Politicians Throw Support Behind Controversial Inwood Library Development

INWOOD, NY — Five politicians representing Inwood publicly announced their support for a controversial development project to swallow the Inwood library with an affordable housing complex and renovated library branch.

The project, proposed by the New York Public Library and the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development, will have the backing of City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, State Senator Marisol Alcantara, State Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa, Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Borough President Gale Brewer.

The politicians support the project, which many called a beneficial use of public land, because 100 percent of the apartment units created will be offered at prices below the market rate, they announced in a joint statement.

"I applaud Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration for exploring housing options in our neighborhood in creative ways. With housing costs higher and higher due to a lack of supply, many Inwood residents are spending more than a third of their income rent, and some even more," Rodriguez said.

The projects' developer has not been chosen, so it's unknown what the building will look like, the level of affordability for the new housing units and whether or not the units will be permanently affordable. The city will turn over the land to the selected developer and the library will act as a tenant in the building, according to city officials.

Unlike the politicians, many Inwood residents have their doubts about the project. Those rejecting the project are concerned about issues such as the sale of public land to a private developer, the possible building height, a temporary library during construction and locating the neighborhood library within an apartment complex.

Since the project was announced in January, the project's detractors have been showing up at Community Board 12 meetings to testify against the city's proposal and the "visioning workshops" held to get community feedback on the new development.

Neighborhood resident Phil Simpson said that during the workshops officials never asked locals how long the community would be able to go without a replacement library or which library services they want the city to provide during the construction project.

"Substantial hidden costs were covered up during the meetings" Simpson said Tuesday.

The visioning workshop report and the next stages for the proposed development will be discussed during Community Board 12's meeting on May 23.

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