Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed rezoning of Inwood, which would’ve allowed developers to build a 15-story, 369k SF building with 50% affordable units, has been unanimously rejected by the City Council.
Standing in front of a crowd of residents and protestors, City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez announced his opposition to the project Monday night, serving as the precursor to the official death knell in council chambers the following day, Crain's reports.
The project was the first private application under Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy, which was approved in March and allows developers to build bigger buildings as long as at least one-fifth of the units are available below market value.
Now that the inclusionary zoning measure has failed, developers Washington Square Partners and Acadia Realty Trust—which had reached an agreement with the city to receive subsidies to make 355 affordable units—have said they’ll continue with plans for a 14-story building with no affordable units.
The community has been opposed to the project for a while due to its scale and fears of it being a precursor for gentrification.
Rodriguez had drawn out his position on the proposal for weeks, delaying a committee vote and even meeting with the de Blasio administration and the developers to discuss potential perks. Even his announcement of the announcement of his position (yes, you read that right) was delayed and met with much criticism, as reported by Politico. [Crain's]
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