Good morning.

Welcome to the subcommittee on zoning and franchises.

Please place your phone on silent or vibrate mode anytime during the hearing.

Do not approach the hearing.

Chair Lewis, we are ready to begin.

Good morning and welcome to a meeting of the subcommittee on zoning and franchises.

I am council member Farrell Lewis, Chair of the Committee.

This morning, we are joined by Council members Thomas Henry and Simkefelder.

Today and Salam.

Today we are holding four hearings on the following proposals.

2950 West 24th Street Mixed Use Residential Rezoning and Council Member Council Member Santos Soso's District.

6063-02 Fresh Pond Road, Mixed Use Residential Rezoning and Council Member Wong's District.

1160 Pugsley Avenue Mixed Use Residential Rezoning and Council Member Fadias's District and 1166 Bedford Avenue Mixed Use Residential Rezoning and Council Member Ose's district.

This meeting is being held in hybrid format.

Members of the public who wish to testify may testify in person or via Zoom.

Members of the public wishing to testify remotely may register by visiting the New York City Council website at www.council.nyc.dgov backslash land use to sign up.

Or for those of you here in person, please see one of the sergeant at arms to prepare and submit a speaker card.

Members of the public may also view a live stream broadcast of this meeting at the council's website.

When you are called to testify before the subcommittee, if you are joining us remotely, you will remain muted until recognized by myself to speak.

When you are recognized, your microphone will be unmuted.

We will limit public testimony to two minutes per witness.

If you have additional testimony that you would like to the subcommittee to consider, or if you have written testimony that you would like to submit instead of appearing in person, please email it to land use testimony at council.nyc.gov.

Written testimony may be submitted up to three days after the hearing is closed.

Please indicate the LU number and or project name in the subject line of your email.

We request the witnesses joining us remotely remain in the meeting until you are excused as council members may have questions.

Lastly, for everyone attending today's meeting, this is a government proceeding and decorum must be observed at all times.

Members of the public are asked not to speak during the meeting unless you are testifying.

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Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant at arms for inclusion in the hearing record.

I now call open the first public hearing on LU's 100 through 103 regarding 2950 West 24th Street, a mixed use residential rezoning proposal in Coney Island, Brooklyn, and Councilmember Santo Soso's district.

The proposal involves a zoning map and a MIH zoning tax amendment and two special permits.

Applicant is seeking to build a mixed-use affordable housing project with approximately 410 apartments.gov backslash land use.

For anyone with us in person, please see one of the sergeant at arms to submit a speaker card.

If you would prefer to submit written testimony, you can always do so by emailing it to land use testimony at council.nyc dot G-O V.

I now recognize count.

Stand at ease.

We're still waiting for the arrival of Councilmember Santososo.

In the meantime, we will call the following.

I will now call the applicant panel for this proposal, which consists of Ron Schulman, Mark Ginsberg, Richard Lobel, Diamotros, Moraganius, Van Tao.

And online we have Olga Olga Albedanar and Matt Sloan.

Good morning.

Could you please, those who are here in person, could you please raise your right hand?

Thank you.

And state your name.

Richard Lobel.

Mark Ginsburg.

Demetrios Laura Janis.

Thank you.

Do you please keep your right hand raised?

Do you swear to have a two and nothing but the truth in your testimony this morning and in response to council member questions?

I do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You may begin your testimony, which is limited to 10 minutes.

You should start to conclude your presentation after eight minutes.

When you begin your presentation, please restate your name and organization.

You may begin.

Thank you, Chair Lewis.

Council members Richard Lobel of Sheldon Lobel here for the applicant in the 2950 West 24th Street rezoning with special permits.

The next slide.

What are we seeking to do here today?

So there is the zoning map amendment aspect of the application, which changes existing R6 and R6 C12 districts to R6, R73, and R73 C24 districts.

In addition to that, there will be with this a mandatory inclusionary housing text amendment, which would mandate affordability for the life of the project.

There would also be two special permits here.

One a special permit for large-scale general development, which will allow for some variations in site placement to allow for a better site design, and a special permit to reduce parking at the site from 167 to 143 spaces.

I'm going to briefly go over the land use rationale for the project, and then Mark and Van will discuss some of the architectural aspects.

The next slide, the proposed development, what would result here from these actions.

Quite simply, over 400 units of affordable housing pursuant to the deeply affordable affordable program or ELA with HPD, as well as some community facility and commercial use.

So here this would permit an 18-story building, roughly 334,000 square feet of mixed residential community facility and commercial uses along the West 25th Street portion of the site.

We'll go over the maps in a few moments.

Right now there's an existing 19-story building adjacent along the West 24th Street portion of the site.

So the new building would approximate that height and be slightly less.

Hard to see, but we'll get into some more detailed use building.

So close to a five.

You can see the existing zoning at the site R6, the non-contextual R6 zoning, the proposal allows for decades here, would permit floor area ratios upwards of 4.8 for mixed use buildings, so close to a five.

So um this is a totally appropriate in terms of the zoning context of the area.

Uh the city has previously allowed rezonings of R7 3 half a mile to the west of the site, further from transportation.

So the proposed rezoning here is appropriate within those parameters.

The next slide is the actual tax map showing the boundaries of the zoning change.

You can see on the northern portion of the site, a uh 100 uh foot portion plus or minus would be uh would be reduced to allow for commercial overlay that actually reflects those sites along Mermaid Avenue, and then the R 7 3 portion would be allowed on the southern portion of the site, along with uh commercial overlay of 100 feet north of Surf Avenue.

The next slide is the area map, which I think tells the story well in terms of why this is an appropriate rezoning.

Uh we propose 18 stories at the site.

You can see 17-story buildings abound both to the east and west of the site.

Uh, in addition to which there's a 24-story building to the west of the site, additional 17 story buildings to the east of the site, and 16 story buildings to the north and south of the site.

So this is an area where this building typology is well known.

Uh, in addition to this, you've got two wide streets servicing the block, both uh Mermaid Avenue at 80 feet of wide street and Surf Avenue at 120 feet an extra wide street.

We are roughly 0.6 miles from uh the Stillwell Avenue Coney Island uh stop on the train.

So there is mass transit available, as well as roughly four bus lines within two tenths of a mile of the property.

Uh, simply put, this allows us to take area of the site that's currently used for parking uh and is underutilized at that and provide for 100% affordable housing in a district which has um which has uh vacancy rates of less than 2% and uh typically uh is a rent burden community at rent burden percentages of 33 percent of the residents in community board 13.

Uh the following slides are pictures of the site.

I would ask that we scroll through those to the plans uh and to the first slide that says proposed development, and so uh Mark and Van can discuss the architectural aspects.

Good morning.

I'm Mark Ginsburg of Curtis Ginsburg Architects here with my associate Van Show.

This we're excited to be here.

This building will create as been noted 410 units of affordable housing, two community facility space, and a commercial space along Surf Avenue that is designed to be for a supermarket.

The building is very resilient, meeting 2080 flood requirements, uh, is energy efficient, and we think is beautiful.

Next slide, please.

This is good.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Van from Curtis Kinsburg Architect.

Uh, right now you're seeing on the plan is uh a roof plan that with a side plan that uh showing how the building is situated against the site.

Uh as you can see there is uh a pretty big space in between the existing building and our building that is reserved as a 20,000 square feet of a landscape area.

The tightest spacing in between the building of existing is 70 feet and they kind of widen up to uh 70 feet.

Uh the building kind of shape that is stepping down with four tiers with a highest 70 stories and a lowest uh eight stories.

Next slide, please.

Uh this is just a better rendering of the landscape drawing showing how kind of what kind of activity can take place in the landscape area.

There's a Dow playman adoubt uh uh doubt equipment uh exercise area and a kids plate area.

Next slide, please.

Uh this is uh showing that uh longitudinal elevation, showing how the architecture being stepping down and articulated with the building materials that also framing the residential entries.

Next slides.

Uh so this is uh the view looking from the corner of Surf Avenue and 24th Street.

Next slide, please.

Uh the next couple of slides are additional uh zoning waiver where requesting for the highland setback.

Um the main reason of the request is to basically scope the building, but also not using uh the residential units.

Please uh next slide, please.

Yeah, so these are just technical drawings showing what are the areas that would request additional zoning waivers.

Next, please.

Uh for the resiliency measurements.

You can see in this diagram over here, uh, we have a site that roughly need to build about six feet, and so that's a residential entry, so the lobby area.

We move all the uh essential equipment, mechanical equipment to the first floor to address that 28 20 AT foot uh uh flood adjustment.

Next slide, please.

Thanks.

Uh this is just some rendering showing what the space could be used in the public area.

And I would add shows how we landscape the front of the building as we step up to the flood elevation.

And with that, we're here to answer any questions.

And just to summarize, so thank you, Mark and Van.

Uh given the uh site, the location amidst buildings of um equivalent height and density, um, the fact that much of the site which would be built upon is currently used either for parking, which is underutilized or is open um overgrown space.

The fact that this area has amenities and and can support additional residential growth, and in light of the dire need for affordable housing in the area, uh we're happy to bring this project with um literally over 400 units of low and extremely low affordable income uh housing to the council and with that we're happy to answer any questions.

Thank you.

We've been joined by a council member Santososo.

Oh, and council member Fadias.

So, Councilmember Santos also, if you want to provide remarks, and ask questions.

One moment here, let me just gather something.

There you go.

Councilmember, can you hear us?

Yes, sorry about that.

I was just gathering my uh my things over here.

Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Chair.

Um my name is Councilmember Kayla Santosposo, and I'm here today today to discuss 2950 West 24th Street rezoning application.

Um the application proposes, as you just heard, a hundred percent affordable building with 408 permanently income restricted units through the HPD's extremely low and low-income affordability program or the ELA program.

Uh the proposed development also contains an applicant-owned existing building on the site right now with three 360 affordable units, which will remain uh during the course of this development.

Uh while I'm supportive of the production of new affordable housing on underused space, it's important to note that preservation and quality of existing affordable housing is just as important.

So today I look forward to discussing the application and the existing building conditions more with the applicant team and hearing from any colleagues and constituents.

Thank you to all who have and continue to participate in this process.

And so I only have uh a handful of questions here.

Um to the applicant team, I just want to I would love to speak to what is currently on the site and why it was chosen for new development.

Yeah, um council member, I'll start.

So when we began these conversations, uh it was apparent that the existing zoning at the site being R6 actually would permit uh a building with some density uh on the existing site without a zoning change.

So R6 permitting mixed-use um floor area ratio of 4.8 would allow for a building with upwards of 300,000 square feet to be placed on uh the empty portion of the site.

That building, however, would be um probably have a majority of uses community facility, office space, uh, and would also be massed in such a way as it would not allow for open area between the buildings.

Uh coming in with this rezoning and with a developer who has extensive experience in affordable housing, uh, allows us to do a more thoughtful building, uh taking the available FAR, using it more for residential, which is something which is most sorely needed in the area, and also to provide for an open area between the buildings, which I think amounts to greater than 18 to 20,000 square feet of open area.

Um so it kind of is a win-win for um, you know, in terms of the city, an opportunity to bring more housing, an opportunity to do some thoughtful site design, and um, and even with all that to allow for additional community facility and commercial space, conversations with the community board were around um whether or not this could potentially be allowed for a daycare space for the community facility as well as for a food store for the commercials, so really just an opportunity to rethink the site and uh and to provide for some uh um sorely needed uh uses at the air in the area.

I I would add the plan is for the community facility uses to be resiliency hubs for the neighborhood, so in times of power outages, etc., there will be excuse me a place for people to go not only in the building but in the existing building.

Great to hear.

Um I know in some of our discussions, and I think it was raised at the community board level, um, that there is a reduction of parking that would occur as a result of this.

I believe that's one of the special permit uses, if I'm not mistaken.

Can you explain what the logic is there?

Um and why you feel it's okay to reduce the parking, the number of parking spaces.

Sure.

So the parking uh that's currently at the site is 167 spaces, and both pursuant to our environmental review as well as through um the uh caretaking of the site, it was determined that 167 spaces were not actually utilized at the site.

In fact, oftentimes it would just be a handful of spaces that were used.

The actual reduction pursuant to the special permit uh goes from 167 to 143.

So we lose 24 spaces uh in this area and on the site.

And given the location of the site, um the opportunity for uh bus and subway service in the area of the site, uh as well as from our own parking studies and ones that were submitted to city planning, uh, it became apparent that as opposed to using that site for a parking spaces, it would be far better to use it in terms of the physical plant of the building.

Um, and we do know that the environmental review division did give this application a negative declaration, meaning that there were no foreseen impacts, inclusive of uh parking and traffic impacts proposed for the site.

So um the uh reduction in parking here would really allow for the project to move forward uh and um the parking does not seem to be that severely needed.

What would you say the utilization rate of the parking lot is now with the one building on site?

Um at best about 30 percent, maybe uh 48 spaces, and uh some of them are probably not using the spaces because uh they haven't paid for a while, and we're trying to contact uh those people to give up the spaces that they're not going to use them.

Uh you mentioned that the this project would also entail the creation of open space that would be available.

I believe the idea is for there to be a courtyard um that would be uh accessed and accessible by the tenants in the new building.

Can you clarify if this and any other uh amenities would be available to the existing tenants in the existing building?

Sure, I'll start.

Uh, and then um Mark and Demetrios can add.

So the intention would be for the open space to be utilized by uh tenants in the existing building as well as in the proposed building to act as a shared space and to be fully utilized by all residents of both buildings.

Um is there anything?

Is there anything to add?

Or uh what's to add is that uh we uh try to get consensus from the uh tenants in the existing building, of which they are 360.

Uh we gave out paper ballots, and uh they returned them either by mail or bringing them to the site office uh that's uh at the site itself.

And uh 75% of the residents that voted voted yes, we want this development.

They like the idea of the shares space.

They like the idea of that sp of the open area being turned into another sister building, affordable housing.

We're gonna call this building the Ocean Queen because it's gonna be a beautiful building, as you can sort of see by the photographs.

And uh the uh the uh amenities that would be available to them would be the uh uh supermarket uh that would be uh placed on Surf Avenue, uh, with uh that would uh give them a uh opportunity to have close-by shopping.

And uh I think they're gonna have an outdoor cafe.

Uh we've arranged uh uh for that possibility to exist, and we will do so with the uh uh the tenant that's gonna be taking uh the space at one point in time.

And uh and sharing the space uh with the uh uh their new neighbors uh uh in in between uh the two buildings would be uh uh something uh that would be uh enhance uh uh the community connection with others living in the area and give them recreation, a place to go to, to rest, to read, have some fun, enjoy each other's companies.

Uh that was all uh well taken by the uh residents of Ocean Towers.

And uh we look forward to that.

And the idea of the courtyard or the shared space is that that would be a landscape space.

Would that have shade, tables, chairs?

What are you invisible?

It would have all of those amenities and more.

It would be a very clean, desirable space, a place where tranquility will prevail, uh, where you can bring your children, you can sit down, you can read a book, uh, you know, uh just uh enjoy your life, and and that was the whole intent of that.

I I would add we're gonna have playground space for children in the open space, different play equipment for uh for them, which will also be an amenity for the residents.

Great.

Um and so now I want to talk a little bit about um just conditions in the existing building.

I know you and I had had a conversation um about that.

Uh just making sure, of course, that you know, these very noble 100% affordable buildings, which are, you know, frankly few and far between um and and really helpful when they do exist.

Just making sure that also the quality of the housing is also is also strong.

Um have you made any ex um improvements uh to the existing building that you just want to note and anything you can say about you know upkeep in the existing building, um, particularly you know, uh after you have submitted this application and we have discussed it.

Well, the improvements that have been made uh over the uh course of the ownership since May of 2013, and uh a dollar amounts have uh been around 20 million dollars.

Uh the most current improvements that were made were uh new windows, um, AC sleeves, uh uh roof uh vents being replaced.

Um that was done through a um a weatherization program, uh with NYSERTA.

And uh that was about maybe a year and a half ago.

Uh but we uh we keep up everything.

There's nothing in bad condition.

Everything is functional and in working conditions.

The b buildings are uh swept them up every single day.

Uh there's uh full-time uh 24 sub uh hour security in that building.

Uh it's a very it's a well-maintained building and uh uh we uh have a site office.

Our communication with with the residents is constant.

Uh we uh don't have any barriers between management and uh the uh residents in the building.

They come in during op uh office hours, uh they express what they need to express.

If they need a service call, if they need to discuss something regarding their lease, or whatever it is uh that they need to uh interact with management with, we're available to them, and we have a very good relationship with our tenants.

And just to note, council member, um, as a matter of public record, there, you know, uh Demetrios is is um operating the existing building and uh having worked with them for years.

I know he's a conscientious um uh landlord and owner um of three hundred and ninety-four uh DOB and ECB violations, uh, there are twenty-seven open ones.

Uh, you know, this really and in a building of this size, and with um, you know, the the the robust usage of this building with 360 units, uh I think he really does a a fairly um you know uh exemplary job in terms of addressing open violations and and making sure that the buildings run responsibly.

I think your audio's off.

Thank you for that.

I'm trying to save everybody from a crying baby.

Um speaking of of violations, I just want to give an opportunity for you all to address and discuss some of the open HPD violations because there are there are some.

There are um, I believe uh from the HPD website, two open class A violations, sixty-one open class B violations and sixty-five open class C violations.

Um it looks like a mix of pest issues or or water damage issues with some complaints of mold.

Um I just want to give you the opportunity to talk about where that stands and um your plans for rectifying them moving forward and making sure they don't exist at the new building.

Uh there are uh dismissal requests that have been made.

And um and there's been a little bit of a glitch uh with the HPD system is how they've uh categorized the violations.

There were violations on all three buildings, and and uh we went down there, Jimmy Gusman, my manager of 35 years that's been at uh Ocean Towers uh since uh two thousand and uh uh uh two thousand and seven that we bought it, um uh has uh went there uh looking to resolve this issue, and what they've done is they merged everything into one building from 2950 and 2970 that had between uh those two buildings around 30 or 40, they put them all in 2960.

Uh the violations uh as as uh physical conditions don't exist.

They exist of record.

We have a dismissal request to have them uh looked at and removed the bracket, and uh that's been an ongoing issue, a little bit complicated by the fact that HPD has taken various multiple dwelling registration numbers and put them into one MDR number, and we're trying to resolve that with them and they're suggesting we we're still working on it, they're suggesting let's go see the DOB.

I I I don't know what the department of buildings uh would do when this is in in their court, we're trying to resolve it, but I can assure you that those violations do not exist.

And another thing that would uh attest to that is that we have about 320 Section 8 apartments that are constantly being inspected.

Every year they get inspected for quality housing standards to uh make sure that uh the quality in those departments are being kept up and the landlord is still entitled to get the subsidy payment from the various agencies that are providing it.

Well, we haven't failed we haven't had any uh discontinuance in the subsidy of a single apartment in years.

That means whatever they find, we take care of within the time that's allocated to do so.

So that building is constantly being looked at by the agencies, and we're constantly doing work all the time.

Any conditions that come up and this thing that it would always happen, nothing stands still, nothing is in a vacuum, things happen, but the thing is we take care of those things.

We remediate them.

We take care of our problems.

So we don't have any uh suspended vouchers.

We're we're uh the building's in good shape.

And so Mr.

Morganis, if if there were existing tenants that that had conditions that they wanted to be rectified and my office was made aware of them, I'm confident that you would be able to respond and and and remediate those issues, right?

Of course, Kelly and uh you had mentioned the last time we spoke that there was an elderly person 94 years old that was an L and T coy.

Uh, you know, we looked up the apartment that you gave us and and we combed the building for the name that you gave us.

We couldn't find that person.

But I had assure you, if there was someone like the firstly, being elderly, you're protected class.

Uh we would not take a 94 year old person and evict them.

That would not happen.

And I told you, if it if it came to to the point that they needed to pay, I would pay their rent.

It just won't happen.

It won't happen.

People don't get evicted in our building.

We don't evict people with families.

Usually what happens if they're on legal action for non payment, uh, they'll end up leaving on their own.

Uh evictions are rare.

And uh that being said, there were there were eviction proceedings filed uh last year.

Um is it is the idea.

I mean, there were there were a fair amount of them, I think.

I think they were somewhere close to a hundred.

Granted, this is Well, the f the filing of legal actions is a uh collection tool.

When uh people fall behind on the rent because they they for somehow don't pay them for whatever the reason is, uh we take them to LNT court, and we get court stipulations to have them pay.

And we wait for the intervention of an agency to come to and and uh help them give them a one-shot deal from uh Department of Social Services or other social agencies that may intervene and pay their rent.

So so they won't have this burden of owing rent and having these notices.

We need to collect rent because if we don't, then we can't service the building properly.

So that's something that we have to do.

We use L and T court as a collection tool, not as a way to displace tenants.

Understood.

And so it's your it's your testimony that you know th these evictions that were filed last year.

Uh which would have been uh 2025, uh, were largely essentially, you know, legal tools used in order to collect on uh potentially vouchers or one-shot deals, etc.

And that most of these tenants actually remained in the building.

Exactly.

Um council member, if you could wrap up your questions.

Thank you, Chair.

I just have uh one more question.

Um the other thing that we discussed most recently was um I believe 32 BJ uh is in your existing building on site.

Um is it your intent to uh engage with 32 BJ again for a building services on this proposed development?

Well, Kayla, they they told me that they would be here supporting us today.

I was speaking to John Santos, and he agreed.

Uh, we're working on uh on the agreement.

They were uh my attorney uh was was not available yesterday, personal matters to attend to, and he's working with their council.

But we're we're all set to sign up with them.

Just a couple of things in the agreement have to be straightened out uh to make it equitable to both parties.

Uh and uh they promised me their support.

Uh and uh I don't know if they're here or not.

If they are they should just announce themselves because they told me that they uh would be uh at this meeting uh to support uh the uh new the new building that's gonna go up if everyone approves of it.

Yeah.

So uh I'll wrap up, Chair.

Um thank you uh Mr.

Labelle, thank you, Mr.

Morjanis for being here.

Um, and you know, I I look forward to further dialogue about the building um between now and and when the council uh uh you know actually votes on this project.

Um I look forward to continuing the discussion.

Um should there be any tenant issues that get raised, we can discuss them further and remediate them.

If so, and I look forward to continuing this conversation with thirty-two BJ, although I do believe they are virtually attending, which I was just made aware of.

So thank you for this.

Thank you for the opportunity to ask questions.

Look forwarding forward to uh discussing this further.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilmember.

I have a couple of questions before we dismiss the panel.

The first question, what measures are you proposing to address potential negative impacts on the current residents from the proposed construction?

Okay.

So uh one of the things we're doing is the facade will be an off-site assembled panelized system, so the building will be enclosed faster, which will cut down on noise to the uh adjacent existing residents, and also the building will just be built faster and more of the work is happening off site, so there'll be less disruption on site.

Uh so that's a major part of it.

We will the piles are largely uh drilled, so which will minimize the noise.

There still will be noise.

I'm not gonna say there won't be, but that minimizes it and it's important place building, so there'll be a crane, but there won't be large plank or concrete elements that are being hoisted.

It'll be pumped up and cast on site.

I'd also just note that uh the project uh as it proceeded through environmental review at city planning.

There was a requirement for restrictive declaration to be entered into with regards to construction measures at the site.

So that would be entered into uh the um into title for the property and would be required prior to proceeding to uh you know working on on any jobs on the site.

So there's so there's that is is going to be in place.

Okay.

And what is the status of your conversations with HPD and your proposal to rely on the L term G?

Yeah, I would introduce Ron Shulman from Best Consulting and can discuss the latest HPD conversations.

Good morning, uh Chair.

I'm Ron Shulman, Best Development Group.

To answer your question, we've been in conversations with HPD for two years actually, and uh recently we're getting an appraisal of the site.

We'll send it to them.

They have the underwriting.

We've gone back and forth probably a dozen times on the underwriting.

Um, all the plans have been sent over, they've been reviewed, and we're proceeding, hopefully for financing, and you know, within short matter of time.

Thank you.

All right, this panel's now excused.

Thank you so much for your testimony.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, council members.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I will now invite my colleagues if anyone has questions.

Any questions?

One once, one twice.

Great.

Council, are there any members of the public who wish to testify?

Yes, Chair.

We have uh two people who have signed up online to testify.

Thank you.

So the first panel we'll call up is Nikki Bridko and Marissa Solomon.

Nikki Bridko and Marissa Solomon.

Good morning.

You may begin.

Hi, everybody.

Not able to get my camera to work.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you, you may begin.

Okay.

First off, I live in the building, and I'm telling you myself or none of my neighbors that I know were allowed to vote or asked to vote on the building.

The umbrella of affordable housing is a vast space, while many of the initiatives are meant to be helpful for the disenfranchised and marginalized poor people in New York City.

It unfortunately leaves room for corruption.

It gives opportunity for wealthy slum lords to take advantage of the tag of affordable housing for their own profit.

This is a case of the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing.

Many of you live in Manhattan, upper or west side.

Respectfully, you're out of range of the poverty that the citizens in places like Coney Island endure.

Our Ocean Towers building was initially a Michelama that is now a rent stabilized building.

Our landlord who has let our building disintegrate is asking for special permission to build a new building that is illegally too close to our building that will eliminate our access to sunlight and it will rob us of fresh airflow and it will destroy a beautiful green space with hundreds of trees.

Why is this building so important to our community and how will this help improve the 350 units in the existing slum building?

His grand plan is to let our building decay, remove us all, tear it down, and eliminate our rent stabilized homes after the new building is complete.

The landlord has a history of over half a million dollars in fines to the city.

And he doesn't care about the city, and he doesn't care about the people in the building.

Our local land use committee voted seven to nothing against giving him the zoning permission, and he arrogantly told them I don't need your vote anyway.

His privilege from his wealth allows him to speak so disrespectfully and think this way.

Our local community board voted 29 to 1 against his proposal, yet here he is waiting to get approval.

I'm excited.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Nick.

You could submit the rest of your testimony to land use testimony.

It took me a second to get in.

Thanks for hearing the people.

No worries.

Ridiculous.

Marissa Solomon.

Yeah, hi.

You may begin.

Thank you.

Everyone in New York knows we need to build more affordable housing in the city.

But in order to achieve this goal, it is crucial that the city council approve the right building projects that will actually deliver more affordable housing, not projects that just try to wear the label of affordable by actually causing more displacement of working class New York residents.

The proposed West 24th Street rezoning to allow the developer to build a new building over what is now supposed to be a park for the current residents of his existing building will cause exactly that.

The displacement of poor and working-class people in Coney Island.

It is crucial that the City Council examine the full details of this project and the full record of this developer.

And understand that the current building was once part of the Mitchellama affordable housing program.

The building left Michelama, and the current owner closed off access for residents to the park that he now wants to build over.

He's not trying to build over a parking lot, but a park, one of the few open green spaces in Coney Island.

The developer also has a long record of violations in his current building, including HPD receiving 345 complaints and issuing 128 violations over just the past two years.

And if you look at the developer's other buildings, there's a long pattern of open violations and the filing of many eviction attempts against his tenants, very few of which were approved, demonstrating his strategies for displacing existing residents.

And then we wonder why the rent is so high in the city.

The city will never be able to achieve its goals to build more affordable housing if the city rewards developers with this kind of pattern of neglect of their existing properties with loans of up to 90% of the construction cost for the new building under the city's Ella program.

People in Coney Island can't afford expensive land use attorneys to fight for them.

They rely on their elected officials to look out for their interests.

It's crucial that the city council listen to the people in Coney Island and our elected representative on this issue, both in order to truly achieve the city's affordable housing goals without displacing existing residents and to preserve other council members' ability to deliver the real affordable affordable housing their constituents demand.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next panel is Keith Suber and Karan Banks.

Keith Suber and Karan Banks.

Of that panel.

Yes.

Okay.

Good morning.

Good morning.

How are you two on today?

We're great.

How are you?

I'm okay.

Great.

You may begin your testimony, Keith.

Yes, good morning.

My name is Keith Suber, long time resident of Coney Alley.

And that particular property, Ocean Towers on West 24th Street.

They're looking to do the new building on 25th.

I know that since the new management took over in two thirteen, they uh invested about 20 million to get everything up and running.

They're trying.

The main thing about the property itself, the new that we're talking to developers.

It's been dormant for so many years.

It's crime infested, it's dark.

There is so much going on.

It needs some sort of development.

I think this development would work well for the community.

Oh, I've been active with the so much so many different things in the community as far as uh stopping the balance and jobs, getting people jobs, and I think this would be very, very much helpful.

I happen to know Michelle Boyd very personally from the mother.

Oh, she was the president and she was looking forward to this development.

Unfortunately, she's not here with us.

So I would like to just you know live on and speak on behalf of individuals that we're looking to see that neighborhood.

That particular spot has been dormant for years, for years.

And we need something to be developed there.

So I'm grateful for the developers.

And we're gonna we want to hold them to their words and make sure that they say that they do what they say they're gonna do.

You know, the green space has been closed since the early 90s, so that the developer is proposing for uh the existing residential building that's there, and to do things for the new building.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony, Keith.

Is Coran Banks online?

Yep, I'm here.

Okay, can you hear me?

Oh, now we can hear.

Yes.

You may you may be getting your testimony.

Thank you.

Good morning, madam chair.

Good morning, members of the subcommittee.

My name is Karan Banks.

I'm the deputy political director representing SCIU Local 32BJ.

32BJ is a member-driven union representing a hundred and ninety thousand building service workers who work hard to keep New York City's buildings safe and clean.

We work to ensure that landlords profiting in the city and across the country act responsibly and respect the communities they depend on for success.

32BJ also supports responsible developers who invest in their communities, and I'm happy to report that the developer of the proposed project, Proto Property Services, has made a credible commitment to creating good jobs for many of the workers who are permanently staffed the buildings.

Good jobs like these mean prevailing wages, minimum, and benefits, and a pathway to the middle class for local community members who've been tend to fill such positions.

We're also in ongoing conversations with the developer around extending similar standards for future security employees at the site, which remain a concern.

But it's neighbors have fought for years to establish and protect high standards for the officers committed to applying the standard to workers at this development.

Nonetheless, we are extremely encouraged by the conversations we've had with the developer to date.

Look forward to continuing.

Yes.

Sorry, can you just hold on for a second?

Keith, can you please mute your device?

Keith, if you could hear us, if you could please mute your device.

No problem.

I'll just wrap up by saying that we are very encouraged uh by the conversations we've had with the developer today and look forward to continuing it in the coming days, and we support this project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And just want to make sure we we were also joined by council member and canason.

If there are any members of the public who wish to testify regarding this proposal remotely, please press the raise hand button now.

If you are in person, please identify yourself to one of the sergeant at arms.

Stand at ease.

Being there are no members of the public who wish to testify regarding LU's 100 through 103 relating to 2950 West 24th Street, mixed use residential rezoning proposal.

The public hearing is now closed and items are now laid over.

I will now open the second public hearing on LU's 104 and 105 regarding 6302 Fresh Pond Road and mixed use residential rezoning proposal in Ridgewood Queens and Council Member Wong's district.

The proposal involves a zoning map and an MIH zoning tax amendment.

Applicant is seeking to build a mixed use residential building that would approximate that would have approximately 54 apartments.

Mandatory inclusionary housing would be mapped as part of this application, which would require up to 16 of the apartments be permanently affordable depending on the affordability options selected.

For anyone wishing to testify regarding this proposal remotely, if you have not already done so, you must register online by visiting the council's website at council.nyc.gov backslash land use.

For anyone with us in person, please see one of the sergeant at arms to submit a speaker card.

If you would prefer to submit written testimony, you can always do so by emailing it to land use testimony at council.nyc.gov.

Councilmember Wong is not with us today to provide remarks.

I will now call the applicant panel for this proposal, which consists of Adam Rothgrig, Justin uh Jarbo, Anthony Morale, and Joe Morale and Steve Torria.

Oh, and Andrew Albrick.

For the people here uh in person, could you please raise your right hand?

You and state your name for the record, Justin Jargo.

You swear to tell by two for nothing by a truth in your testimony this morning in response to council member questions.

I do.

Thank you.

And will you be presenting?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, you may begin your testimony.

First, can you bring the microphone closer to you?

Sound good.

Perfect, which is limited.

You say your testimony is limited to 10 minutes.

You should start to conclude your presentation after eight minutes when you begin your presentation.

Please restate your name and the name of your organization.

You may begin.

Good day, Chair Lewis and Council members.

I'm Justin Jarbo, and I'm here presenting 6302 Fresh Pond Realty LLC, the owners and developers of the proposed new building at 6302, Fresh Pond Road at the corner of Bleaker Street in Ridgewood, Queens.

I'm joined online today by Adam Rothkrug, Sounding Council and Project Dr.

Text, Morale Architecture.

In connection with the proposed development, we are seeking a rezoning of the subject property from the current R5B district to an R6A district and existing C14 commercial overlay will be modified to a C24 overlay.

The application also includes a text change designating the rezoning area as a mandatory inclusionary housing area, requiring that new construction include the provision for affordable housing.

It is anticipated that the approval would result in a new 54 unit mixed-use building with approximately 50,000 53,000 square feet in area and between 13 and 16 permanently affordable residences.

If you could advance to slide four, please.

The proposed rezoning to the R68 district is generally considered a modest residential zoning district, which under the recently enacted City of VS regulations has a permitted FAR of 3.9, of which 25 to 30% would be required as affordable under the MIH program under options one or two.

I'll note that a portion of the site being the last 25 feet along Quicker Street, so the on the left-hand side in the image would remain in the existing R5B zoning district and would be subject to the R5B regulations with reduced floor area and height allowances.

35 of the 54 units or 65% of the total unit mix.

Providing larger units and and providing parking where none is currently required represents the owner's response to concerns that were originally heard from the community, as well as from former council member Holden and while as current Council Member Wong.

Uh, in compliance with the MIH text change, it is anticipated that 25% or 14 units would be permanently affordable under option one of the program.

Uh if you can go to the next slide, please.

In that regard, we note that Community Board 5 of Queens is currently anticipated to be on the list of the 12 community districts with the lowest creation of affordable housing, and thus applications such as this would be eligible for the affordable housing fast track application process, which commences in January of 2027.

If you can go to slide 18, please.

As permitted by the proposed R6A regulations, the building would rise to a height of 73 feet with a bulkhead setback and extending another 10 feet.

The 74 would additionally be set back, and the building overall would have a maximum printed height of 95 feet.

The building would be substantially lower along the bleaker street, limited to 50 feet with no construction at all along the lot line.

19th parking spaces will be provided at the first floor, which are provided voluntarily as parking is waived in the greater transit area.

Parking would be accessed along Bleaker Street and no curb cuts would be provided along Fresh Pond Road.

If you can go back to slide three.

Great, thanks.

While the existing housing stock along this block is smaller, two-story buildings, uh, this block is opposite a manufacturing district and proximate to Long Island Roadroad tracks, and the proximity to manufacturing and a railroad usually make for a more appropriate location for multifamily development at a larger scale than the existing R5B permits.

The site is opposite a mix of commercial manufacturing uses, including two automotive uses and a large uh stop and store facility across the street.

Uh to the east on the opposite side of Manningham Street, there are some newer four-story residential buildings, and the site itself is only one block from the intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and Fresh Pond Road, which are two heavily commercial thoroughfares with a CVS and a pet boy stores present.

As you can see on the slide, there are existing buildings of comparable size in the area, including the stop and store warehouse I've mentioned before, uh, the Notre Dame Academy, and uh PS 71, which are further up to the west with the heights indicated on the map.

Uh the site is a nine-minute walk to the M station and has access to multiple buses that serve the area and is located in the newly defined Greater Transit Zone.

Uh next can you go to slide five, please?

There we go.

The rezoning area extending from Bleaker Street to Menahan Street will include uh four existing buildings that are not owned or controlled by the applicant and are not anticipated as redevelopment sites, as they appear to be occupied and are in under individual ownership and would likely need to be merged and vacated in order to create a new development site.

Uh next slide.

The application received unanimous approval from Community Board 5 with the condition that the northernly part of the rezoning area north of Bleaker Street be amended from R6A in the proposal to R6B, involving a property that is not owned or controlled by the applicant, along with a positive recommendation from the borough president.

That concludes our presentation.

We are available to answer your answer any questions you might have.

Thank you so much for your testimony.

I have a few questions about this proposal.

Can you confirm that your proposal has more parking spaces than is required by zoning?

And if so, what guarantees can you provide to ensure you will provide additional parking which is needed in this neighborhood?

So the at this time we propose 19 parking spaces under the recently enacted City of VS regulations.

Uh this area is in a newly defined transit zone, so no parking is required based on the unit mix that we're proposing.

So that's 19 more than would be required.

Um I know it's in the builders' interest to provide parking in this neighborhood.

That's one of the main issues we heard throughout this process that the community uh desperately wants to see off-street parking.

In terms of ensuring that those parking spaces could be there, uh, that's something we could discuss further about memorializing that in some way.

Thank you.

What are your plans for the community facility and ground level commercial spaces and how will you go about identifying occupants for those spaces?

So the applicant is an owner of a pizzeria and is in the eating and drinking business, uh, and the pizzeria is actually located across the street.

So I believe the intention is to put a similar use in this space or one of the future.

Okay.

Can you share your proposed unit breakdown, including the selected MIH option affordability levels and the mix of you unit sizes?

So if you go to slide.

So we actually have then two separate slides, but perhaps um if you can go to Z1 on the architectural sheets.

As I mentioned before, it's predominantly two and three bedrooms.

That would be sixty-five percent.

The presentation number is called Z1.

It's a sheet Z1.

Okay.

Um I don't know what page it is, I'm my apologies.

Page eleven.

Thank you.

Is it possible to pull up the presentation?

I have it up if you want me to share just one minute.

That's we should be able to pull it up.

Okay, well, while we are pulling it up, maybe you can just walk us through it.

So there would be 19 one-bedroom units, 27 two bedroom units, and eight three bedroom units for a total of 54 units.

Okay.

And we can send you this information.

No problem.

Have you engaged property owners within the rezoning area who are not part of the pro the application?

Uh perhaps Adam is on the line perhaps.

Yes.

We did not engage uh other owners in the area because as noted uh it doesn't appear that those are really the development sites, they're developed with existing uh inhabited buildings, they're mostly smaller sites.

Uh 25 by 100 sites.

So uh again, it's not anticipated that those would be uh developed in the foreseeable future.

Thank you.

This panel is now sorry, I will now invite my colleagues to ask questions.

Does anybody have questions for this panel?

Seeing none, this panel is now excused.

Thank you so much for making time to be here today.

Thank you.

Council, are there any members of the public who wish to testify remotely or in person regarding this proposal?

No, not at this time is no one signed up uh in person or online.

For members of the public here to testify, please note that what stand at ease.

If there's no one, hold on one second.

If there are if there are any members of the public who wish to testify regarding this proposal remotely, please press the raise hand button now.

If you are in person, please identify yourself to one of the sergeant at arms.

This is the last call.

Being there are no members of the public who should testify regarding LU's 104 and 105 relating to the 6302 fresh med fresh pond road mixed use residential rezoning proposal.

The public hearing is now closed and items are now laid over.

I will now open the first public hearing on LU's 106 and 107 regarding the eleven sixty Pugsley Avenue and mixed use residential rezoning proposal in the Union Port neighborhood of the Bronx and Councilmember Fide S's district.

The proposal involves a zoning map and an MIH zoning tax amendment.

Applicant is seeking to build a mixed use affordable housing project with approximately 104 apartments and a grocery store through the fresh food store program.

Mandatory inclusionary housing would be mapped as part of the this application, which would require up to 31 of the apartments to be permanently affordable, depending on the affordability options selected.

For anyone wishing to testify regarding this proposal remotely, if you have not already done so, you must register online by visiting the council's website at council.nyc dot gov backslash land use.

For anyone with us in person, please see one of the sergeant at arms to submit a speaker card.

If you prefer to submit written testimony, you can always do so by emailing it to land use testimony at council that nyc.gov.

I now recognize Councilmember Fadias for a remark.

Thank you so much, Chair Lewis.

Good morning, everyone, and to the members of the subcommittee on zoting and franchises.

Thank you both to the subcommittee, the staff, and the applicant team for the opportunity to speak today regarding the application put in for the 1160 Pugsley Avenue rezoning.

My office has followed this project closely throughout the public review process to ensure it delivers meaningful practical benefits for the East Bronx.

In our communities, conversations about development cannot focus solely on the build.

They must also be about whether a project thoughtfully responds to the people, the families, and the neighborhoods that are already there.

The East Bronx urgently needs more housing, but we must ensure that it is housing that is affordable, livable, and deeply connected to the everyday needs of our residents.

From our comprehensive review, this application addresses those core neighborhood priorities.

The proposal would change the current designation to an R7A C slash to a C24 district to bring 104 income restricted rental units to the site.

Crucially, this includes a healthy mix of unit sizes, including 32 two bedrooms and eight three-bedroom multi-bedroom apartments, which are vital for supporting local families, especially those that are growing.

Alongside the residential footprint, this project delivers something our neighborhood has been starved for for years.

A massive 10,900 square foot fresh grocery store right on the ground floor.

It is a blueprint for a healthier, stronger neighborhood.

We are talking about bringing housing security, local retail convenience, and healthy food access together under one roof.

After taking an extensive look at this application, especially as the representative of an East Bronx district where food deserts remain a serious issue, I'm encouraged by the inclusion of a proposed fresh grocery store.

I also want to note that both the Bronx Community Board 9 and Borough President Vanessa Gibson recommended approval of this application.

I'm glad we're able to find alignment around the expectation that developments in our neighborhoods must include from commitments to local hiring, strong MWBE participation, building security, and accessible resident amenities to help address the affordability crisis facing New Yorkers today.

These, as well as the planned outdoor rooftop recreation center would be great, contributing factors to the long-term viability of the grocery provider.

I look forward to reviewing the final application documents and seeing these commitments clearly reflected.

Our priority is making sure new developments in our neighborhoods are thoughtful, accountable, and prioritizing the needs of the people who live here.

The housing crisis is urgent, therefore we must be critical when asking our questions and demanding higher standards to the buffer to buffer the negative impacts housing and food insecurity is having on our neighbors and our communities.

I look forward to continuing to hear from the applicant team today and to ensuring these critical commitments are firmly reflected as this application advances through the council's review.

Thank you, Chair Lewis, for the time.

Thank you, Councilmember.

I will now call the applicant panel for this proposal, which consists of Lisa Corinthians.

Okay.

Good morning.

Could you please raise your right hand and state your name for the record?

Lisa Orantia from Ackerman LLP.

Thank you.

Do you swear to have the truth and nothing but the truth in your testimony this morning in response to council member questions?

Yes.

You may begin your testimony, which is limited to 10 minutes, and you should start.

You should start to conclude your presentation at eight minutes when you begin your presentation.

Please restate your name and the name of your organization.

You may begin.

Good afternoon, Chair Lewis, members of the subcommittee, and uh thank you, Councilmember Ferdias, for your comments.

My name is Lisa Orantia from Ackerman LLP, and I'm here on behalf of the applicant, 1160, 1178 Pugsley Avenue LLC.

The principal of the applicant company, Jesus Diaz, has been in the supermarket business for 40 years and has owned the development site for 16 years.

This application has three actions, rezoning from R5 to R7A with a C24 overlay, a mapping of an MIH area for options one and two, and a non-U-LERP action for a fresh food store certification.

Next slide, please.

The project area is located on Pugsley Avenue between Gleason and Powell Avenues, and both non-conforming and conforming commercial uses exist nearby.

Five and six-story buildings face the project area.

And notably the Grant Circle Transportation Hub is a six-minute walk from the project site.

Next slide, please.

Pugsley Avenue is on an 80-foot-wide street.

The low density R5 district allows up to five stories and two FAR, which doesn't encourage the production of affordable housing or investment in the existing nonconforming commercial uses.

There are no residential uses on the site, which is currently improved with small stores and an open parking area that would be replaced by the new building.

Next slide, please.

The new R7AC24 proposed district would allow a maximum of 11-story building with 5.01 FAR with the provision of affordable housing instead of the current four to five story and 1.5 or 2 FAR.

The proposed increase in density and building height are appropriate on a wide street with access to public transportation.

It would allow a new building envelope that's consistent with what exists in the surrounding area, and it would be accompanied by required affordable housing to help alleviate the housing crisis and would allow local retail uses to continue as of right.

Next slide, please.

The proposed building is eight stories tall.

It would utilize the additional floor area in the residential portion generated by the fresh food store bonus.

It would have a total of about 92,000 square feet of residential use with 104 affordable dwelling units.

This is a hundred percent affordable residential building.

Over 13,000 square feet of commercial floor area, which would be divided between the fresh food store plus a smaller retail establishment, and approximately 2,700 outdoor square feet of outdoor recreation space.

Also included are 32 permitted residential parking spaces, and the exterior design is brick and architectural panel finished to reflect the buildings in the area.

The unit sizes and breakdown by type are shown here with income and rents at proposed 40, 50, 60, 80, and 100% AMI levels.

The design is for 19 studios, 45 one-bedrooms, 33 two-bedrooms, six three bedrooms, and includes one two-bedroom for a living super.

We're showing 30% 38% two and three bedroom units.

Next slide, please.

The site plan shows how the building will step down to five stories, adjoining the two-story buildings in the neighboring R5 district.

There's an eight-foot-wide side yard that separates the new building from adjoining buildings, and there's a green roof over the first floor.

This is going to be about 1,600 square feet of landscaped area.

Next slide, please.

This slide shows the residential control parking for 32 cars in the cellar, the residential lobby on Gleason Avenue, with access to the parking garage also on Gleason.

Commercial entries will be on Pugsley Avenue, and the fresh loading berth would be on Powell Avenue.

The next slide, please, showing you the upper floor plans.

Next slide.

This shows the top residential floor with a roof area of 2700 square feet for landscape recreation.

Next slide, please.

The applicant was responsive to the community's requests.

And we also have borough president recommending approval.

And that concludes the presentation.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

I have one quick question.

I'm going to hand it over to Councilmember Fideas.

Given this proposed, given that this proposed as an affordable housing project, what is the status of your conversations with HPD given the extent of HPD's pipeline and that it can take years to obtain funding from HPD for a small project like this?

What do you plan on doing with the with the property in the meantime?

So the applicant is working with an affordable housing consultant.

The name is urban impact capital partners, and they have submitted a new project intake sheet with HBD at the beginning of this year.

And this applicant is committed to providing 100% affordable housing at this location.

And you know, we're we're willing to wait and follow the process and continue to engage with HBD.

Thank you.

I'm gonna hand it over to Council Member Fideas for questions.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you for the presentation.

We're super familiar already.

We've had so many conversations before we got to this point.

So I'm glad we're here.

Happy to hear that commitment on seeing it all the way through with the HPD term sheet.

Um I guess just like for the record for me, what I'd like to kind of put out there is some of the conversation that happened in community board was around how there's several supermarkets or a couple, not several, a couple of supermarkets in the area, and that they don't some folks sit in necessarily agree with this being a location.

You folks already know my opinion on that with the food desert that we're in.

I believe this is a suitable location based off of the square footage.

I mean that the radius in the area of accessibility.

Um, but can you talk a little bit more about that and talk about the other locations where the developer already has his supermarkets and uh the competitive nature of it or not in terms of serving Bronxites?

Sure.

So as I mentioned at the start, this applicant is an experienced supermarket owner, it's been in the business for 40 years, has other locations in the Bronx and outside the city, is very familiar with how to run a successful supermarket business and is eager to bring the fresh food program to this location, which as you know provides for a variety of healthy food options, um, for for, and it's designed for residents to be able to walk to the store.

So it's ideal for people who live within the surrounding area, they don't have to use a car to access healthy food options.

Um, the fresh food program requires periodic compliance reports, restricted declaration, and the uh the applicant is fully prepared to you know follow through that process, they'll be engaged directly in the operation of the supermarket.

It's gonna be run as key food.

And do you have any um idea of the additional commercial space that'll be adjacent to the market of what that makeup is going to look like or any ideas towards what is looking to be placed there?

Right now, uh the applicant is open, whatever is most suitable for the community.

We're happy to receive any kind of suggestions or recommendations of what would best serve the community.

Okay, great.

Looking forward to continue the conversation as we move through the application process.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I now invite my colleagues to ask questions.

Anyone has questions for the panel?

Seeing none.

If there are any, oh, sorry, I wouldn't excuse the panel.

Thank you so much for your testimony today.

If there are any members of the public who wish to testify regarding this proposal remotely, please press the raise hand button now, or if you are in person, please identify yourself to one of the sergeant at arms.

Being there, no members of the public wish to testify regarding LU's 106 and 107 relating to 1160 Pugsley Avenue Mixed Use Residential Rezoning Proposal.

The public hearing is now closed and items are now laid over.

I will now open the public hearing on LU's 108 and 109 regarding 1166 Bedford Avenue, a mixed use residential rezoning proposal and Bed Stai Brooklyn and Councilmember Osay's district.

The proposal involves a zoning map and an MIH zoning tax amendment.

Applicant is seeking to build a mixed-use affordable housing project with approximately 144 apartments.

Mandatory inclusionary housing would be mapped as part of this application, which would require that up to 43 of the apartments be permanently affordable, depending on the affordability option selected.

For anyone wishing to testify regarding this proposal remotely, if you have not already done so, you must register online by visiting the council's website at council.nyc.gov backslash land use.

For anyone with us in person, please see one of the sergeant at arms to submit a speaker card.

If you would prefer to submit written testimony, you can always do so by emailing it to land use testimony at council.nyc.gov.

I will now open the applicant panel for this proposal, which consists of Andrew Albrick, Pierre Downing, Imam Rodney Rashad Rashid, and Shaniqua Henry.

For those four individuals who are just called, could you please raise your right hand?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Could you please state your name for the record?

Rodney Rashid, Pierre Downing, Andrew Albro.

Thank you.

Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth in your testimony this morning and in response to council member questions?

Yes.

Yes.

You may begin your testimony, which is limited to 10 minutes, and you should start to conclude your presentation after eight minutes.

When you begin your presentation, please restate your name and the name of your organization.

You all may begin.

Good morning, Chair, Council members.

My name is Andrew Albrick with Herschel and Singer next.

And applicant representative.

We're here before you today with two actions.

The zoning text amendment and a zoning map amendment, R6A C24 to R7X C24, along with an MIH area.

And these actions would facilitate the creation.

Actually, next slide, please.

Of one hundred and forty-four affordable senior apartments with uh one superintendent's unit.

It would facilitate the um refreshment of the masjid khalifa, and that's attendant school and new retail space.

Through a presentation this morning, we'll tell you about who we are, how we came up with this proposal, how it fits our needs and the needs of the community, and how it fits in with the sensible land use paradigm.

Then I'll pass it off to Imam Rashid to tell you a little bit about the history of the Masjid and wouldn't form this action.

Good afternoon.

Uh Chairman uh Chairwoman Lewis committee members.

My name is Imam Rodney Adi Bashid.

And uh next slide.

Continue.

Continue.

Right there.

We'll we'll stop there.

Our history.

The doors of uh that mashed meshed Abdul Musik Khalifa was opened in 1962 by El Haj Malik Shabazz.

We all know him as uh Minister Malcolm.

And if you look at this picture, I just want to share with you real briefly that what it doesn't show is that before Minister Malcolm and their community opened those doors, their community was basically in blight because there was a place called the Asona Ballroom, which closed down, the pillow factory closed down, the stores closed down, and less desirable elements was occupying that space.

But as you can see, Malcolm is engaging the press and community members, and of course, we have uh Imam Mohammed in that picture as well.

Next slide.

Now, that slide represents the community that's there at the same location at least 50 years later, occupying that same space with festivities, a school from pre uh pre-K to eighth grade, uh community outreach, and things of that nature.

Now, those that's the work we've been doing at least 50 plus years.

The point why we're here today is because uh maintenance for that structure is over 100 years old.

It's wearing on the community, and we have to uh we had to make a decision.

Our decision was to stay there another 50 to 100 years, god be God willing.

But we had to find a partner.

And that's where Khalil and companies come in.

And I'm gonna pass it on to uh Pia Downing.

Uh good afternoon, uh, Madam Chair and Counsel.

My name is Pierre Downing.

Uh just testifying on behalf of the Master Khalifa project.

Uh so as Imam, you know, put it, this is a partnership about uh recognizing community, um, making sure that the seniors uh and aging population at Beb Sai can age gracefully uh remain in our community without being pushed out.

Uh, this has been a labor of love for the past five years or so now, uh, since we first crossed paths through just our various relationships, uh, because you know we're known as a mission-oriented and aligned uh for-profit developer, and a hundred percent of our business essentially has been done in partnership uh with nonprofits and other for-profit and city agencies.

Uh, but a little bit about Calel.

Uh, we are a uh five-year-old firm, going on five years, uh, but our initial kind of work started 15 years ago.

Uh and today we've done about two billion in business with the city across 5,000 units of housing.

Uh, and we can't be more than excited just to be able to do this and bring history uh like a refreshment of history to the site.

Uh, you can next slide.

You can go over uh next one.

One more.

Uh and just so the overall vision for uh the masjid has been through you know our discussions and our design team discussions to maximize the development potential of the site uh with provision of senior affordable housing, uh approximately 1445 units, inclusive of one super, uh, and that unit mix and massing is required here so that we're able to deliver a state-of-the-art uh master facility and school back to the community and to master Khalifa.

Uh, and they are both, you know, the owner-operator of the school, and they're our journal venture owner real estate.

Uh but without this vision and without this um, you know, without this action, uh, then this would not be made possible.

And we can move on to the next slide.

And here you can just see a nice rendering before I hand it over to Shanika Henry from SLM of the proposed site on the master of the residential structure and the master.

And with that, I'll turn it over to Shaniqua.

Good afternoon.

My name is Shaniqua Henry.

I'm the principal of SLM Architecture PC.

We're in New York City-based certified WMBE.

My husband and I founded nearly two decades ago.

Our mission is to impact the lives of over 10,000 families through design that reflects the voices, histories, and identities of the communities that we serve.

Through intentional community engagement, we work to create spaces that honor local culture and foster a sense of belonging.

The Khalifa Masjid School and Residences embodies this approach.

It continues the legacy of Masjid Khalifa and Claire Mohammed School, providing spaces that support the growth of mind, body, and spirit.

The inclusion of commercial spaces aligns with the principles of Malcolm X and Imam WD Mohammed, advancing economic empowerment and self-determination.

Our design is grounded in its context.

The material palette and facade that you see articulates and pay homage to the existing buildings, brick color, and ornamentation.

To realize this vision, we're seeking an increase in zoning to provide 144 units of senior housing.

After studying alternatives and in close collaboration with Khalifa Mosque and Khalil companies, we concluded that a 12-story configuration offers the most balanced response and is still two stories below the maximum building height that is permitted in an R7X district.

12 stories allows us to set the residential building back from the mosque, preserving the mosque's prominence as a spiritual anchor in the community.

In conclusion, the Khalifa Masjid School and Residences represent what we as a community stand for, which is partnership, purpose, and pride.

Its design is rooted in community, honoring heritage, expanding opportunity, and building stability for generations to come.

Next slide.

For the community facility, which is what we're looking at here.

What you'll see is that the ground floor and cellar space, excuse me, are dedicated towards the community building.

There's a multi-purpose room in the cellar.

The first floor has administrative offices for the school as well as a library.

At the second floor, there are um eight classrooms as well as common area gathering spaces for students.

And at the third floor is the Musala space.

The total community facility is approximately 13,000 square feet.

The next slide.

The existing residential entry is located along Putnam Avenue where the building is recessed and commercial spaces are located at the ground floor.

There's a total of six approximately six thousand square feet of commercial space.

I believe it's exactly 6,200.

There's also 75,000 square feet of residential for a hundred and forty-four units, a hundred and ten of which are seniors um studios, and thirty-four are one-bedrooms and a two-bedroom supers unit.

And I'm going to conclude.

Thank you.

Next slide, please.

So this whole program is made possible by the R7X district.

And the district works well here for two principal reasons.

One, it allows us to shape the bulk of the building to give presence to each section of the program.

The greater bulk allows the HBD subsidy to go further, making it uh more appropriate.

Now, this district is well appropriate in this area.

It's good from land use perspective.

You know, the added density helps um us address the housing affordability crisis and bed style.

There's terrific transit access, the G, the A and the C, the Shuttle, the Long Island Railroad, Burr Spanian bus routes running right nearby, going in each cardinal direction.

And next slide, please.

And all of these transit access uh locations will be ADA accessible by the end of the decade, according to the MDMTA.

Excuse me, substantially all uh ensuring that these seniors can continue to use this project.

You know, we're on Bedford Avenue, which will be further activated as a commercial corridor by this um action.

And the community has recognized us, which we've been really proud about.

Um, you know, everyone in the public review so far has approved us with flying colors, and so I'll turn it over to Pierre to show what will happen from now to building.

Uh next slide, please.

So here you just have an overview of kind of where we are and where we're headed.

Uh, you can see just in terms of community outreach, we began this process in spring of 25.

Uh, you know, with Council Member Chiosi Ose, and then we kind of moved through the various you know community meetings uh through the fall of 2025, and then earlier this year, uh, earlier this year, we ended up we met with the community board, uh, and as Andrew Educator got a unanimous approval and they got a favorable option.

If you guys go wrap it up from here.

Oh, it's over, okay.

Uh, in terms of financial closing, we're working, we haven't working antenna with HPD uh for the past year and a half, working through uh the financials or the financial execution, and we are in the pipeline uh presuming a positive outcome here for closing uh summer of next year, summer next year, so uh and then we have a two-year construction project essentially after that.

Uh, and then you know, it's back to bed style.

So thank you.

Thank you.

I have a few questions about this proposal.

You are proposing a senior affordable residential unit as part of your application.

Can you provide a breakdown of the unit makes?

Uh so we have about a hundred and ten one-bedroom units.

Uh, sorry, 110 studio apartments, and 34 one bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit.

A hundred percent of the units are set aside for families.

I mean, for seniors, that's sixty percent of AMI and below.

And we have a deeper affordability uh tier for formerly homeless, and that's approximately forty-four of the hundred and forty-four units.

Alright, where will the mosque and school recall relocate during demolition and reconstruction?

Uh so uh during the during the demo and and construction phase of the project, the master has been working collaboratively with other faith-based organizations in the community to set up uh temp relocation, and I'll let the imam speak to that.

Yeah, thank you.

Yeah, we have uh we work with the uh community board three on uh Fulton Street, and we have two spaces when we're ready to go, we have a promise and a commitment from them.

We can use that until construction is over.

Okay.

I understand that you have hired a relocation consultant to assist with existing businesses within uh relocation.

Have any businesses utilize this resource and have any businesses expressed interest in returning to the new development?

Yes, we have a couple businesses that express interest in re uh returning and they have engaged over the last two weeks and is still figuring out what they want to do, but they have spoken to the relocation specialist, and that's still a work in progress.

And just to add to that, the relocation specialist is doing things in compliance with other uniform relocation act without without compliance because of the financing execution for the site.

So those meetings have are taking place, all commercial students have access to the consultant uh to work collaboratively with them so that we can figure out a plan of uh for their temporary relocation or permanent relocation if they so choose not to come back.

All right.

And did you consider building up to the maximum allowable height of 14 stories to generate additional affordable units?

So we are maximizing the permitted zoning FAR, which means that we can't go any higher, but we are also we were very considerate of the neighboring properties as well as we went up to the 12 stories um in order to set back from the mosque and have them still be uh an anchor on the corner of um Bedford and Madison.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

I will now invite my colleagues to ask questions.

Councilmember Nkanaton.

Hello.

Um, who owns the current building now?

Matthew.

And who will own it once this goes through?

Will you s remain owner of the building?

Okay.

So it's not a cell of the building, it's just a partnership that you guys are creating.

And that that's important.

That's why it took us so long to uh I know that's important.

That's why I'm asking.

I want to make sure you can keep your building.

Go for that.

All right, perfect.

Thank you so much.

That was my only question.

Any uh any other colleagues who questioned?

Yes.

Council Member Salaam.

Yeah, I have I have a comment.

Um I've seen projects like this.

Um, well, first, salam alaikum.

Um I've seen projects like this happen throughout the country, and I'm excited about the um the prospects of this particular project happening in New York.

Um, I'm just gonna say, wow, this is this is uh much needed, of course, as we look throughout.

There's so many communities, not just Muslims, but the Jewish community, the Christian community, and the Muslim community that really need to be able to be anchored in their communities properly.

And so to have this example right here in the city is gonna be really exciting.

Thank you for that that comment and uh councilwoman.

Uh that question you asked O say ask us the same exact question.

So why why are you stopping at that level?

You know, so we we had to.

Of course.

All right, so this panel is now excused.

Thank you so much for your testimony and for being here today.

Counsel, are there any members of the public who wish to testify remotely or in person regarding this proposal?

Yes, we have six people who've uh sign up in person to testify.

And we also apparently have some members online who would like to testify.

We will first do the in-person testimony.

The first panel we'll call is Beatrice Sabir, Nashid, Kareem.

Ayana Mohammed.

That's Beatrice Sabir, Nash Nashid Kareem, and Ayana Mohammad.

Starting.

It's my.

My name is Beatrice Sabir, a member of Mastid Musi Khalifa for.

Well, actually, my uh membership round and about is about 62 years.

It gives me great pleasure to be able to say a few words about that building.

It's emotional.

It's really all that you would want it to be as a Muslim.

We have great leadership.

Brother Imam, allow us to do what we want as long as it's right.

I've been there for many years as the dietitian, the cook, and whatever it takes to nourish our children.

Today we have the same children out of that school, Valedictorians and Salutatoriums of not just high school graduates, but of colleges as well, renowned colleges.

So I just want to say that whatever it takes from the council to help us to maintain or not to maintain to get our new building, that we look for your um input and we look for your encouragement.

Thank you.

You've heard that before.

And as Muslims, that word is also has peace into it.

So we are peaceful community.

You know, our members, and I've been around the masjid, been a member there for since the 70s, they gave their nickels and their dimes and their sweat and tears and love to that to that building.

You know, they raised up children there who are, you know, uh professionals and laborers in the society, you know.

It's important that we have something for the future of uh of the community.

You know, everybody's invited to come to the monastery, you know, to the mosque.

In that area, during the 80s.

Who stood up in that community when the criminals, drug dealers, you know, that set up their spaces there, we're not criminal fighters, but we stand up for the right.

And when we stand up like that, they know that they see that.

So the community is a better community right now.

So we have people moving in, different people that maybe came five, ten years ago.

Maybe at that time, they wouldn't have wanted to come around in that community.

So we uh we need that in that area.

We need that that building where there's a seniors, our seniors, they can have you know, to send these the seniors can have their place in that in that area.

It's a very it's very it's very important, you know.

So I I thank you for listening to us, and we appreciate your help for your help today.

Thank you so much.

You may begin.

Uh, good morning, everyone.

My name is Ayana Mohammed.

I am a member of National Musi Khalifa.

I'm also on the board of directors there.

Um as an assistant secretary, I mean assistant treasurer.

I also sit on the board of directors for the Fifth Avenue Committee on the Real Estate committee Subcommittee.

Um, and I'm also the vice president and property manager at Park Slope North HDFC.

So I have a little bit of experience on a lot of different aspects of this project, and it's been a wealth for me to be a part of this.

My mother, Ibon Mohammed, who I believe is in queue also to testify today, was the director of community development for FAC.

Um, with this particular project, what brings me great pride is that in my generation, I see all the work that the past generation has put in to bring it to this point, and I see the deterioration.

And so when it comes to this and speaking to not only the community, but the church across the street, neighbors, local businesses, they're all in favor because they see how much the mash it has put in work over the years to maintain the space, maintain the community, and the good faith that is in that area.

And for nothing else, I believe that our seniors who are being displaced, they have a dignified place to live that is in their areas.

You know, we see what's happening with D theft.

We see what's happening with a lot of people there.

Their properties are being uh deteriorated.

They don't know if they should sell or not, but where they're gonna live, we're providing that answer for them.

Thank you all for your testimony.

This panel is now excused.

Thank you for making time to be here to testify.

The next panel is Majid Uh Leah Teo, excuse me for my butchered your name, uh Michael Shabazz and Rima Lee.

Masheed, Michael, and Rima.

Thank you.

You may begin.

Good afternoon.

My name is Rafer Majeed Lato, board member, financial secretary of the community, parent of the community.

And if this project is approved, it will be only the latest in a long line 64 years of proof of impact, proof of impact in the areas of human development, business development, and education.

When I say education, I'll plug this.

This message just helped produce two Summa cum laudi graduates at the number one HBCU in the country, Spelman College.

That just happened May 17th.

So this is not new, but if approved, we will now step into the arena of stable housing and a changing Bedfords.

So thank you for your attention to the matter.

Thank you so much for your testimony.

Next, as a law.

And shalom to other members on the panel.

My name is Michael Laziza Viv Shabbat.

And I must say this project that's actually pending is very personal and dear to me because I've been actually associated with the masjid going back in the 60s when it was actually to uh temple number seven.

And I believe the E ma'am uh gave some history on that.

And I basically repeat and reiterate that because uh El Haw's leaky el Shabazz, better known to us as Malcolm X, he still has his name on his deed.

So it is long as I'm alive and I have spirit in my body, I must stand up and remind people that this mask did have a very long history.

Now, in reference to the project in general, obviously I submit that because reflecting back to the 60s when I was growing up.

That's was Temple 7 to me.

And I'm still here, and hopefully uh within them uh beautiful buildings that we anticipate will be completed.

I don't know how long it's gonna take, but perhaps five years.

And inshallah, Lord willing, I will be alive to uh enjoy one of the partners.

Thank you very much.

Shalom, thank you so much for being here.

You may be getting your testimony.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Rahima Lee.

I am also a board member of Masjid Abdul Musikhalifa.

Um I'm just here to support the project.

It's uh uh long working and it is definitely something needed for the community.

Um as we know, uh we live in a time where a lot of building a lot of buildings are going up and they are they say affordable, but a lot of times they're not affordable for the people that live in the neighborhood, they're affordable for people that live elsewhere and are coming into the neighborhood.

Um not that that's always bad, but it is um something that does hurt the people that are residing in the community or who would like to stay in the community and are not at that income level.

So to have a senior and then on top of that, we've seen very little senior housing being built in Brooklyn recently, but say but well, probably within the last five years.

So this project will um solidify those two things that will help people that live in the community be able to afford to stay in the community, and those people will be our seniors that desperately need housing um and need housing that is affordable to them on small incomes.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for your testimony.

Do any of my colleagues have questions for this panel?

All right, this panel is now excused.

Thank you so much for being here.

We appreciate it.

We are now gonna switch to online testimony.

We're going to the first panel is Sophia's phone.

I know, I know.

Sophia's phone, Fatima, Hakeem Jenkins, and then iPhone.

You want to switch your name, you rename yourself, we can call you your correct name.

So the panel is Sophia's phone, Fatima, Hakeem Jenkins, and iPhone.

We'll start with Sophia.

Sophia, Hakeem, Fatima and IFO.

Um Asamu Aleikum, Malika Falama.

Fatima Duan for the record.

Um I am a member of Bashid Abdul Musi Khalifa.

I was born and raised in this community.

I am super excited for this new development, and I just have seen the community grow, and this is the next phase that we need to go to.

And we are um fully supporting the leadership in going forward with this development.

It will be an excellent um addition to the community, providing seating housing and also a new space for us and our next generation coming up.

So that is my words for today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Fatima.

As salamu alaykum.

This is Brother Hakeem.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

Maybe getting your testimony.

Thank you.

That was just my wife that had the privilege of speaking, and I have the blessing to be able to follow her.

Um, yes, I was formerly a board member of the Masjid.

I served for many years.

Um, I've seen so much growth and development through Masjid Khalifa.

Um, as a father and a husband, I've had the blessing to see not only my father served through the nation of Islam who's standing right next to me, but I've also had the blessing to watch my children grow up in this masjid after I got married in this masjid.

I've seen so much happen from events, from community gatherings, you know, people coming together.

My father-in-law, I used to have a store on the property that used to work with people, teach people, educate people, help people, and so much of us as a community have had the blessing of being a part of Masjid Abdul Muxi Khalifa, that it would be a shame and a crime not to see this legacy move forward, given all of the changes that are happening in the surrounding area.

As a moral and spiritual anchor in of the Islamic community in Bedford Stuyvesant, we have to uphold that anchor and continue to do whatever we can to see that the children that are to follow us can proceed with a legacy that will help them raise their children and move forward.

So I have watched this project in its incubating stages at those board meetings, and I'm just very thankful to see that the project is getting to a point now where we can start to see that light at the end of the tunnel.

And you know, as Muslims, you know, we truly believe that God loves those who do things that are most beneficial for other people.

So this is not just about the people in this room or the people at the board, but we're collectively doing this for the benefit of community life.

That's the game.

That's what we're about.

Community life and community development.

And the new structure can only serve that mission by giving us something that we'll be able to, God willing hold on to to pass on to the next generations and just to allow growth and development to continue to persist.

Thank you very much for my thank you very much for the time.

We appreciate it.

If you are online, you could press star six to unmute yourself if you are on your iPhone.

Now we're gonna hear from Sophia's iPhone.

This is the last call.

Sophia's iPhone and iPhone.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can, Sophia.

You may begin.

Um good morning.

Um, my name is Sophia Beckles.

Um, I wanted to um just take some time to express my um my feelings about Masjid Khalifa.

I've been a member for nearly 30 years.

Um, the masjid has helped me raise and educate my children.

Um, we continue to work worship there, my children, my my new grandchildren.

Um, and um, we've participated in many community events throughout the years.

Um, Khalifa has offered support and service um to both Muslim and Muslim non-Muslim members of our community.

Um, I believe that this new project will um just follow in that that thread of expansion to support the community, um, especially with the new senior housing project, which I and my family are in agreement with.

Um, you know, we we are looking forward to um the the housing that will benefit our seniors, um, who has been the pillars um of our community.

Um, they've helped me raise my children as well.

Um, and it's just an overall benefit to the community and the families.

Um, so I just wanted to just add that.

My apologies for my earlier technological um issues.

Um, thank you so much.

Solid.

No problem.

Thank you so much.

We will now hear from iPhone.

You can press star six to unmute yourself.

This is the last call for iPhone.

I just see it.

Okay, what's your name?

Uh I'm sorry, hello.

I apologize to the council.

I don't know how I got named iPhone.

My name is Yvonne Mohammed.

And uh I have been a member of Master Abdul Muksi Khalifa since 1969.

I was a college student.

I was the benefit uh beneficiary of all of those elders that establish that community.

I was taught very, very well by them.

And the most the most important thing that I was taught was service to others and service to our community in particular.

I have been a member of the board of directors in the past.

I was the president of the Mosque Corporation for four years, and I was the housing director at the Fifth Avenue Committee, uh, doing affordable housing development and special needs housing development for 10 years.

I would manage all of the development projects that would be entered into by the organization.

So I have a been experienced doing this for many, many years, and I'm I'm so thrilled and happy to see my community take a step forward to start doing development projects that benefit the community because we have benefit that community for so many years when no one was there, when the community needed help when the community was downtrodden, we were there defending and cleaning up and teaching.

Anyway, I would say that our our seniors are some of the main victims of the displacement uh in our neighborhood.

These are the long term residents that have been there since they were young and now they're in their sixties and seventies and cannot afford to live in the community that they help create.

And so we are providing housing to a group that really really needs it and really, really d deserves it.

And I would like to just say that that this project seems so very well planned that someone who has been a part of planning these types of uh developments.

I see what they've gone into it.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, thank you.

Uh this panel's now excuse.

I'm gonna call the last panel.

Uh Marcus Lambert Sahar Ali, Khalid Sabir, and the last two.

Unknown caller seven nine nine zero and unknown caller eight five five two.

And you could pr press star six to unmute yourself.

Let's start with Marcus Lambert.

Marcus, if you're on we would love to hear.

All right, we'll hear from Sahar Ali.

Sahar Ali.

All right, we'll hear from Khalid Sabir.

Sabrine.

Khalid, are you on?

And if you're on, you can press star six to unmute yourself.

Unknown caller seven nine nine zero if you're on.

I feel like I'm on a radio show.

I used to work at Hot 97.

Oh, she's there.

Okay.

Is this unknown caller seven nine nine zero?

Yes, yes.

All right.

If you if you could please identify yourself first and last name and you may give begin your testimony, you have two minutes.

Sure, sure.

My name is Vegeta Farrell.

Um, I'm one of the administrators for a neighboring mosque to Khalifa, Master Tacua.

Um, I have been in living in the community for um about some twenty years now.

Um I just want to say that I'm very happy for the day.

Um, and you know, that Khalifa is um you know, getting to uh finally build.

Um and I want to second what is uh Ivan Mohammed said.

Just that the fact that um Khalifa Tapla, there's also a fan, there's other um Mock and um, you know, um Muslim community, you know, looking neighbored in the in the neighborhood who have been pushed out over have been working in this mosque since two thousand and ten and has drastically changed to present.

So I mean I know that that's a you know more of a region that this is not that kind of meeting, but if you know continued efforts can be um, you know, can we get to continue to galvanize, you know, effort to preserve what is left.

Um it is beautiful, and I'm just so glad that the is well deserved.

All the uh second and thirding, what everybody and I know it's not a word, but seconding and thirding what everybody else has said as far as like the amount of work and grit and um self sacrifice that communities like Khalifa have um put in for decades.

Um may you know, maybe it's gonna be more and more to more to come and for the at the generations after also to maintain um and grow from that space.

So thank you to Koreal Company and everybody else who's um working on this.

Thank you so much.

I Sahar Ali, he should be around I d I got but I guess he's you know you may want to text her and tell she has a few seconds.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

We'll hear now from Marcus Lambert.

Marcus Lambert last call from Marcus Lambert.

All right.

Unknown caller 8552 you could press star six to unmute yourself.

Last can you hear me?

Oh Marcus hi how are you you may begin your testimony.

Okay.

Thank you uh Councilwoman Fair Lewis.

Um this is Dr.

Marcus Lambert um I uh have been a member uh of Mashid Abdul Muxi Khalifa um for about twenty years now.

I'm actually a transplant to New York.

Um my wife is uh originally born and raised in East New York.

Um and since then I've joined uh as a professor uh at SUNY down state um which uh we've had a couple interactions with you Dr.

Lewis so thank you for your I mean um Councilwoman Lewis thank you for your um support for our community and I just want to really speak to um the the public health uh impact that our mastery has really had on the community.

We've hosted a number of events throughout the years in terms of wellness terms of screenings uh making sure that our community members um are screened for things like um uh uh colorectal cancer and prostate cancer hypertension and so forth diabetes and uh it would be a shame a tragedy to sort of see uh that our institution doesn't have another hundred year legacy in this sort of impact in public health in this way um and uh I for one will be working my hardest to ensure that these sort of collaborative efforts between our medical institutions, our community based organizations and our faith based institutions continue and we need structures to make that happen.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you so much, Marcus.

Uh next Sahir Oh okay.

Wow.

Um just a shameless plug I wanna thank uh Mr Ed Powell who's here from the 70th precinct in my district.

I really appreciate you being here and I know the Mashad is is your place so I'm very happy to see you.

I'm grateful that everybody came here to support this project.

If the if anyone is here uh to testify I want to encourage you to please submit your testimony to land use testimony at council dot nyc dot gov because we're at that time um oh you have a comment we will now hear from council member Felder.

I I hi uh first of all I wanted to thank the chair for those of you that are that normally don't spend uh that much time here uh 250 Broadway I just want you to number one to be aware that the chair puts her heart and soul into the work she does.

I I'm not I'm not suggesting that anyone else doesn't but but it it is it is wonderful to see someone that's in government do do the work that she does.

And of course Chair Ed Powell I I I would just say I know for many many years I don't want to degrade in any way anyone else was that's here but if he was here alone and he was in favor of this project it should be done because anyone that knows him knows what type of person he is.

Uh uh and just finally I j I just want to say it's I I think I think uh I'm the only survivor besides the chair that remained for the entire hearing, uh and and I'm happy I did because um anything uh unfortunately, anything that has any relationship to anything religious has become toxic.

The minute you say it, then like if it if you said that you're just a developer, then it would be okay.

But the minute it has anything to do with religion in any sort, suddenly it's you know, I don't know what happens, but something uh so to listen to to the testimony.

My father may rest in peace.

Uh had what what I would call a storefront church uh for 60 years, 60 years.

I mean, and I remember growing up that no one can plunge the toilets the way I did, you know, literally.

So I I just wanted to say that the the work that all of you are involved in and trying to make this happen is holy work, and it's delightful, really delightful, to see that the project itself uh has not only the spiritual portion, but you're protecting the seniors, but not just protecting them and giving them a place to live.

The fact that you'll have the children in the same space.

I I cannot tell you that my mother, may she rest in peace, when when I'm not gonna tell you all the grandchildren or great girls, but most of them.

Even if they came over even for a few minutes or something uh and had and she used to have contact with them, uh it was I I'm not going to say it extended her life because I don't know that to be true.

I will tell you it certainly gave her immense immense satisfaction in many ways.

So I I am I I am delighted to be on the on the committee serving uh the with this chair, but but it doesn't happen.

I would just say that that the that it doesn't happen that often that we we have the pleasure really and the honor of uh being listening to a presentation that actually is really s uh fulfilling I'm not suggesting that the work that we do is is not but it's different.

I you know I I must say so um I just want to thank uh all of you, whoever uh, you know, some of some left uh it's taxing, you know, to sit in one place for a long time.

Uh but the the you know it's clear that so many of you have been involved in this for so many years, and that anything that you can do to make this a reality quicker, that's what I would just say.

The goal is uh I am certain that the chair not only will make sure it's approved, she will kill anybody who does not vote yes, but not not I don't mean that literally, yeah.

Uh she is going to be involved, and your council member, let me tell you, is extraordinary, extraordinary.

So I thank you.

You usually, you know, I really thank you for for being here and presenting this to us.

Thank you, Councilmember Felder.

All right, so if there's anyone here, please submit your testimony at land use testimony at counsel that nyc.gov.

Uh uh being there are no members of the public who should testify regarding LUs 108 and 109 relating to the 1166 Bedford Avenue mixed use residential rezoning proposal.

This public hearing is now closed and items are now laid over.

That concludes today's business.

I would like to thank the members of the public, my colleague, subcommittee council, land use, and other council staff, and a sergeant at arms for participating in today's meeting.

This meeting is hereby adjourned.