'It Still Smells Like A Trojan Horse': Voices From A Meeting On The Beford Union Armory

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — The presentation Thursday night juxtaposed data and dissent, promises with protest. As is so often the case, those against the proposal were there in force, and made the most noise. But what they said spoke to why redevelopment plans for the Bedford Union Armory are the focal point of concerns over gentrification, displacement and affordable housing in Crown Heights, concerns that are existential to many in the neighborhood.

As currently envisioned by developer BFC Partners and the city's Economic Development Corporation, the Armory, a unique plot of city-owned land in central Brooklyn, would be turned into a residential, recreation, community and office complex called Bedford Courts. A total of 330 apartments would be built, of which 166 would be "affordable" units below market rate.

Graphic courtesy of BFC Partners

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The design also calls for a 67,000-square-foot recreation space with a pool, basket ball courts, a gym, and space for many other other athletic programs. There would also be 40,000 square feet of office and community space open to rental by area businesses and community organizations, as well as a 500-seat events space.

But last October, Assemblywoman Diana Richardson, State Senator Jesse Hamilton, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and Assemblyman Walter Mosley, all of whom represent Crown Heights, sent a joint letter to the EDC calling for a 100-percent affordable development that, among other things, has more units for Community Board 9 locals and indexes rents to the Area Median Income of Crown Heights residents. The officials have also filed a FOIA request asking for additional financial details to be released on the project, including "the projected profits to the developer."

In so doing, the electeds aligned themselves with opponents of the project as currently envisioned — groups like the Crown Heights Tenants Union and the Movement To Protect The People (MTOPP).

Crown Heights Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo, who kicked off Thursday's meeting at Medgar Evers College, said her "role is the negotiator, to make sure we come up with a plan that's as representative of the community as possible."

Saying she wanted to get a feeling for how those in the room viewed the redevelopment proposal, Cumbo asked who would like the Armory to remain as it currently is.

"What a ridiculous question," yelled out MTOPP leader Alicia Boyd. It was her usual style: a refusal to allow official proceedings to go as planned. No hands went up.

Cumbo asked who would accept a community center without any housing. Boyd and some other MTOPP affiliates raised their hands.

How about a community center and affordable housing indexed to area AMI? That drew the most support.

Cumbo said a long negotiation process was ahead, adding that, "we have to make sure the housing aspect is very strong."

"The most emotional part is our young people," she continued, saying she had been to too many funerals following violence made more likely by a lack of youth programming — the kind of programming a redeveloped Armory could host. "Our young people can't afford for us to just hold prayer vigils."

Caitlyn Brazill, a top stafer with CAMBA, which would run community programs at the Armory, spoke of her organization's intent "to use this incredible space" for the benefit of locals.

BFC Partners project manager John Valladares explained that the company would be sinking $25 million into the recreation and community facility portion of the development, as per the deal it struck with the city. It would also be providing discounted rent to community groups who wanted to rent there — for example, charging $6 per square foot, compared to the area's market rate of $25 or $30 dollars per square foot.

An MTOPP member wasn't impressed, shouting out that BFC would be "leasing public land" through the arrangement. Another man said the development project consisted of "black on black crime."

Eric Woodlin, a Boys & Girls Club veteran who is planning recreation programming at the site for BFC, spoke of the area students holding track practice in cafeterias and playing soccer on tiny spaces inside schools.

"I think the kids need somewhere to go, especially after school so they can have something constructive to do," he said.

He extolled the virtues of the potential recreation programming at hand, but was consistently interrupted by calls from the audience about how much people would have to pay to participate. I'm getting there, he would reply, and return to the slides in his presentation.

Woodlin showed a picture of the Armory's massive vaulted space. "This is your canvass," he said, adding that "we can make this work" for the neighborhood's 23,000 children.

"Your canvass, not ours," an audience member responded.

Woodlin talked about tennis classes, swimming lessons available for toddlers, children, teens and adults, soccer fields and hardwood basketball courts.

"Think about the cross-pollination of sports," he said.

"If they've got money," someone replied.

The interruptions kept coming, from Boyd and others, until a person toward the back of the room yelled out at Boyd, "Shut up!"

"You shut up!" she yelled back. And then another man stood up, a black man holding a hard hat, his work clothes dirty, and suggested that the exchange reminded him of when "some white person asked me did I belong in the fu**ing neighborhood." A small, angry tale of gentrification. He walked out.

Woodlin continued. He displayed a slide stating that "free access" would be given to "many of the sport and academic programs" to be offered in the Armory, while the Fitness Center would cost about $120 per year. Pool access could be had "through discounted lessons and open lap swim and family swim" sessions that would cost about $2 to $5 per swimmer.

"It still smells like a Trojan Horse," said Crown Heights resident Jose Richards from the Crowd.

"The Armory should be developed as a real community project," Richards said before the event. Instead, developers had bought the politicians involved, officials who are "not there for our interests." He also objected to the evening's format, in which audience questions had to be written down on cards, insulating the speakers from the passions of locals. That's what Richards wrote on his comment card, and so during the Q&A, Cumbo gave him the floor.

"This project is a land grab," he began, standing up from his seat. "It is for outsiders to grab city land, the people's land." There was no meaningful community engagement, he continued. "This is a done deal. What we're dealing with is the crumbs. The people who developed this project will get what they want."

"We have to make our elected officials uncomfortable!" Richards said. "That's right!" yelled out Boyd, the MTOPP leader, in support.

Cumbo returned to the mic, saying that a 100-percent affordable development "is the goal." under city rules, that could include units costing 165 percent of AMI, she continued, but her goal was getting plenty of units into much cheaper territory, with more in the 40-to-60 percent of AMI range.

Another woman stood up to say that if "affordable" units can't actually be afforded, "why do we want 100 percent of it?"

"I agree with you 100 percent," Cumbo said. But to get there would require a major city investment built into this year's budget. That ongoing negotiation, she said, will itself be impacted by how much federal support the city gets from the Donald Trump administration.

Someone from the crowd asked Cumbo who was stopping her from succeeding in her negotiations for a 100 percent affordable development.

"There's nobody in our way," she said, explaining that she's engaging with the mayor's office, the EDC, and all involved parties.

The city's budget will be due in June, she reminded the audience, adding, "It's nowhere near decided, and we still have five more months to negotiate."

“BFC is fully committed to revitalizing the Bedford-Union Armory and providing much-needed recreational facilities, affordable housing and affordable office space for the Crown Heights community," the developer said in a statement after the gathering. "Our team continues to incorporate community feedback, as we have throughout this process, and we always welcome additional input from local stakeholders."

Pictured at top: the Bedford Union Armory. Photo by John V. Santore