The Local Development Corporation of Crown Heights (LDCCH) has been providing affordable housing and programming in Crown Heights for 30 years – and we know when projects work for our community. That is why we are proud to be a partner in revitalizing the Bedford-Union Armory with new recreational space, affordable office space and mixed-income housing.
It is no surprise that there has been a great deal of emotion around the Armory project, as all Crown Heights residents care deeply about this neighborhood. But that should never stop us from coming together and understanding the value of thoughtful, sustainable development that strengthens our community and offers a better future for our youth and seniors.
LDCCH was founded in 1987 by the late Reverend Dr. Clarence Norman, Sr., Founder and Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, Inc., as a small non-profit with a staff of one person – the Reverend himself. With only a few thousand dollars in funding, Reverend Norman, Sr. embarked on a vision of providing more affordable housing for the neighborhood – and he began with 153 low-income senior apartments at 230 Kingston Avenue.
That building still stands today, and our commitment to Crown Heights has never changed.
Since I became Executive Director of LDCCH in the mid-90s, we have greatly expanded our affordable development and programing capabilities, and we now own 671 units of senior and low income housing in Central Brooklyn.
When the opportunity arose for us to become part of the redevelopment of the Bedford-Union Armory, we were excited to join the project because of the positive impact it will have.
Free and low-cost recreational programming at the Armory will be a game-changer for Crown Heights’ youth and families who have historically lacked quality facilities in which to exercise and play sports. Many local non-profit organizations – who serve thousands of diverse families – will gain permanent homes in the Armory’s affordable office space.
When it comes to rental housing at the new Armory, we feel strongly that a mixed-income project,including market rate units, provides the best balance for serving the community and ensuring the long-term sustainability of this vital development. It is not enough to build something in Crown Heights – it must be financially manageable for generations to come.
As part of our co-developer role at the Armory, we are also proud to work with BFC Partners to create a new affordable housing fund for the community. Supported by matching funds from BFC, we will reinvest proceeds from the Armory into this new fund, which will be used to finance new low-income housing and tenant advocacy throughout Crown Heights.
We will further aid this project by helping to identify a wide array of local MWBE contractors and local workers throughout the construction process. We know that our minority- and women-owned businesses are part of the bedrock of our community, and they will have a prominent role to play in the new Armory.
We are excited about this next step for Crown Heights – but at the same time I must say we are disappointed that some critics of the Armory will not take the time to learn more about the value of this project, the history of the LDCCH and our role in fighting for this community.
Now is the time for us to work together in the spirit of building a stronger future for our Crown Heights community. We are committed to making that happen right here at the Bedford-Union Armory.
Caple G. Spence is the Executive Director of the Local Development Corporation of Crown Heights, Inc.
Editor’s Note: The public scoping meeting on the Bedford-Union Armory project is slated for 6:30 p.m., Tonight, March 7 at Ebbets Field M.S 352, 46 Mckeever Place in Crown Heights.
