Maybe someone can explain to us exactly how this works. BFC Partners, which is building a luxury apartment building near the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge, just earned the right to make the building even bigger by promising to build 48 units of affordable housing. The Brooklyn Papers article about the deal says only that the developer was unable to include the affordable units in the luxury tower so he’s building them two miles away on Classon Avenue instead. Critics of the move say it promotes class segregation. A spokesman for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership whose territory the luxury building falls under, scoffs at the accusation: “This development is creating more housing for all levels of income. PACC, which is managing the affordable housing component also defends the decision to have it off-site: this particular developer made every effort to have the inclusionary housing right on site, said Deb Howard. He could not, so we had to go looking for sites farther afield in the Community Board. We can understand why this developer would want to fulfill his affordable housing obligation in a lower-rent part of town and don’t have any particular bone to pick with him, we just don’t understand the process or criteria by which he can decide to do so instead of including it in the luxury project. Is it just up to him or just a matter of negotiation with the city?
Myrtle Tower Tops Out Above Limits [Brooklyn Papers] GMAP