Hell’s Kitchen residents are demanding what they say the city promised them – affordable housing.
Community group Neighbors for Hell’s Kitchen are fuming over what they say is a misuse of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure and advocating for fairly priced housing opportunities to be built in the area. The coalition of residents and business owners claim they are getting something rather different.
Set to be completed in 2023, The Lirio by Hudson Inc. and Housing Works is touted to be a 9-story building comprising of 112 affordable units located on 806 Ninth Avenue. According to Hudson, the new building is designed to create housing for survivors of HIV/AIDS and affordable housing for families of Hell’s Kitchen. The site will split units between formerly homeless individuals, HIV/AIDS survivors, and families looking for a fairly priced home. Although the building is being publicized as affordable housing, the location will also host an office for the MTA and neighborhood retail space.
“The proposal that was certified to go through ULURP today [Jan. 3] by the City Planning Commission (CPC) reneges on promises the City made to Hell’s Kitchen, and instead allows for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to build a mixed office and supportive housing development – called The Lirio – which would not support long-term economic recovery,” Neighbors for Hell’s Kitchen said in a statement.
Citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent variants such as Omicron—which is currently ravaging the city—as imperative reasons for additional affordable housing to be constructed. The group says the project counters a near half-century old pledge in the Special Clinton District zoning plan that ensured the “character” of the area remained in place, which seems to be a jab at the class of residents scheduled to be housed rather than the units’ affordability since what they sought for it to support middle-income residents.
“None of this is what Hell’s Kitchen needs to successfully come back after the global pandemic. The Lirio would be in replace of the affordable housing units agreed to by Manhattan Community Board 4 and then-Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff in 2005, which was outlined in a signed Points of Agreement Document that allowed for Hudson Yards to be built,” Neighbors for Hell’s Kitchen added.
The association also argues that in order to create more jobs and make an economic bounce back additional housing units are required.
In addition to the housing units and office space, The Lirio is said to boost environmental efficiency procedures such as solar power and green roofs. Still, this does not alter the fact Neighbors for Hell’s Kitchen say they will continue to call for a different construction and is asking fellow residents to join them.
In response to this, the developer’s spokesperson said they are dedicated to aiding the city’s most vulnerable.
“The need for affordable housing units of all types is as critical as ever, and this project is designed to meet that need. The Lirio will provide permanently affordable homes for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including long time survivors of HIV/AIDS, in a beautifully designed and environmentally sustainable building. Our development team looks forward to making this critical supportive housing project a reality for Hell’s Kitchen,” the spokesperson told amNewYork Metro.
