Developers Sought for Two NextGen Neighborhoods
and Portfolio Manager Luis Ramos discuss development plans with residents at one of many meetings held at Wyckoff Gardens.
NYCHA and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) on June 30 for the development of mixed-income housing at two developments: Holmes Towers in Manhattan and Wyckoff Gardens in Brooklyn.
The projects outlined in the RFP are the outcome of extensive resident and community stakeholder engagement by REES (the Department of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability), Capital Projects Administration, and Department of Real Estate Development, among others, as part of NYCHA’s NextGen Neighborhoods program. The RFP also helps achieve NYCHA’s goal to rebuild, expand and preserve public and affordable housing as part of NextGeneration NYCHA, the Authority’s 10-year strategic plan.
“The NextGen Neighborhoods program enables us to not only create much-needed housing for low-income New Yorkers, but to generate revenue to address NYCHA’s critical repair needs,” said Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “The RFP reflects the input we received from residents, advocates and other key stakeholders after an extensive and meaningful engagement process that will continue as the development moves forward.”
Through the RFP, the City invites developers, including non-profit entities and M/WBE firms, to submit proposals for the design, financing, construction, and operations of 50 percent affordable and 50 percent market-rate rental housing, as well as community and commercial space at Holmes Towers and Wyckoff Gardens.
NYCHA has been seeking resident input throughout the process by holding 40 meetings and conducting floor-by-floor outreach with residents since fall of 2015. Preference will be given to proposals that align with resident recommendations.
NYCHA will retain rights to the land developed through a long-term ground lease and provide critical oversight to the project. Developers will be required to train and hire public housing and low-income residents, and proactively engage NYCHA residents on a regular basis as the project moves forward. Rents will be stabilized in the completed properties and residents will have a preference for 25 percent of the affordable housing units.
To ensure residents continue to be actively engaged throughout the process, NYCHA created NextGen Neighborhoods Stakeholder Committees, comprised of residents, community representatives, and elected officials at Wyckoff Gardens and Holmes Towers. The Stakeholder Committee will work directly with the selected developer partners by representing the interests and concerns of residents, neighbors, and the community.
Proposals are due on September 30, 2016. The RFP can be accessed at the NYCHA and HPD websites.
