The potential of 737 4th Ave rezoning
New development can help put working families and good jobs in the center of our recovery
Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the city I call home, with so many New Yorkers suffering from the virus and many others losing their jobs. In my community of Sunset Park and all over Brooklyn, the economic impact of the pandemic could not be more visible. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, at a time when it was easy to find a good job and an affordable place to live. However, the community that I love is now in desperate need of more family-sustaining jobs and affordable housing. In order to defeat the economic toll of this pandemic, we must put working families and good jobs in the center of our recovery – and we can do so through new development projects like the one at 737 4th Avenue, proposed by a local developer, Totem. As a thirty-year member of 32BJ, I’ve seen what stable, good-paying jobs can do for families. I‘ve also seen what happens to a community when nothing is being built. The proposed rezoning at 737 4th Avenue would deliver on both of these needs, ensuring that our neighborhoods can benefit from new developments while our workers can sustain a living.
My job as a building concierge has kept me and my family secure and healthy in the face of a global pandemic, that’s why I want the same opportunities for my community. The permanent prevailing wage jobs at 737 4th Avenue will have a real impact by providing family-sustaining wages, comprehensive healthcare, a secure pension, and other important benefits. These are the types of jobs that working families in Sunset Park deserve.
In addition, our community has fought hard to pass mandatory inclusionary housing (MIH) to ensure that projects have a minimum number of affordable units. We will see those units become a reality when this project is approved and we will gain new, affordable housing options that will benefit every corner of our community.
