If there is one certainty of Gotham living, it’s this: Whenever some pol talks about making life more affordable, grab your wallet and don’t let go.
That was our instinct when we heard City Councilwoman Letitia James raising “concerns” about a project that would see 300 new apartments as well as theaters and shops rise up around the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The councilwoman’s “concerns” come just days before a crucial vote.
What makes her announcement so stunning is that she has been a strong supporter of the project for the past decade. What makes it potentially deadly is that the council tends to bow to the wishes of the local member on projects going through the land-siting process. If that happens, it would destroy hundreds of construction jobs and positions in retail — not to mention the new apartments for 300 families.
James says she wants more “affordable housing,” above and beyond the customary 20 percent for such mixed-use projects. What she means by “affordable housing” is subsidized housing.
On top of that, she also wants a commitment from developer Two Trees Management that the project be built entirely with union labor, not just partly, as Two Trees has done historically.
Note what unites these two propositions: It’s a definition of “affordability” that makes things more expensive.
Why would Tish James flip? Right now, she is in a heated contest for public advocate. Her new demands put her on the side of the Building and Construction Trades Council union — literally
: Last week, a BCTC lawyer accompanied James to city negotiations over the BAM project.
The union is expected to announce its endorsements for city races this week.
And that helps explain why there are few things more expensive for New Yorkers than a politician talking about making something more “affordable.”