Senator Zellnor Myrie wants to create or preserve 1 million housing units over the next 10 years. Can he do it?

Myrie made her bid for New York City mayor official on Tuesday with the release of a housing plan that calls for the construction of 700,000 homes and the preservation of 300,000 over the next decade. To do so, Myrie would, among other things, rezone a larger portion of Midtown than the Adams administration has proposed — dubbed “Mega Midtown” — and build on underutilized properties throughout the city.

These figures include projects already proposed, as well as the 200,000 apartments that would be built anyway (based on the pace of construction over the past decade).

Two years ago, Mayor Eric Adams unveiled his “moonshot” goal of building 500,000 apartments over the next decade. This week, the City Council is expected to vote on the City of Yes to Housing Opportunity, which is expected to add 80,000 apartments over the next 15 years.

Myrie supports City of Yes, but thinks it doesn’t go far enough.

“It’s a small step, and it’s not big enough to solve the problem at hand,” he said.

This “small step,” described as both modest and historic by the Adams administration, was met with considerable resistance from City Council members. The text amendment underwent several changes before the Council advanced it last month, and the administration agreed to $5 billion in funding as a condition of approval.

If this is what it takes for “modest” zoning changes, how can the next mayor hope to be much bolder?

Myrie said he will take the time to build relationships with council members and work with stakeholders and those with diverse interests, rather than “antagonizing them.”

“I have no illusions that this will be easy, but it is the necessary fight we must fight if we are to solve the affordability crisis and our housing shortage problem,” he said. he declared.

“I’m centering this housing plan in my launch as mayor of this city, because when we win, there will be a mandate for us to accomplish this housing plan, and that mandate, that momentum from the voters of New York City , is what will help us cross the finish line.

Each element of Myrie’s plan, first reported by Politico, will contribute to the creation of 50,000 to 95,000 new units. However, there is a lack of clarity on how this would be executed. For example, the proposal to build on underutilized land points to projects that have already been proposed, including City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ call for the redevelopment of the 200-acre Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens and the city’s plan to upgrade and build the Brooklyn Marine. Terminal.

Both of these plans include housing, although details have not been released on the amount.

Myrie said he would “solicit ideas from the public” on other lands that could be developed into mixed-income and mixed-use neighborhoods. The Adams and de Blasio administrations have also targeted vacant or underutilized land for potential housing development, but have found that opportunities are limited.

The plan, however, designates areas between Queensbridge and Ravenswood in western Queens, and between South Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, as candidates for “sandwich rezonings,” which target industrial areas squeezed by “thriving residential neighborhoods.” .

Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York, said it was “encouraging” that candidates were campaigning on “bold plans” for more housing.

“Four years ago, it would have been inconceivable for a major candidate for New York City mayor to propose such an ambitious housing plan,” she said in a statement.

As a state senator, Myrie was one of the strongest advocates of the 2019 rent bill and championed another Democratic Socialists of America priority, the Tenant Buyability Act, which would provide tenants the first chance to buy their building if the owner tries to sell it.

His City Hall housing plan calls for the state to allow “organically vacant housing” – whose rents are too low to justify renovations – to be rented to voucher holders (whose rent is based on a percentage of their income), provided that the tenants of the building or a non-profit organization have a right of first refusal to purchase the building.

Cea Weaver, coordinator of the Housing Justice for All campaign, said the proposal “threatens to undermine New York’s stabilization system.”

“Seventy percent of New Yorkers rent – ​​and our demand is clear: If you want our votes, freeze the rent. Senator Myrie was once a champion of rent-stabilized tenants,” she said in a statement. “We hope to see him return to his roots and commit to a rent freeze. »

Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, also a mayoral candidate, has pledged to freeze rents, although only the city’s Rent Guidelines Board can do that. Myrie said he would appoint board members who would “put tenants first.”

What we think about: Do you know of any end-of-year parties in the industry where journalists are welcome? Send invitations to [email protected].

One thing we learned: Thursday, the municipal council will vote on a Invoice which requires the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to submit reports every six months on the status of housing projects involving city-owned land (that has been leased, sold or transferred to another party) and to receive funding from the city.

Councilman Rafael Salamanca, the sponsor, has repeatedly lamented that projects approved under the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure often wait a long time before closing acquisitions or on-site financing. The measure aims to increase transparency.

Elsewhere in New York…

— Jersey City tenants accuse their landlord’s employees of filling vacant apartments with rotten fish to drive them out and raise rents, Gothic Reports. Residents of 336 New York Avenue say the fish are part of a campaign to evict them from rent-controlled housing.

— Professional boxer Anthony Constantino wants to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom Trump chose to become ambassador to the United Nations, Politico New York reports. Stefanik’s departure would trigger a special election. Constantino hopes to turn a 100-foot light sign he installed in upstate New York, which reads “Vote for Trump,” into exchange for support from his fellow Republicans.

— Mayor Eric Adams requested a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, WABC Reports. “I don’t want people talking to each other. I want people to talk to each other,” Adams said during a press conference Tuesday. “I have made it clear that I will not go to war with this administration. I will work with this administration. Adams has criticized the Biden administration’s immigration policies.

Closing time

Residential: Tuesday’s most expensive residential sale was $47 million for a 6,933-square-foot condo at 500 West 18th Street in Chelsea. Deborah Kern and Steve Gold of the Corcoran Group had the list.

Commercial: The biggest commercial sale at the time was $48 million for 300 West 43rd Street And 303 West 42nd Street at Chelsea. The sales include the office and retail portions of both properties. Their combined area is 107,342 square feet.

New on the market: The highest price for a residential property on the market was $15.2 million for a 4,962-square-foot condo at 211 West 84th Street on the Upper West Side. Alexa Lambert of Compass has the list.

Inauguration: The largest new construction application filed was for a 156,632-square-foot, eight-story, 210-unit project at 35 Otsego Street in Red Hook. Aufgang Architects filed the permits on behalf of Express Builders. — Matthew Elo