Statement from Essence Development & Related Cos. on Resident Selection at Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses

NEW YORK, NY (06/21/2023) (readMedia)-- Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced the conclusion of a resident-led selection process where residents of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses selected their preferred redevelopment plan as part of the ongoing Fulton and Elliott Chelsea PACT Project. NYCHA's press release can be found here. In response to a majority of residents selecting to build brand new NYCHA apartments across both campuses, Jamar Adams of Essence Development and Bruce Beal of Related Companies released the following statements:

"We understand the choice of the residents is to move forward with a comprehensive rebuild of their current buildings and campus – that would bring the new and safe housing these NYCHA residents deserve. We'd like to thank the hundreds of residents that took the time to make their voices heard, and to NYCHA and the Citizens Housing & Planning Council for overseeing a first of its kind process. We look forward to working with the residents, NYCHA, and the broader Chelsea community to deliver the vision of these residents," said Jamar Adams, Founder of Essence Development.

"We're grateful to the residents of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses for their faith in selecting us to be a part of the team that will execute their vision," said Bruce Beal, President of Related Companies. "We recognize that this work is vitally important to securing and improving not just apartments, but the lives of thousands of NYCHA residents. Our company's mission is to create and preserve high-quality housing for all – and for more than two decades we've been committed to advancing this goal for everyone in West Chelsea. We look forward to continuing to work with residents, our elected officials, and the entire community to deliver on the promise that was made to Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea tenants to finally give them the homes they deserve."

Additional background information on the project can be found below.

"Our administration has always put residents front and center in decision-making, and I am excited that the residents of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses have seized their opportunity to plan their own future," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "No one knows better than the residents what they and their neighbors need, and they were smart to recognize the potential benefits of completely rebuilding their campus. This is how our administration has been conducting business since taking office, and this is how we will continue to do so: With NYCHA residents making decisions about their own communities."

"As I have made clear throughout this process, NYCHA residents know their communities and developments best and must have a real voice in determining their future," said Congressman Jerry Nadler. "This plan puts the needs and priorities of the residents front and center, and I am pleased that the relevant parties-most notably the residents themselves-have come together to move forward with a complete rebuilding of the Fulton and Elliot-Chelsea Houses. With the current buildings in disrepair as New York faces a housing crisis, these new apartments will provide modern, comfortable housing for all existing residents while adding approximately 3,500 new units to the campuses. This victory has been years in the making, and I'm proud of my partnership with our City and West Side elected officials who never stop fighting for NYCHA residents."

"NYCHA residents have been neglected and disrespected for too long. So it's incredibly important that the residents of Fulton and Elliot-Chelsea Houses have been given the power to choose the path forward for their developments. And I am excited about the path they have chosen," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. "The physical conditions of the buildings in Fulton and Elliot-Chelsea have degraded over decades of neglect and are now absolutely unacceptable. The plan put forward by NYCHA and the development team will bring about a desperately needed transformation, giving residents modern and energy efficient homes and vibrant community spaces. I am looking forward to the beginning of a long-awaited new era in these developments."

State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, "I'm proud to stand with the tenants of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses in support of the proposed redevelopment plan. With more than half of the tenants having voted in support of the plan, it's clear that these NYCHA tenants want and deserve better housing for themselves and their neighbors. I look forward to working with the tenants, my elected colleagues, NYCHA, Essence Development and Related Companies in seeing this ambitious plan to completion."

"Over the past few months, my team and I have been regularly on the ground to ensure any plans for the future of NYCHA campuses in Chelsea are informed and chosen by the residents who deserve to live in dignity," said Assemblymember Tony Simone. "As this process now moves to the next stage, I will continue to ensure that the future of NYCHA homes is in the hands of no one but NYCHA residents. Our neighbors here have lived in deteriorating and dangerous conditions for far too long, and the time for delays and excuses is long past."

"Hudson Guild stands with our neighbors in NYCHA as they have voted to rebuild the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea complexes," said Executive Director of the Hudson Guild, Ken Jockers. "The Guild is committed to supporting a plan that results in decent, dignified apartments for all with, at minimum, the same protections and rights that Elliott-Chelsea and Fulton residents have today. Hudson Guild looks forward to working with our neighbors - continuing our current programs and developing new services and activities - to assist during this transition and into the future."

Background:

Led by NYCHA and the Citizens Housing & Planning Council, residents participated in a 60-day selection process to choose between rebuilding or renovating their apartments, with a majority ultimately choosing to build brand new NYCHA apartments across both campuses, improve community spaces, and build thousands of additional affordable and mixed income units.

Essence Development and NYCHA held 35 information sessions, canvassed thousands of residents, and delivered directly to residents informational packets to every apartment to educate the FEC community of the selection process and the three options up for consideration. Residents on leases and 18 years old and older had until the end of day May 20,2023 to select their preferred option between new buildings or rehabilitation of existing units, using either an online or paper survey – if residents selected new buildings, they then chose from two variations of new construction plans. A record roughly 30% of eligible residents participated in the survey, resulting in 956 total selections - the highest resident engagement for any NYCHA process in the City. Roughly 60% of participants selected new construction, with a majority choosing new construction with new zoning.

In 2021, through NYCHA's Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, a resident review committee developed and led an RFP process to select a development partner to lead a historic $366 million renovation of the properties – the first time in NYCHA's history such a process and decision was resident-led. Following the designation of the joint venture between Essence Development and Related Companies as the development partner, a pre-design due diligence process revealed significant, previously unknown structural, systemic and environmental issues, tripling the cost and requiring temporary resident relocation. Before going ahead with renovations at such a drastically higher cost, longer timeline and more disruptive schedule, Essence Development, NYCHA, and Tenant Association leadership partnered to engage with residents directly in a holistic process for them to determine the future of their homes.

For more details of the selection process and the redevelopment plans residents chose from, please see NYCHA's official press release linked here.

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