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“It’s Here and The Ink Is Dry”: Amazon Moves Into East New York, But Who Knew And What’s Next?

Dec 01, 2020

pictured: Two full city blocks at 12555 and 12595 Flatlands Ave. is one of Amazon’s two new locations in East New York. The other location is 

We’ve seen it all over the country. Big-box retailers like Walmart and Amazon have made their way into communities large and small. However, not everyone is excited to see them. Often, the announcement of these corporations moving into cities and towns are met with protest and controversy. But, what happens when the community doesn’t even know they’ve already made a deal, signed the leases and started the hiring process? 

This scenario set the stage for the spirited discussion between host of the increasingly popular show, VOICES of East New York with Nikki Lucas, and Bill Wilkins, Director of Economic Development, for Local Development Corporation of East New York, on this past Sunday’s segment. 

Amazon’s Blindsiding Move 

“I immediately got calls and people saying ‘Hey what’s going on?,’ ‘Why did this happen?,’ ‘How did this happen, and why didn’t know about it?’”, stated Nikki Lucas.

Lucas started the episode by expressing the initial reaction of community members on Sunday’s VOICES of East New York show, to the news that Amazon has set their sights on moving into East New York. 

As with many of their moves, the controversy is unfolding. 

Amazon is opening two new delivery stations in East New York. The first will be at 2300 Linden Blvd, while the second will be a 211,000 sq ft facility at 12555 Flatlands Ave. 

According to an email sent to East New York News by Emily Hawkins, an Amazon Logistics public relations staff member, ‘delivery stations power the last mile of Amazon’s order fulfillment process. Packages are transported to delivery stations from Amazon fulfillment centers, are sorted, and then loaded into vehicles for delivery to customers.”

Unfortunately, East New York residents were not aware of the private leasing deal that has brought Amazon into the area. Nevertheless, more shockingly is the admission from local elected officials that they were unaware of Amazon’s move into East New York. 

Councilwoman Inez Barron, Assemblyman Charles Barron, along with State Senator Roxanne Persaud and Andre Mitchell, Chairman of Community Board 5, wrote a letter of outrage to New York’s Mayor and Governor about Amazon moving into their community without their knowledge. 

“Tired of Being in Last Place…” 

On VOICES of East New York, Lucas expressed the feelings of frustration and bewilderment that she and many community residents are likely experiencing. She started the discussion by conveying how this event reveals two worrying and common themes: “finding out about things after the fact.” 

And the importance of elected officials to be more proactive: 

“We should be taking proactive approaches as leadership within our communities—especially when they have the funding and resources to assess what is going on in our community.” 

Ultimately, the situation brings up two startling realizations: either the elected officials knew and didn’t say anything, or that they didn’t have the power to be informed. Both are unsettling. 

However, the following discussion with Wilkins evolved into a thoughtful and necessary conversation about the pros and cons of the e-commerce power player moving into East New York. 

The Good—Work Opportunities 

Lucas pointed out to Wilkins that while Amazon does have a history of not being the best community partner, the reality is that residents do need jobs. 

“It’s easy for people to say something when they have a job, but when your community is struggling and hungry for work, and then Amazon comes in and says ‘Hey! We’ve got some jobs for you,’ whether it’s good or bad, if you’re looking at someone who is unemployed and needs a job, that’s attractive to them.” 

Jackie Greaux, one of the many viewers who tuned in to the show, commented and also expressed that Amazon’s move into East New York could bring a net positive by allowing small businesses to benefit from Amazon’s logistics and delivery processes. 

Lucas later inquired why he felt the elected officials didn’t use available funding to see how to bring better companies into the area for work opportunities if they disagree with Amazon’s move into East New York? 

The question went along with Lucas’s sentiment that she and many in the community feel like they are always in the last place and fighting from behind. 

“Sometimes, we feel in last place, but we are still in the race,” Wilkins responded. He went on to express how critical dialogues like these are: “We are having these types of discussions, and we are having these kinds of exchanges[…] It’s important for us to have citizens informed about issues, and I wholeheartedly agree with you that I hate being reactionary [sic]. I like to be proactive and to have these discussions on the front-end as opposed to the back-end.” 

The Bad—Where are the Careers? 

Yes, Amazon may bring jobs into East New York, but are these jobs well-paid careers that citizens can actually live off of? Amazon’s history doesn’t bode well for this point. 

Two issues were the focus of this argument: low-wage jobs and the displacement of local businesses. 

First, Lucas pointed out that Amazon has to pay a wage so that East New York residents can afford to reside in the neighborhood they live in—especially as gentrification seems to be taking hold in the area. This would mean that the company needs to offer viable careers over lower-wage positions—something Amazon is not always known to do for delivery station staff. 

Next, Wilkins addressed a troubling trend that Amazon’s arrival seems to bring with it: the gradual disappearance of local businesses: 

“Urban renewal should not mean Black and Latino removal […] There are improvements that we need in our community, but if those improvements are made, it shouldn’t be at the sacrifice of the residents and businesses that are indigenous to East New York.” 

“How do we find that comfortable balance?” 

Wilkins also discussed concerns that corporations like Amazon do not seem to favor union involvement, as the benefits brought to workers by these organizations can be at odds with the company’s bottom line. 

Viewer Dee B. Browns commented and agreed with Wilkins weariness of Amazon’s move: 

“There is no benefit to having this huge corporation in a low-income neighborhood. It is statistically proven that moves like this devastate an ‘already distress’ community!” 

A Final Call to Action 

Lucas ended the discussion by reiterating that elected officials should have either known what was going on or have been able to come to some sort of understanding with Amazon about how they treat the employees that live in East New York. 

However, she acknowledged that the deal is done: “It’s here. The ink is dry.” Nevertheless, she ended with a call to action for herself and listeners. 

Lucas expressed her commitment to having more conversations with those impacted: job seekers, small businesses, unions, renters, and homeowners; while also imploring viewers to get involved in local elections to ensure the community has leaders who will fight for their interests in cases like this. 

Nikki Lucas might get her chance to make proactive decisions and create change in East New York, as she is a candidate running for City Council in East New York in 2021. She will be running against Charles Barron, who was in City Council from 2001 – 2012, and then he went to the NY Assembly from 2013 – 2020. Barron’s wife Inez took his seat in NYC Council in 2013, after she served in the NY Assembly for a few years before.  They switched seats in 2013 and now they are trying to switch seats once again.  It’s political confusion for sure but you can read more about the seat switching here. 

Amazon was invited to participate but was unable to join the conversation. Hawkins submitted a statement to East New York News in response. Below is part of their statement. 

“The two East New York delivery stations will create hundreds of great full- and part-time jobs, with industry-leading pay, benefits starting on Day One, and training programs for in-demand jobs. At Amazon, we strive to be not only a great employer but a great neighbor too. That means becoming part of the fabric of East New York by embracing the people, the needs, and the spirit of the community. It is incredibly important to us that we leverage our scale for good, and make investments that support the local communities where our associates live and work.”

Watch this full VOICES of East New York episode here. 

 

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DevelopmentHousing

Applications for Seaview B3 Affordable Housing Lottery in East New York Are Now Available

Nov 26, 2020

The affordable housing lottery is now open for Fountain Seaview B3 Apartments, a nine-story mixed-use development at 881 Erskine Street, in East New York, across the street from the Gateway Mall.  There will be 1,169 residential units in the overall Fountain Seaview development but only 34% will be set aside as “Affordable” through the NYC Housing Connect program.

The eligible income range for these “affordable” apartments is $13,543 to $84,600. The building is one of eight in the redevelopment of the former state-run Brooklyn Developmental Center site, whicl will also include retail and community space. Overall, the Fountain Seaview Development will have 1,169 residential units with 397 of those designated as affordable housing. That equates to approximately 33% of the apartments are designated as “Affordable”, which means the nearly 70% are market rate. The estimate is that there will be over 40,000 applicants for these 397 apartments, which is in line with the less than 1% of NYC residents who land these lottery apartments.

There has to be a better way to provide affordable housing for more than 1% of New Yorkers. Less than .00025 percent of people living in East New York are accepted to live in these apartments.

More Details

  • Three affordable studios with a $331 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $13,543 to $27,300
  • Seven one-bedrooms with a $426 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $17,075 to $30,720
  • Three two-bedrooms with a $521 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $21,052 to $36,840
  • Two three-bedrooms with a $594 monthly rent for income ranging from $24,309 to $42,300.
  • Three affordable studios with a $475 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $18,480 to $36,400
  • Seven one-bedrooms with a $605 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $23,212 to $40,960
  • Two two-bedrooms with a $736 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $28,423 to $49,120
  • Three three-bedrooms with a $843 monthly rent for income ranging from $32,846 to $56,400.
  • 16 affordable studios with a $837 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $30,892 to $54,600
  • 34 one-bedrooms with a $1,058 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $38,743 to $61,440
  • 15 two-bedrooms with a $1,280 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $47,075 to $73,680
  • 17 three-bedrooms with a $1,472 monthly rent for income ranging from $54,412 to $84,600.

Prospective renters who win this lottery must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than January 27, 2021.

APPLY HERE

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Features

LIVESTREAM Discussion: Amazon Coming to East New York on ‘VOICES of East New York with Nikki Lucas’ Sunday Nov 29, 2020

Nov 25, 2020

OpEd by Nat Simmons 

This OpEd is two-fold; to inform the community to join the livestream discussion about Amazon coming to East New York and how it will impact the community, and to point out that the local elected officials and Community Board 5 continue to sleep at the wheel while the community continues to fight from behind on every issue, including this one.

Amazon has signed leases on multiple warehouse buildings in East New York, for their logistics and distribution centers as previously reported on EastNewYork.com.  Local elected officials and Community Board members have commented that they have problems with Amazon coming to the community and that they were unaware of the fact that Amazon was coming to East New York. They should have known about this a long time ago and should have informed the community before the leases were signed, not after. Is the problem jobs?  The types of jobs? Do you have solutions? What is the real complaint? The community wants to know.

East New York has a major problem of always fighting from behind because the elected officials and Community Board 5 continue to be sleep at the wheel, incompetent or in on the deals. They come out after the community has been hit and suffering. Another important example; the elected officials and Community Board 5 voiced their objection to the privatization of NYCHA after it was exposed by East New York News and after the agreements with the private developers had been signed.

This time they put their incompetence in writing. (See their so-called “Letter of Outrage” below)  They had to know, or should have known,  that Amazon was looking at all of those warehouses in East New York with “For Lease” and “For Sale” signs, sitting next to the airport and Van Wyck Expressway.  If you do not understand these logistics in your community then you should not be in office or representing the community on any level.

For the past 20 years the community has been fighting from behind and losing every step of the way. NYCHA has been privatized, affordable housing is really a lottery system with less than 1% of residents having access to “affordable” housing and now one of the largest businesses in the world is coming to East New York and the elected officials and Community Board 5 members were sleep at the wheel while the deal was being made.  If they weren’t sleep then they are incompetent or in on the deal. In either case, the community continues to suffer.

This Sunday November 29, 2020 @9am on VOICES of East New York with Nikki Lucas you can join the discussion of ‘The Good and The Bad of Amazon moving into East New York‘.  Elected officials and community members are welcome to join the discussion.  There will be special guests on the show.

You can also watch the show live Sunday Nov 29, 2020 @9am on the homepage of EastNewYork.com.  To join the discussion you have to watch live on Facebook.com/EastNewYorkNews

Here’s the so-called “Letter of Outrage”, after the deal has been done.

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FeaturesHousing

NYC Housing Connect Offers New “Affordable” Units in East New York – Is The Lottery System Helping All Who Need It?

Nov 24, 2020

It’s an understatement to say that housing is hard to come by in New York City’s five boroughs. However, finding housing is a competitive, expensive, and frequently stressful process. 

The New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Housing Development Corporation sought to solve this problem in 2013 when they developed the NYC Housing Connect Lottery program. 

A Potential Solution for New York’s Rising Rent Problem?

NYC Housing Connect is an online portal that gives potential renters the option to find and apply for affordable housing options in New York City. Applicants are entered into a lottery system to be selected for an apartment they are eligible for. 

Rents are regulated, so they do not rapidly increase over time, and more permanent housing options like condos, co-ops, and single-family homes have restricted prices. 

Since the program began in 2013, more than 25 million applications have been submitted for approximately 40,000 units, which is less than 1%. So, it’s safe to say that demand is high and the possibility of landing a “lottery apartment” is nearly impossible. Many believe the system is rigged and the odds are stacked against them to receive affordable housing.

Around 40 Available Units in Brooklyn Have Recently Been Listed 

Recently two buildings in Bed-Stuy have been added to the NYC Housing Connect lottery list. One is a building on Pacific Street in Prospect Heights and the second on Lafayette Ave in Clinton Hill. NYC Housing Connect will list the available units until early January 2021. While this seems like excellent news for New Yorkers looking for housing, the stipulations are worrisome. 

To be eligible to apply for the apartments on Pacific Street, applicants need to make $65,143 per year for a studio apartment. A one-bedroom would require a $75,429 salary, and a two-bedroom requires a minimum combined salary of $85,715. Residents who seek a three-bedroom unit need to have a minimum combined salary of over $121,000. The second building has 13 studio units available with a salary requirement of $69,900. 

A Growing “Affordability” Problem 

These numbers present a significant problem for many of the residents of East New York. According to Point2Homes.com, the average annual salary for residents is $51,599. Additionally, 26.4 percent of East New York inhabitants are below the poverty line. 

While the rents may be “affordable” compared to the average apartment market rate in the Bed-Stuy area (which is $2,063 for a one-bedroom unit, according to zumper.com), the salary requirements are unrealistic for most people who already live in East New York. 

Additionally, other problems have arisen regarding the NYC Housing Connect program. While the new system that launched in June did take care of glitches, document submission issues, and applicant notifications that plagued the older system, it cannot fix the core problem: the severe lack of affordable housing, wage stagnation, and rising rents. 

According to NYC.gov, over the last 20 years, wages for New York City renters have stalled and increased by less than 15 percent. Alternatively, at the same time, rent in the City increased by 40 percent. 

Whom Is NYC Housing Connect Meant For?

These apartments may be helping middle to higher-salaried working-class professionals, but the program is likely leaving out many lower-income residents. The higher rent requirements may even speed up the onset of income inequality issues like gentrification that can price out current renters or homeowners in the long-term. 

According to a recent New York Times article, a current renter who obtained an apartment through NYC Housing Connect was paying over $1,500 for a one-bedroom apartment. While this is less than most New York City apartments, it’s still expensive for the average East New Yorker who makes a little over $4,500 a month. 

Again, obtaining housing in New York City is a competitive process. However, some of the residents’ financial standing doesn’t even allow them to be in the running to compete. 

It’s critical that entities like the New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Housing Development Corporation start looking into ways to offer affordable housing that is actually for the lower-income individuals who likely need it. 

If not, it is possible that the current residents of East New York could experience the challenges the come along with processes like gentrification. Only time will tell if this program can begin to benefit all who actually need it. 

RELATED ARTICLES

Charles And Inez Barron And Community Board 5 Forced To Have Emergency Town Hall After Being Exposed For Not Informing Their Constituents That NYCHA Housing Is Being Sold To Private Developers

214 Nehemiah Spring Creek Apartments Available Through Lottery

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EventsFeatures

Register For Snow Removal Jobs With Dept of Sanitation and Earn Up to $22.50 Per Hour

Nov 22, 2020

The Department of Sanitation is recruiting temporary, per diem snow laborers. These workers are called on after heavy snowfalls to remove snow and ice Citywide from areas like bus stops, crosswalks and fire hydrants. Pay starts at $15.00 per hour and increases to $22.50 per hour after the first 40 hours worked in a week. To be eligible, applicants must be:

  • At least 18 years old.
  • Eligible to work in the United States.
  • Able to perform heavy physical labor.

To register, workers must have:

  • Two small photos (1-1/2 inch square).
  • Two original forms of ID, plus copies.
  • A Social Security card.

To apply, click this Registration Link and schedule a registration appointment at the closest garage. Applicants must bring the photos, IDs (and copies) and Social Security card to the appointment. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all applicants must make an appointment and follow health and safety protocols, including wearing a mask or face covering while at the registration appointment. Applicants should not attend the appointment if they have any COVID-19 symptoms, if they recently traveled to a state with high rates of COVID-19 transmission, or if they recently had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Subscribe to East New York News for updates on jobs, housing, development, health, politics, education and more.

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EducationHealth

High COVID Rates in East New York Might Cause Local Schools To Remain Closed

Nov 21, 2020

Last week Mayor DeBlasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza closed schools citywide as the city reached the 3% threshold that was established before schools opened this year.

DeBlasio is getting pressure from some parents, mostly from the Upper West and East Sides of Manhattan, to reopen the schools. The pressure is causing DeBlasio and Governor Cuomo to come up with ways to reopen schools in zip codes that have a low COVID rate. East New York is among the highest in terms of the rate of COVID cases.

COVID rates in East New York in past 7 Days:

  • 11208 the rate is 4.1%
  • 11207 is 3.85%
  • 11239 is 3.49%.

If the city keeps school closed based on the COVID rates by zip code, then these rates would keep the schools in East New York closed. With a vaccine so close on the horizon many people believe the schools should remain closed for the remainder of this school year.  Keep in mind that “closing schools” only refers to closing the school buildings. Teachers will continue to teach their students remotely. Some teachers have expressed that their remote students are actually doing better than the students who are physically going into the school.

To discuss the school closings and COVID rates in East New York tune in to this weekend’s livestream of VOICES of East New York with Nikki Lucas. Principal Janet Huger-Johnson will be the guest on the show Sunday November 22, 2020 @9am.  You can join the discussion and ask questions.  Tune in live at Facebook.com/EastNewYorkNews or you can watch live on the homepage of EastNewYork.com.

Subscribe to East New York News to stay updated on local East New York health, education, politics, development, housing, jobs, small business, VOICES of East New York with Nikki Lucas, and a lot more.

 

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Development

Amazon Opening 2 Locations in East New York in 2021

Nov 19, 2020

Amazon is coming to East New York. They are taking 211,000 square feet for a delivery station set to open during the second half of 2021, Crain’s New York Business reported.

The station will be located at 12555 Flatlands Ave., near Erskine St., to be known as the Brooklyn Logistics Center and owned by Wildflower Ltd. This is the second lease signing in East New York for Amazon.  The first location is at 2300 Linden Blvd. will be a 90,000-square-foot last-mile distribution center.

“We are excited to continue to invest in New York State with a new delivery station that will provide efficient delivery for customers and create job opportunities for the talented workforce,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Wildflower Ltd. purchased 12555 Flatlands Ave. in 2018 for $25.3 million, according to property records and they are now leasing the property to Amazon.

Amazon claimed the facility will create hundreds of full and part-time jobs that will pay at least $15 an hour.

Subscribe to East New York News for Updates on this move as it relates to any further development, job opportunities or business opportunities

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Politics

Eric Adams Makes His Mayoral Run Official in This Launch Video

Nov 18, 2020

New Yorkers who have been around for awhile knew years ago that Eric Adams was running to become New York City’s next Mayor. Adams made it clear at his Brooklyn Presidential inauguration in 2014 that his ultimate goal was to become the Mayor of NYC.

Yesterday he made it official by making his announcement via video, which you can watch below.

Adams has already amassed over $2.6 million. He will be competing against a long list of candidates, including Scott Stringer, who has raised $2.8 million thus far. Others in the race include Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, former Bloomberg administration official Shaun Donovan,  and Maya Wiley, a civil rights attorney and former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

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Health

The Drug Testing of Black and Hispanic Mothers Offers More Evidence of Racial Bias in NYC Healthcare

Nov 17, 2020

by Cheryl Smith for HealthyNYC.com

In 2019, a woman of color attended a New York City Council meeting to discuss her experience of an all-too-common and disturbing problem that many new Black and Hispanic mothers face. 

During her stay at a New York City Public hospital, she was screened for drugs without her consent after she admitted to smoking marijuana to deal with nausea caused by pregnancy. A medical professional then reported her to New York City’s Administration for Child Services.  

This occurrence happens a lot. Black and Hispanic women who have just given birth to children are typically subjected to drug screenings at higher rates than their white counterparts. However, the frequency of drug use between all three groups is reported to be similar. 

Policy Changes and Commissions Look to Address The Issue

In January of this year, in response to the women’s story at the New York City Council, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation worked on a policy to institute some changes to how the City’s public hospitals screen pregnant women. 

The changes included the intention to screen all women with a simple questionnaire only for health purposes. However, it looks as if this plan has fallen through the cracks. 

On November 16, 2020, the New York City Commission on Human Rights began an investigation into how Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and New York-Presbyterian Hospitals were reporting Black and Hispanic families to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Mistreatment (SCR). These reports occurred after a single unconfirmed positive toxicology test. 

Advocates have expressed concern about this process’s racial disparity, as these families are often subjected to child protection investigations by the SCR. 

This development is just another instance in a long line of implicit bias and racial discrimination found in New York City’s healthcare and child welfare practices.

A Troubling History of Implicit Bias in Drug Testing

A report by the Movement for Family Power, which was also co-published by the NYU Family Defense Clinic and the Drug Policy Alliance, took an in-depth look at the child welfare disparities in New York, specifically the Bronx. 

The report found that the “overwhelming majority of parents who are accused of abusing and neglecting their children are low-income, Black, Latinx, and disproportionally mothers.” 

Yet, white and higher-income parents were found to use drugs at similar rates, but New York City’s Administration for Child Services rarely investigated these people. 

The report also found that medical care providers were testing minority mothers without their consent and giving the information—including tests and details of conversations about drug use— to child protective agents. This report confirms much of what advocates have noticed about the current state of child welfare in New York City. 

Black Mothers Face Other Disturbing Health-Related Hurdles

Disproportionate drug testing is more evidence of the ongoing problem of racial discrimination in the healthcare system. However, besides this issue, New York City public hospitals have fallen short in preventing Black mother’s deaths during childbirth—as Black women are eight times more likely to die due to childbirth complications in New York City. 

This year, the heart-wrenching deaths of women like Sha-Asia Washington, Amber Rose Isaac, and Cordielle Street during childbirth, has continued the narrative that many medical professionals do not provide the same empathy and duty of care to Black mothers as they do to white ones. 

And, the children of Black mothers often don’t fare too much better. A recent examination into national data found that Black children were more likely to die after common surgeries than their white counterparts. 

Proposed Solutions Continue to Fall Short 

In a country as economically developed as the United States, it’s hard to accept that these health and child welfare disparities continue to be a significant problem. 

Nevertheless, unfortunately, racism continues to creep into various systems within this country: whether it be financial, medical, legal, or educational. These instances show that Black and Hispanic people continue to pay a heavy price for the racial biases that permeate crucial systems and processes. 

In 2018, the City planned to invest $12.8 million to address the rising mortality rates among women of color. Nonetheless, in year two, the funding doesn’t seem to have come close to solving the problem. 

Many of the plans to address these issues seem to fall short, and as they do, more Black and Hispanic families are dealing with the consequences—through no fault of their own. What will it take to change the narrative? 

Subscribe to Healthy NYC for Updates on Health Care News in New York City.

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Education

VIDEO: Jaquan Carlos the Thomas Jefferson HS Point Guard Commits to College Choosing To Stay Close to Home

Nov 15, 2020

Watch Video Below

High school basketball in New York City might be suspended, but players are still committing and getting scholarships to play at the college level. The latest signing was Jaquan Carlos, a top point guard from East New York’s Thomas Jefferson HS.

Jaquan Carlos recently committed to Hofstra. According to News12 Carlos had offers from Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh and Fordham.

Carlos stated that he chose Hofstra because it’s close to home, particularly during this pandemic. “If I can make it home for Sunday dinner they will always be there. If I need anything they’re not too far.”

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