Spofford Live/Work Campus

Spofford Live/Work Campus:
Request For Expressions of Interest (RFEI)
Public Meeting
August 3, 2015
Agenda
 Presentation (20 minutes)
 Small Group Discussions (40 minutes)
 Report Back (10-15 minutes)
 Close Out/Next Steps (5 minutes)
**After meeting ends, NYCEDC and HPD to remain for Q&A**
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Site Assets


More than 200,000 sq. ft. lot
size in Hunts Point, Bronx
Recreational Amenities
nearby, such as Julio
Carballo Fields, Hunts Point
Recreation Center, South
Bronx Greenway

Easy Transportation Access, such as:
– Bruckner expressway and operational
freight train lines
– Access to subway and bus lines

Unobstructed panoramic views
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6

Close proximity to Hunts
Point Food Distribution
Center

Close Proximity to historic
Bank Note Building
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
3
Hunts Point Context
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Site Context & Information
 Combined lot size: 207,000 square feet or
approx. 4.75 acres
– Includes the former Spofford complex, the
Head Start facility and parking lots
 R6 Zoning; 3.0 Max FAR; 600,000 buildable
SF
Corpus
Christi
Monastery
 Head Start Facility must remain in operation
 The City will consider proposals that
contemplate demolition and/or renovation of
all or a portion of the site
RFEI site boundary
City Parks
Former Spofford Detention Center site
Parking Lot
Head Start facility
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What is a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI)?
 Provides maximum flexibility and
encourages creativity in proposals
 Typically used when a project’s goals are
clearly outlined but the development
program is not prescribed
– For example, the project requires mixed
uses but allows for flexibility in the size and
placement of those uses
 Advertises the availability of a catalytic
development that aligns with policy goals
– Housing New York
– Hunts Point Vision Plan
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Project Goals
 Consistent with Housing New York, increase new residential units by
promoting mixed use, mixed income communities anchored by affordable
housing
 Foster innovative industrial and/or commercial uses compatible with
affordable housing
 Incorporate community and commercial uses that provide services, amenities
and facilities relevant to the surrounding neighborhood and create a vibrant
live/work campus
 Create high-quality, career-oriented jobs and
deliver comprehensive hiring and wage programs
 Incorporate design excellence into the
development
 Execute a financially feasible project
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Redevelopment Uses
 Proposals should include a substantial affordable housing component and
respondents are encouraged to consider a wide range of integrated
residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, open/green and light
manufacturing uses, such as:
– Residential: (ex: affordable housing, market rate housing)
– Commercial: (ex: retail, restaurants, offices)
– Non-profit and community uses: (ex: arts and culture, education, health)
– Light manufacturing: (e.g., food production)
– Publicly accessible open and green spaces
 The following uses are prohibited and will not be considered:
– Heavy manufacturing
– Toxic or harmful uses
– Storage facilities and other uses which have low potential to create jobs
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Priorities and Potential Uses Voiced to Date

High-quality, career-oriented, high-wage 
jobs in growth sectors (e.g. media, food
manufacturing, health)
Affordable housing for current residents
and recent graduates/young professionals,
and mixed income housing

Workforce development and training

and facilities, services and programs
focused on education, job-readiness and

training, recreation and athletics, education
and skill-building for youth and young
adults

Affordable office space with stable lease
terms for local non-profits


Local retail for residents and workers
including quality sit-down dining (not
chains)
Higher educational institution or satellite
campus including technical/vocational
school
Respondent teams with local knowledge
and/or relationships
Open and/or green spaces

Design considerations which encourage
vibrant street life

Community-oriented banks/financial
institutions to serve local residents

Arts and cultural orgs and programming
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Mixed-Use Example*: Bronx Commons
 An arts-based mixed-use development
which incorporates affordable housing, a
cultural facility, green and open spaces,
commercial uses
Bronx Commons
 Local and non-for-profit developers
including Women’s Housing and
Economic Development Corporation
(WHEDco) and Blue Sea
Development Company
 Features:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
361,000 square feet
277 affordable housing units
Bronx Music Heritage Center
Community programming
Retail Space
Rooftop urban farm
Sustainable open space for recreation
*Example for illustrative purposes only
Bronx Commons
(Source: WHEDco)
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Discussion (40 minutes)
 What are your priorities for the Spofford redevelopment?
 Are there particular uses you would like to see included in the Spofford
redevelopment?
 Are there unmet needs in the Hunts Point community that could be addressed
by this project?
 Are there any other questions or comments you would like to share with us?
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Timeline & Next Steps

RFEI-related questions should be sent to: [email protected] by
September 7
 Questions will be posted periodically on the website until September 16
(http://www.nycedc.com/opportunity/spofford-live-work-campus-rfei)

Interested organizations, developers and partners can sign up for the
“Subcontractors & Suppliers List”

October 1: RFEI Responses Due

What happens after responses
are due?
– The Department of Housing
Preservation and Development
(HPD) and NYCEDC will review
RFEI proposals based on their
overall quality, alignment with project
goals and satisfaction of selection
criteria
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Input from Small Group Breakout Sessions
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SUMMARY OF FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSION ON AUGUST 3, 2015
On August 3, 2015, NYCEDC held a public engagement session at The Point Community Development
Corporation in Hunts Point to provide an overview of the Spofford Live/Work RFEI and discuss goals and priorities
with the community. Over 110 Hunts Point residents, business owners, community organizations attended the
meeting along with real estate developers, elected officials, and agency representatives.
The following is a summary of the community feedback transcribed from the Community Engagement Session on
rd
August 3 , 2015. NYCEDC is providing this summary strictly for informational purposes only. It should in no
way be considered the opinion of NYCEDC or HPD. Please be advised that, as noted in the Spofford
Live/Work Campus RFEI issued on June 23, 2015, all due diligence is the responsibility of the Respondent. The
City and NYCEDC, and their respective officers, employees, and agents, make no representation or warranty and
assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the information set forth in this summary.
Overall, public input consistently centered on:
• The desire/need for a comprehensive, holistic, integrated development approach to build on the
existing strengths of the Hunts Point residential, business and non-profit communities and to provide
more opportunity for all through:
o Job creation
in growing sectors with sufficient training and wraparound services, and
opportunities for training and hiring for local residents
o More opportunities and spaces for community gathering, learning, socializing and recreation
o Affordable housing accessible to current and returning residents
o The creation of a vibrant live/work campus where the Hunts Point community can live, learn, work
and play
•
Strong community preference to demolish all or a majority of the former Spofford Facility

Concern regarding possibility of increased traffic, particularly trucks, from redevelopment
Specific input included:
• Need for high-quality, career-oriented, high-wage jobs and technical jobs
o Workforce development and training and facilities, services and programs focused on education,
job-readiness and training, as well as education and skill-building for youth and young adults
o Strengthen entrepreneurship, support and encourage small businesses, especially local retail and
food establishments
o Maximize job creation opportunities for the local community
o Create jobs in existing growth sectors within Hunts Point and Bronx (e.g. tech, media, food
manufacturing, health),
 A specific example that was raised was a culinary institute for training with connection to
Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, restaurant test kitchen, certification programs,
cooking classes, wellness classes, community garden or farm
•
Preference for mixed income housing (from very low-income, to moderate income, through market rate
income housing) with amenities affordable to current residents and recent graduates and/or young
professionals.
o Create housing and amenities that retain rising young professional cohort within Hunts Point or
entices them to return to the neighborhood
o Include a mix of unit types
o Maximize affordability term, with a preference for permanent affordability
o Include sufficient parking for any new residential units
o Specific populations were mentioned in relation to affordable housing included: local teachers,
kids aging out of foster care, seniors, young mothers, single fathers, populations who do not
qualify for NYCHA/Section 8 vouchers, local artists
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•
Desire for public, open and connected spaces and uses
o Encourage vibrancy, interaction, safety and activity (e.g., “active living by design”) in site design
and ground floor uses
o Add streets within the Site to break up the feel of a “super block” (e.g., extend Baretto Street onto
the Site)
o Include publicly accessible new open space, such as courtyards, parks, performance spaces,
rooftop public spaces, and recreation
o Provide free wi-fi throughout the redevelopment, both within each building and for any open
space(s)
o Emphasize high-quality and contextual designed spaces and structures for the community
o Maximize public access to uses/amenities/programming on building rooftop(s)
Specific uses mentioned included:
• Educational
o Interest in a higher educational institution or satellite campus, such as a technical/vocational
school, training center, culinary school with connection to Hunts Point markets (i.e., Food
Distribution Center), health care related education facility
o Educational component should emphasize teaching skills that allow for high-wages, such as
trades, skills for people re-entering the community, tech training, and health care-related
education
•
Commercial
o Local retail that provides:
 Quality sit-down restaurants, healthy food options
 Opportunity for locally-owned businesses to own and/or operate space
 Goods and services for workers and residents who currently have to leave Hunts Point
for these needs
 Continuous activity for the community
o Restaurant/catering/banquet hall
o Community-oriented banks/financial institutions that can serve local residents
o Affordable office space with stable lease terms for local non-profits
 Local businesses/office space
 Arts and cultural organizations and programming, including possible integration across
campus uses (e.g., live/work for local artists and performance spaces, artists who live
and/or work in the building bring their art and share their skill sets with the community
(“each one, teach one”)
o Local entertainment venues (e.g., a bowling alley)
o Fresh produce market or supermarket, in particular:
 Access to fresh produce and healthy food on site that is affordable to the community
 Integrated food-related uses on site (e.g., start-up kitchens, culinary education center,
community garden, café/restaurant, cooking classes)
•
Recreation
o Provide additional recreational spaces and programming opportunities (e.g. swimming pool)
•
Resource centers and community gathering spaces
o Library space that, in addition to books, provides computers for youth, cultural and training
programs, museum for South Bronx culture
o Community gathering places/spaces
 Vibrant community space where individuals and families can meet, relax, socialize, dine,
be entertained (e.g. a café)
 Cultural center that enriches the children, early intervention children, middle school
(crime prevention), interconnected age programming (e.g. youth and seniors)
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