Lower Manhattan residents push for affordable WTC housing
BY MARK HALLUM
Lower Manhattan residents are not
shying away from the creation of
reasonably priced housing in their
part of the city and are lobbying the powers
that be to make 5 World Trade Center
(5WTC) 100% affordable.
With activists expressing little faith that
the city’s mandatory inclusionary housing
(MIH) law will have any serious impact on
the affordability, a group dubbed the Coalition
for a 100% Affordable 5WTC rallied
on Thursday for Empire State Development
and Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey to make it happen.
“This is public land with development
funded by public money and it should be
for affordable housing so that people can
stay. Particularly we want 9/11 survivors
and fi rst responders to have a place to stay,”
Vittoria Fariello, a district leader in downtown,
said. “We have this building – 80
stories – imagine what it would be like. We
would be pioneers of affordable housing,
why would we not do that?”
But the group found themselves disappointed
with PANYNJ offi cials and those
from the state who told Community Board
1’s executive committee that the project
may not be feasible unless the residential
units are rented or sold at market rate.
Currently, the partnering organizations
plan for 25% permanent affordable housing
to accommodate New Yorkers making
no less than $42,000 for individuals and
$59,000 for a family of four. This equates
to about 350 homes.
Justin Bernbach said during the
Wednesday community board meeting that
PANYNJ had given up space lost not only
to 9/11, but also to the memorial that now
stands in place of the Twin Towers. In order
to “make themselves whole” fi nancially,
100% affordable housing may simply not
be in the cards.
But, Bernbach asserted, the agency has
not taken a full account of what there
capital needs will be for the 5WTC project.
“This land swap – I wasn’t here at the
time – but it wasn’t based on any precise
numbers, precise evaluations of the property.
It was a neutral exchange of properties
that was seen to be in the public interest,”
Bernbach said. “So, we couldn’t know then
what the valuation of that would be, there
was no way, to think in terms of whether
made whole and this transaction, that’s
kind of the subject of the ongoing lease negotiations,
which are not complete yet. So
I know the next question would naturally
be, ‘okay, well what are you earning,’ and
I’ll not answer that.”
Not only is PANYNJ missing out on
offi ce space revenue from the loss of the
Twin Towers property, but he states that
they depend largely on Port Authority
Trans-Hudson fares and tolls for capital
projects such as 5WTC.
The activist’s call has received backing
from elected offi cials at the federal level;
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney as well
Protesters seek affordable housing outside the World Trade Center on Sept.
30, 2021.
as Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
“While I applaud the current plan to
develop 5WTC as primarily a residential
tower, there is a great community need for
additional affordable housing,” Maloney
said in a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul
on Aug. 31. “The neighborhood is already
saturated with luxury housing, and much
of this housing stock is currently vacant,
including in buildings in the immediate
vicinity of 5WTC. New Yorkers are in
dire need of affordable housing, including
deeply affordable and housing for low to
PHOTO BY MARK HALLUM
moderate income individuals and families.”
Thursday morning, Hochul told reporters
that any decision from the state to
acquiesce to the request for 100% affordable
housing would need to be discussed
further with stakeholders such as PANYNJ
or Silverstein Properties.
“I’m going to have that conversation
with Port Authority and fi nd out what the
recommendations are and do what’s best,”
Hochul said Thursday morning.
With additional reporting from Kevin
Duggan.
Beloved Union Square Holiday Market to return in November
The Union Square Market is returning this fall.
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Grab your bags and prep your shopping
lists — the Urbanspace Union
Square Holiday Market is coming
back to New York City for the holiday
UNION SQUARE PARTNERSHIP
season.
After a year off due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the Union Square Holiday
Market will return this year on Nov. 18,
showcasing over 150 different vendors
through Dec. 24.
“Not running our Union Square Holiday
Market last year was devastating, but it
makes this year even more special,” says
President Eldon Scott. “When November
rolls around it’s like a homecoming for
us and for the vendors. You can feel the
excitement for the start of a festive holiday
season!”
“For the past four decades, the Union
Square Holiday Market has been a treasured
New York City holiday shopping
tradition – synonymous with the festive
spirit of the season,” said Jennifer Falk,
Executive Director, Union Square Partnership.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the
Holiday Market back to our neighborhood
this winter, another strong indicator that
things are moving in the right direction.
Along with our renowned Greenmarket, a
robust list of fall theater offerings, and an
incredible array of dining options, there is
no better time to take part in this cherished
outdoor holiday tradition so mark your
calendars and make plans to visit today.”
This year, the market will feature
vendors such as Veselka, Breezy Hill Orchard
cider, and Piccolo Cafe, as well as
retail vendors such as newcomer eMCee
Apparel and returning vendor Dash of Pep.
The Urbanspace Union Square Holiday
Market will also continue Urbanspace’s
partnership with Nick Heller (@NewYorkNico),
New York City’s “unoffi cial talent
scout.” Shoppers can expect to see the
same magic that the market brought to the
neighborhood in years past and can shop
and eat all day long.
Additionally, Urbanspace will be running
the Bank of America Winter Village
at Bryant Park (Oct. 29, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022)
and the Columbus Circle Holiday Market
(Nov. 27-Dec. 24, 2021), and will open its
fi rst food hall below 23rd Street with the
opening of Urbanspace Zero Irving.
The Union Square Holiday Market will
be open from Monday through Saturday
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information and
a full list of vendors, visit urbanspacenyc.
com/union-square-holiday-market.
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