Image credit: New York City Council.
On October 12, 2022, the City Council unanimously passed a rezoning off the Bruckner Expressway in Throggs Neck, Bronx, allowing for four mixed-use apartment buildings at four different sites. For CityLand’s previous coverage of the Bruckner rezoning, including a breakdown of the proposals for each site, click here.
Developer Throggs Neck Associates, LLC will construct a total of 349 housing units, 98 of which will be permanently affordable under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing. One apartment building will be devoted to income-restricted units for seniors, with 99 total units and 30 that will remain permanently affordable. Another building will be devoted to veterans’ housing, with 25 free-of-charge apartments and on-site services managed by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The development will also include 309 parking spaces, a grocery store, senior center, youth community center, and retail space.
Prior to City Council’s October 12 Stated meeting, the Subcommittee on Zoning and the Committee on Land Use both unanimously passed the Bruckner rezoning on October 6.
Land Use Chair Rafael Salamanca stated, “New York City is in the midst of a housing crisis. As rents soar and wages remain stagnant, the development of affordable housing that speaks to the needs of the local community is crucial to the city’s recovery . . . Creating more affordable housing in this project than in the previous 10 years combined, Bruckner will set aside housing for families, seniors, and veterans, all while creating good union jobs.”
Zoning Chair Kevin Riley echoed these sentiments: “Addressing the housing crisis in New York City must remain a priority for this Council. With that, we must continue to push for open lines of communication that will ensure that the needs of our communities are met. I am truly elated that we were able to pass this through the Land Use Committee because our City is in dire need of housing and it’s important that each community does their part.”
Support from both committees, as well as the Council at large, hinged on Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, whose district includes Throggs Neck. Despite widespread opposition among her constituents, Velazquez voted in favor of the rezoning, explaining, “Throughout this process, I have maintained a commitment to prioritizing the needs of my district and local neighborhoods. We are in the middle of a citywide housing crisis that is similarly felt by residents of my district, with seniors and working people facing strains to remain in our neighborhoods. The updated project voted out of the Council’s committees today delivers significantly deeper affordable housing for our community, more good jobs for residents, and additional benefits for the neighborhood.”
Velazquez also addressed the lack of affordable housing in Throggs Neck compared to other neighborhoods, stating that the Bruckner development “provides tangible benefits for the people of our community and transforms the unfortunate reality that this office before me had been unable to provide affordable housing for our residents, with less than 60 units produced in the last 8 years. We have far surpassed that in less than a year. I will never stop fighting for my local community and always remain committed to negotiating to the end to deliver for the people of my district.”
Following City Council’s unanimous approval, Mayor Eric Adams had until October 18 to potentially veto the rezoning. The Mayor was an outspoken proponent of the Bruckner development, stating, “The housing crisis impacts all of us, and every community has a responsibility to be part of the solution and help us provide safe, quality homes to all New Yorkers. I’m proud to have been a vocal proponent of this project, and I look forward to working with the speaker and the entire City Council to advance citywide changes that will allow us to finally build the housing we so desperately need.”
By: Cassidy Strong (Cassidy is a CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2024.)
As a former City resident, I often drove on the Bruckner highway in the 1980s. I recall seeing burning high-rises. Make sure these new developments have serious fire protection! Thanks for trying to improve housing for all!