Union Square Tech Hub Gets Tepid Support From Carlina Rivera

GRAMERCY, NY — Councilwoman Carlina Rivera offered tepid support for the 21-story Union Square tech hub slated to replace the former P.C. Richard & Son store on East 14th Street at a Tuesday City Council hearing.

Rivera has a large say in the project's outcome as the local councilmember and, in the past, has expressed support for the tech hub, but only if the city offers the surrounding neighborhoods land use protections from hyper development. Rivera stood her ground at Tuesday's hearing and called the city out for not taking locals concerns seriously.

"Only with a comprehensive holistic approach to both access to technology and protections to our vibrant neighborhoods can I vote confidentially for this project — and right now that votes is seriously in question," said Rivera, during the council's Subcommittee on Zoning Franchises hearing.

"Since the certification of this application I have felt the community’s request for land use protections have not been seriously considered ... concerns have been pushed aside in the interest of expediting a project that relevant industries would have us believe, incorrectly in my view, should be considered in isolation of its surroundings and devoid of maximum input."

The city's Economic Development Corporation and RAL Development Services seek a rezoning to construct the 240,000-square-foot Tech Training Center at East 14th Street near Irving Place that would house six floors of training and co-working space for New Yorkers looking to gain a toehold in the tech sector, and another 12 floors of flexible office space for small companies seeking short leases.

The Economic Development Corporation and RAL's rezoning would modify the building's shape and increase the allowable size by 54,000 square feet.

At the nearly four hour council hearing locals offered mixed reactions of support and concern for the project's potential impact on the area. Some fear the $250 million project could become a catalyst for high-rise development in the area — threatening the affordability and character of surrounding neighborhoods.

"We are more than willing to accept a Tech Hub on 14th Street, even one larger and more commercial than current zoning allows. But not at the expense of our neighborhoods. And not when it is unnecessary to do so," said Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and a lead critic of the tech hub at Tuesday's hearing.

"We have proposed reasonable zoning measures that would protect neighborhood character and encourage or require the inclusion of affordable housing. But the City has consistently said no."

The City Planning Commission and Community Board 3 have previously voted in favor of the tech hub. Tuesday's hearing was the last opportunity for public comment on the project before the proposal heads to the full City Council for a vote.

Image courtesy of Mayor's Office of New York City