The controversial Domino Sugar project is a clear test for the de Blasio administration. The massive — mostly luxury — development proposed by Two Trees Management Co. falls far short of fulfilling the mayor’s goals of creating good jobs and building affordable housing.
In a recent bid to win support, Two Trees agreed to add 40 affordable units to the 660 originally promised out of nearly 2,300 total residential units in the project.
What was apparent at Tuesday’s City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises hearing , is that this plan is far from a done deal, largely because the community and labor groups have raised significant concerns which need to be addressed before the Council votes on this proposal at the end of April.
When Mayor de Blasio appointed Carl Weisbrod to head the Planning Commission, he made clear his development agenda would “stoke the most growth, the strongest affordability, and the best jobs for New Yorkers.” Mr. Weisbrod added, “We have such an enormous opportunity to put people to work in good-paying jobs, build affordable homes, and create stronger, more resilient communities.”
Two Trees seeks tremendous public benefits at Domino, including a major rezoning, tax abatement, and nearly $700 million in tax-exempt bonds. In return, Two Trees must provide real community benefits, including additional low-income housing, enhanced public and community space, and local community hiring with good jobs for all construction workers.
Let’s be honest: union construction jobs provide one of the few remaining pathways to the middle class for New Yorkers. As such, the mayor and Two Trees have a responsibility to ensure all construction jobs on this project provide good wages, health care, retirement benefits and adequate safety training.
Unfortunately, Two Trees wants to pick and choose which construction workers will receive adequate wages, health care, retirement benefits and safety training, leaving other workers out in the cold. We urge the administration to find this Tale of Two Cities scenario completely unacceptable and use every tool at its disposal to ensure that all jobs at Domino are good middle-class jobs.
Two Trees’ refusal to commit to good jobs at Domino is all the more troubling given its history of hiring irresponsible contractors who exploit workers and violate the law.
Irresponsible contractors flourished under the lax enforcement of the Bloomberg years. The de Blasio administration — from City Planning to the Department of Buildings — should use Domino as an opportunity to re-assert a commitment to good jobs and responsible contracting.
Labor is eager to work with the administration to realize its ambitious agenda. The city’s construction unions succesfully partnered with the city and private developers on projects like Hunters Point South and Gotham West to achieve real cost savings, create good jobs and build thousands of units of affordable housing.
We will work together with our allies on the City Council and the community to push for good jobs and real affordable housing at Domino Sugar. There is no reason we cannot achieve these objectives and build a new paradigm for responsible development that creates real opportunities for New Yorkers.
Terrence Moore is the business manager of Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 46, representing 1,500 men and women in the NYC construction industry.
