Christine Peters and other members of the YCC have gone unanswered from the developer, who has yet to submit a CBA to the group and appears to have done an about face in their commitment to a CBA and support from the community, according to members of the YCC that we spoke to.
“At this point, as a parent with a child in the Yonkers Public Schools, it’s time we make sure that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes, staring with the developers. The PILOT programs that we have given away to developers are not responsive to the needs of YPS students. All developers, large and small, should be held responsible to the local community as part of their mission. And it was the developer’s idea to come up with a CBA. They asked me to volunteer on the YCC and I have done so for months. They wanted a buy in from the community and the community has told them what we want,” said YCC member Christine Peters.
YCC member Hector Santiago said, “There has been a lot of progress with this development project on all aspects except a CBA. It appears that the developer is using the possibility of a CBA for their investors but, we are at a standstill. They want to be innovative, but they are not taking the opportunity to do it. I believe that a CBA was handed in to them but none of us have seen it.”
“We want to see Yonkers folks as part of the long-term employment for this project. All I have asked for is some type of number, some type of percentage of Yonkers residents who would be employed there, but there is nothing that they will commit to. This is not inclusiveness.”
The Goren Group has changed its Yonkers representation during the attempts at a CBA. Desiree Dismore was the first, and now Ray Wilcox, who also serves as the head of Yonkers Arts, is now their liaison.
We spoke to Wilcox, who explained, “Some of the items in the CBA we can’t substantiate because we are not that far along in the process. We are currently working on a community committment letter with the intent to turn it into a CBA. I am a part of this community, and I want equity for this community and we are listening to the community.”
One Glenwood neighborhood resident asked, “We won’t give them the appearance of equity in our community without accountability and actually contractually committing to equity in our community. The big question now is will the Yonkers City Council stand behind these remaining Coalition members to protect our residents or allow another developer to reap the tax advantages of the IDA without any consideration to the local community?”
Others are concerned that the developer will simply create another community coalition that will sign off on a diluted CBA. In addition to the Glenwood Power Plant, the Goren Group also owns Alder Manor, a mansion on North Broadway used for movie filming and special events.
City Councilwoman Shanae Williams, who represents the Glenwood neighborhood and the power plant, said, “I support what the plant wants to do, which is to be environmentally sound and to provide opportunities for the community to work on climate change. However, I stand with the community in their request to have a CBA. It is my understanding that The Plant is working with community leaders on a CBA, and I look forward to seeing what it looks like.”
Four votes on the City Council will be required to alienate and de-alienate any public green spaces, or if The Plant needs any zone changes. And without a CBA, the outcome of that council vote is no guarantee for The Plant. The Westchester Business Journal, on Aug. 31 wrote about how The Plant had filed paperwork with the Yonkers Planning Board to being the process.
