A City Council subcommittee on Wednesday approved a scaled back development proposal for the Arrow Linen & Uniform Supply site in Windsor Terrace, after the community voiced their displeasure over the original height and low number of affordable units in the planned two residential buildings.
The Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use voted to approve a rezoning of the Arrow Linen site at 441 and 467 Prospect Avenue, which will make way for 250 new housing units, 100 of which will be permanently affordable, according to a press release.
After weeks of negotiations to maximize the number of affordable units, 40% percent of the housing units will be permanently affordable, marking one of the highest proportions of affordable housing for a private ULURP application without public subsidies in city history.
"This project is a major win for Windsor Terrace and our city," said Council Member Shahana Hanif.
The new plan calls for two 10-story buildings instead of the proposed 13-stories, and the development will also include green roofs, flood management improvements, a childcare facility and subsidized rent for the nonprofit Sakhi for South Asian Women.
The community has been very split on the development. The group Housing, Not Highrises had organized many meetings and rallies over the past two years, including a Feb. 4 meeting that brought together over 100 area residents.
The group said it will keep a close eye on the enforcement of the building's height via the Community Benefit Agreement, which is non-binding but allows for the manager of the CBA, in this case expected to be the nonprofit Fifth Avenue Committee, to sue a party if it does not hold their end of the agreement.
"If the owners of Arrow Linen sell their property, the purchaser is under no obligation whatsoever," to uphold the CBA, the group said on their website on Wednesday. "Housing Not High-Rises is working to ensure that our community has a seat at the table as this agreement is negotiated, and representation on the promised construction."
The group thanked several elected officials and organizations for their help, but did not include Hanif. The group instead thanked Maya Kornberg, who is running against Hanif in District 39 in the Democratic primary election in June.
