Kamryn Brown | In Blindsight

in blindsight

KAMRYN BROWN

FALL 2023

ARC 6529

PROF. OROSCO

FAMU

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

CITY NARRATIVE THE HIGH LINE 3 POINTS OF INTEREST 5

2

SITE SELECTION SITE CHOICE 11 DIAGRAMS 13

3

PROGRAM PROGRAM PROBLEM & USER ANALYSIS 18 PROGRAM OUTLINE 20 COST ANALYSIS & PROGRAM SPECIFIC CRITERIA 22 PROGRAM DIAGRAMS 24

4

CASE STUDIES AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN INWOOD, MANHATTEN 28 APPLE SEEDS APRARTMENTS 30 HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING 32

1

CITY NARRATIVE

THE HIGH LINE The High Line was originally built in 1933 as an elevated railway line that ran along the west side of Manhattan, carrying freight trains that delivered food and goods to the factories and warehouses in the area. In the 1960s the High Line’s use began to decline and trucking became popular and cheaper than rail transport. For many decades the railroad was abandoned and neglected.

It wasn’t until 1999 when two residents of the neighborhood, Joshua David and Robert Hammond, founded “Friends of the High Line”, a nonprofit organization that advocated for preserving and repurposing the High Line as a public park and greenway. In 2003, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his support for the High Line project, and the city acquired the structure from CSX Transportation, the owner of the rail line. The construction of the park began in 2006, and was completed in phases. The first section, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened to the public in 2009. The second section, from 20th Street to 30th Street, opened in 2011. The third section, from 30th Street to 34th Street, opened in 2014.

The Spur, a branch that connects to Tenth Avenue and 30th Street, opened in 2019. The Moynihan Connector, an extension that links to Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, opened in 2023.¹ The High Line has attracted over 8 million visitors annually, making it one of the top attractions in the city. It has also stimulated real estate development and investment in the surrounding neighborhoods. This transformation of an industrial infrastructure into a green space celebrates biodiversity and has reduced carbon emissions by encouraging walking and public transportation.

New York City is facing a serious problem of poverty and housing affordability, especially for low-income households and people of color. While The High Line is a remarkable project that has reshaped the urban landscape of New York City, it also poses some challenges and questions about how to balance economic development, environmental sustainability, cultural expression, and social justice in the city.

The project has raised some concerns about gentrification, displacement, and inequality in the city and has been criticized for catering to affluent tourists and residents, while excluding or displacing low-income and minority communities that live nearby. The park’s founders have acknowledged their failure to address these issues and have launched a network to help other cities create more inclusive and equitable public spaces.² 3

THE HIGH LINE

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The High Line in relation to the city of New York and surrounding areas

THE HIGH LINE | 4

POINTS OF INTEREST There are only five places of low-income housing near the High Line. As seen in the map below, all five are very far from the High Line and located far from the Chelsea neighborhood. This displacement of low income citizens cuts off their resources to the park and can make them feel unwanted or out of place in their own city.

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The High Line in relation to low-income apartments $100,001 - $250,000 35.9%

> $250,000 20.8% < $20,000 12.4%

$60,001 - $100,000 $20,001 - $40,000 13.1% 10.7% $40,001 - $60,000 7.2%

Information sourced from the American Community Survey (2021)

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DEMOGRAPHIC This demographic chart shows the household income for the neighborhood of Chelsea in 2021. The chart shows that the majority of the community is making between $100,001-250,000+ a year. While over 20% is making less than $40,000, the area does not offer enough low income housing apartments for them to be able to exist comfortably in the community.³

LUXURY APARTMENTS There are 13 luxury apartments right next to the High Line. This makes the High Line appear as a commodity for the inhabitants of the apartments and something that they consider to be their own. This data shows that only the wealthy citizens are able to live in close proximity to the High Line while the rest can only visit.

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FOOD BANKS There are 14 food banks near the High Line. New York city has been making a large effort in combating food hunger in all areas of the city. Food Bank For New York City is the largest hunger-relief organization in the city, with a mission to end hunger by organizing food, information, and support for community survival and dignity. This map shows that the city has done well at dispersing food banks within the High Line area but they are 4 not that close to the low-income apartments.

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HOMELESS SHELTERS While the city is offering numerous shelters, they steer clear away from the High Line. Statistics show that homlessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The number of unsheltered individuals on the streets increased by 55% from 2019 to 2020. While the need for food has been addressed, the need for housing is lacking.5

Information sourced from Google Maps

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POINTS OF INTEREST | 6

In 1999, in accord with the recommendations of Community Board 4 in its adopted 197-A plan, a large portion of Chelsea, primarily east of Tenth Avenue, was rezoned both to preserve its scale and to facilitate residential development at appropriate locations. As part of that rezoning, the West 23rd Street corridor extending to Eleventh Avenue in West Chelsea was rezoned to a mixed manufacturing-residential district. At that time, the Department of City Planning committed to re-examining West Chelsea’s zoning at a later date. The Special West Chelsea District proposal follows up on that commitment.

2009 WEST CHELSEA REZONING PROPOSAL The rezoning proposal first creates a High Line Transfer Corridor (HLTC). This will contain the entire High Line structure and portions of adjacent lots between West 18th and West 30th Streets. Owners of property within the HLTC will be permitted to transfer their development rights, equivalent to the base FAR for the property, to designated receiving sites within the Special West Chelsea District. The construction of stair access to the High Line is also required as a condition of the transfer on some properties. The base FAR for the area will be 5.0 and will be increased to 7.5 with acquisition of development rights from the HLTC and through the modified Inclusionary Housing bonus.

MODIFIED INCLUSIONARY HOUSING PROGRAM There is a portion in the proposal [Section 98-26] that was revised to encourage the development of affordable housing in the Special District. The revisions state that public housing subsidy programs may be used for the construction or rehabilitation of inclusionary housing. The thought behind this is that the programs will result in a greater production of affordable housing. The use of 80/20 financing and changes to the Inclusionary Housing Bonus (IHB) would generate approximately 1,000 units of affordable housing.

The following diagram shows the High Line in relation to the proposal. The dashed section shows how high the buildings can increase.

ELEVENTH AVENUE All information sourced from the NYC.Gov West Chelsea Zoning Proposal

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TENTH AVENUE 6

The diagram below shows the projected build out in accordance to the proposal.

C6-2: Would serve as a transition from the higher density development and the lower-scale Chelsea Historic District C6-3: Slender tower-on-base forms rising above the Chelsea Piers which will increase light and air C6-4: Tower-on-base forms with high denisty commercial development.

C6-3 5.0 base/7.0 max

C6-4 7.5 base/10.0max

C6-2 5.0 base/6.0 max

C6-2 5.0 max

POINTS OF INTEREST | 8

2

SITE SELECTION

550 W 37TH ST When looking for a site location, the following traits were put into the search efforts: - Near the High Line - Near Public Transit - Offers multiple green spaces - In a safe location The selected site is much closer to the High Line in comparison to the affordable housing options marked below. It is also near an elongated park filled with green spaces and areas to sit around for the resident’s leisure.

The 30,000 square foot space has great potential to make all income levels feel welcomed and a part of Chelsea.

The High Line in relation to low-income apartments and the selected site

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SITE

THE HIGH LINE

Information sourced from the American Community Survey (2021)

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SITE CHOICE | 12

ANALYZING THE SITE DISTANCE FROM THE HIGH LINE The site is an eleven minute walk to the High Line. This direct path of access to the High Line can make the park be more approachable for citizens other than those of high income.

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GREEN SPACES NEAR BY Other than the High Line, the site is adjacent to Bella Abzug Park.This is a paved open space with fountains, seating, a kid’s playroom, and restrooms. Though the site is small, an nice open space across the street will offer residents with the oppurtunity to be out in nature without having to make the walk to the High Line.

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BUS STOPS NEAR BY There are 4 immediate bus stops between the site and the High Line and 8 within a ten minute walk. Transportation to and from the park as well as the Chelesa neighborhood in general will be beneficial to emmersing the site into the community.

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ZONING The map shows the current zoning diagram for the neighborhood. The chosen site is located in zone C6-4.

M2-3

C2-8

C6-4 PARK

Information sourced from the NYC government website

C2-8: Local retail needs within residential neighborhoods M2-3: Occupies the middle ground between light and heavy industrial areas C6-4: The General Central Commercial Zoning district - Permited build types: Commercial building uses, community facilities, and residential buildings.

- Initial setback: 20 feet on narrow street and 15 on wide street - Building height within intial setback: 85 feet

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DIAGRAMS | 14

3

PROGRAM

PROGRAM PROBLEM The lack of affordable housing in New York City is a pressing issue that has been plaguing the city for years.

According to a report by the Citizens Budget Commission, New York City issued fewer housing unit permits on a per capita basis in the last decade than nearly every other large city, including not only fast-growing cities like Seattle and Austin, but 7 also cities that face similar constraints to development.

Half of the city’s working-age households don’t have the earnings to meet the minimum cost of living, and of those households, 79% are housing burdened, spending more than a third of their income on housing. 8

79%

21%

More than a quarter of households in New York City were severely rent-burdened in 2019, spending 50% or more of their 9 income on rent.

74%

26%

The city’s housing shortage has pushed people into homelessness and to crowd into smaller apartments. The lack of affordable housing has been a major concern for the city, and the current approval process for new units has brought attention to building developers and some advocates.

The city needs to build 560,000 new units of housing by 2030 to make up the deficit in new construction over the past decade and to accommodate expected population growth.10 17

USER ANALYSIS Affordable housing has many benefits for a community. It can uplift residents, encourage social connection, reduce overcrowding, increase adjacent property values, attract businesses and jobs, and lower crime rates.

When more goods and services are taxed in a community, it can create more opportunities for economic growth.

Additionally, affordable housing can be a much-needed boom to local, neighborhood businesses and larger companies alike.

The entire affordable housing real estate ecosystem — developers and builders, architects, property managers, and those in law and finance — can benefit from creating and preserving this stable asset class. Affordable housing stays rented; most properties have waiting lists. And the rents are more reliably paid, often through a voucher system that ensures it.

Unlike luxury properties with occupancy rates that fluctuate with the economy.

PROGRAM PROBLEM & USER ANALYSIS | 18

PROGRAM OUTLINE Multipurpose Room....................................................................................................................................................................................1000sf Community Office Space..........................................................................................................................................................................1000sf Laundry Room............................................................................................................................................................................................2000sf Studio (20)...............................................................................................................................................................................600x30=18000sf 1-Bed Apartments................................................................................................................................................................1000x20=20000sf 2-Bed Apartments..................................................................................................................................................................1300x15=19500sf 3-Bed Apartments..................................................................................................................................................................1700x10=17000sf Lobby ............................................................................................................................................................................................................1000sf Public Restrooms........................................................................................................................................................................................300sf Mail Room.....................................................................................................................................................................................................1000sf Daycare.......................................................................................................................................................................................................3000sf Restrooms (2)............500sf Cafeteria....................1000sf Classrooms(5).........1000sf Teacher’s Lounge.....300sf Lobby...........................200sf

Assessment Room.....................................................................................................................................................................................1000sf General Store.............................................................................................................................................................................................2000sf Cafeteria.....................................................................................................................................................................................................3000sf Mechanical Room.........................................................................................................................................................................................500sf Electrical Room............................................................................................................................................................................................500sf 90,000sf Circulation 20%.......................................................................................................................................................................................18000sf TOTAL 19

108,000sf

GATHERING + LIVING +

OPERATIONS

PROGRAM OUTLINE | 20

COST ANALYSIS A. Building Costs ($ per sq ft): $268 x 108000sf=$28,944,000 B. Fixed Equipment (rule of thumb: 8% of A): $2,315,520 C. Site Development (rule of thumb: 15% of A): $4,341,600 D. Acquisition/Demolition: ~$1,000,000 E. Movable Equipment (8% of total construction): $2,848,089.6 F. Professional fees (10% of total construction): $3,560,112 G. Contingencies (10% of total construction): $3,560,112 H. Administrative costs (1% of total construction): $356,011.2 Total Construction (A+B+C) = $35,601,120 Total Budget (A through H) = ~$46,925,448.8

Methodology: I found this case study and then researched it’s property information (I am only basing my estimates off of the south building) https://venterraliving.com/apartments/calais-midtown/?id=TX4MIGOOLinks to an external site. https://www.apartments.com/calais-midtown-houston-tx/6xm22wv/Links to an external site.shark.com/mason/Prop https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property-Report/?propkey=21466508&lcl=tx_harris#section_development 21

PROGRAM SPECIFIC CRITERIA Being in Manhatten, Chelsea is often thoufht of as having a luxury appearance but it is also important to note the other aspects to the neighborhood. The neighborhood has three historic districts that preserve Greek Revival, Italianate, Georgian, and other styles from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Chelsea also has a lot of personality and heart with also a vibrant art scene, with over 200 galleries in the area, many of 11 which are housed in former warehouses or factories.

In summary, Chelsea has a large influence on cultural amd social diversity of New York City so it will be neccessary to take into account the urban context and existing buildings.

COST ANALYSIS & PROGRAM SPECIFIC CRITERIA | 22

ADJACENCY DIAGRAM Lobby Lobby PublicRestrooms Restrooms Public Assessment Room Assessment Room Multipurpose Room Multipurpose Room Community Office Space Community Office Space General Store General Store Daycare Daycare Cafeteria Cafeteria LaundryRoom Room Laundry MailRoom Room Mail StudioApartments Apartments Studio 1-BedApartments Apartments 1-Bed 2-BedApartments Apartments 2-Bed 3-BedApartments Apartments 3-Bed Mechanical Room Mechanical Room Electrical Room Electrical Room

Diagram created by Interior Design Adjacency Matrix: https://carolyndaut.com/adjacency-matrix-decoded/

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Primary Adjacency Primary Adjacency Secondary Adjacency Secondary Adjacency Undesired Adjacency Undesired Adjacency

PROGRAM CONCEPT DIAGRAM

Laundry Room

Multipurpose Room

Community Office Space

Daycare

Mail Room

Electrical

Mechanical

Assesment Room

Cafeteria

Public Restrooms

Lobby

General Store

PROGRAM DIAGRAMS | 24

4

CASE STUDIES

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN INWOOD, MANHATTEN Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the start of construction on a $416 million, 698-unit mixed-income development in Upper Manhattan, specifically in the Inwood neighborhood. Projected to be complete in 2025, the development will consist of two interconnected residential buildings and 700 apartments, 281 of them being affordable units. This will mean that 40% of the apartments are reserved for residents earning at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). An additional 10% of aprtments will have rents restricted up to 30%-120% of AMI and be subject to NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines.12 The project is also pursuing a LEED BD+C Silver certification and meets the new sustainability standards established by New York State Homes and Community Renewal in 2022.13 Overall, this project is striving to create quality housing and an impactful sustainability and community well-being for everyone.

Renders of the proposed mixed income apartments created by MSquared

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN INWOOD, MANHATTEN | 28

APPLE SEEDS APARTMENTS The San Antonio Food Bank in Texas is extending its operations by building an affordable housing complex right next to its food distribution center. Known as the Apple Seeds Apartments, this transitional housing development offers 51 high-quality apartments at about 25% off market rates.14 Families residing here also benefit from an on-site child care center and a unique savings feature: a portion of their monthly payments is put into an account that they can access at the end of their two- to three-year rental. Food-bank case managers work with families to identify how best to use these funds, such as for debt reduction, education, or other housing-related needs.15 Their goal is to offer stability and security so that residents can soon be able to escape poverty.

Renders of the proposed Apple Seeds Apartments created by Open Studio Architecture

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APPLE SEEDS APARTMENTS | 30

HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING Research published by Brookings Educations establishes several ways to establish an affordable housing complex while creating a pleasing building and program.16 Strategy 1: Create a simple facade that has big moves in colors or materials Adding a different material, slanting a wall, or pullng out parts of the facade are alll examples of making an effortless design move that will help the building stand out from the rest and offer a sophisticated design.

An example of this being done successfully would be the One Flushing building in Queens, New York. The building has a 400foot long facade that divides into eight segments, that each have different textures and tones of brick. The segments create depth and space in the units as well which helps offer different unit sizes.

Drawing of the differention of brick tones and textures of the One Flushing facade. Created by Bernheimer Architects and published by the Metroplitan Policy Program

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Strategy 2: Design the units for flexibility There are many internal design decisions that can be made that will save money and make the unit feel more thought out and unique.

Making spaces with multiple uses allows for developers to fit in more apartments because of the reduction of dedicated circulation space. Letting furniture define spaces instead of walls, having kitchens and bathrooms align to a single “wet” wall where plumbing is concentrated, and having doors and walls be reserved for separating spaces that require privacy are all good ways to increanse flexibility, This also offers residents with the oppurtunity to put their own characterisics into their home.

The image seen below shows that adjusting the unit width by two feet reduces the per-unit facade area by around 20 square feet and the hallway space by around 10 square feet in a conventional double-loaded corridor building.

Floor plan diagram done by Walsh Construction Company and published by the Metroplitan Policy Program

HIGH QUALITY AFFORADABLE HOUSING | 32

Strategy 3: Reuse designs, rotate floor plans, and reduce costs Developers already go for a unit layout that has been done before and is a sure yes that it works. This makes the process easy for them and their contractors. This can still be done with having the architects involved to offer some creativity.

Good examples of this are to roate or mirror the building unit layouts.

The drawing below shows the proposed building design for a mulifamily housing project in Louisville, Kentucky. OJT has taken a single four-unit apartment building and repeated and rotated it three times. This is great for the architects because each facade offers variation and is great for the construction process because it is the same construction plan.

Drawing of the mulltifamily complex designed by OJT and published by the Metroplitan Policy Program

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Strategy 4: Stack, standardize, and simplify As previosuly mentioned, stackng ‘wet’ walls are a great way to follow best practices for plumbing and reduce complexibility. Resesarching and understanding building codes in genral can help save money and space in the units. For example, Elevators are expensive on a project budget and building codes dictate when they are required. In most cases, buildings higher than three stories and/or over 12 units require one. So if you were to design a building under that, you could save a substantial amount of money.

In the example below, The floor plan shows a centralized single-stair program for a three-story building.

Published by the Metroplitan Policy Program

HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING | 34

NOTES 1 History. The High Line. (2023, June 27). https://www.thehighline.org/history/ 2 High line New York – when success means “failure.” The Urban Developer. (2017, May 1). https:// www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/high-line-new-york

3 NYC HOPE 2020 Results. NYC Department of Homeless Services. (2020, January 27). https://www. nyc.gov/assets/dhs/downloads/pdf/hope-2020-results.pdf

4 Food Bank for New York City. Food Bank For New York City. (2023, October 19). https://www.foodbanknyc.org/#

5 Clinton/Chelsea Neighborhood Profile. NYU Furman Center. (n.d.). https://furmancenter.org/neighborhoods/view/clinton-chelsea

6 Proposals Manhattan West Chelsea West Chelsea Zoning. (2009). https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans/west-chelsea/westchelsea.pdf

7 David, G. (2022, September 27). NYC’s affordable housing crisis puts deference to city council and

local opposition under scrutiny. The City. https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/09/27/affordable-housing-crisis-city-council-eric-adams-throgs-neck/

8 Walsh, D. (2023, October 13). Top issues for New York City’s Affordable Housing Management. Top

Issues for New York City’s Affordable Housing Management. https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/real-estate/affordable-housing/top-issues-for-new-york-citys-affordable-housing-management

9 Bhat, S. (2022, March 16). Housing: Trends to watch for the future of NYC. The City. https://www. thecity.nyc/2022/01/05/housing-trends-to-watch-for-the-future-of-nyc/

10 Ngo, E. (2022, October 10). In New York City, housing supply fails to meet demand. https://ny1.com/ nyc/all-boroughs/housing/2022/10/07/new-york-city-housing-supply-demand

11 New York Architecture: Chelsea. NewYorkitecture. (2015, November 17). https://www.newyorkitecture.com/chelsea/

12 Governor Hochul announces start of construction on $416 million, 698-unit mixed-income develop-

ment in Upper Manhattan. Homes and Community Renewal. (2023, May 9). https://hcr.ny.gov/news/ governor-hochul-announces-start-construction-416-million-698-unit-mixed-income-development

13 Inwood. M Squared. (2023, July 20). https://buildmsquared.com/projects/inwood/ 14 Costanzo, C. (2021, November 10). Why San Antonio Food Bank is building affordable housing. Food Bank News. https://foodbanknews.org/why-san-antonio-food-bank-is-building-affordable-housing/

15 San Antonio Food Bank becomes 1st in us to offer affordable housing. TPR. (2021, June 15). https:// www.tpr.org/san-antonio/2021-06-15/san-antonio-food-bank-becomes-1st-in-us-to-offer-affordablehousing

16 Schuetz, J., &amp; Hoyt, H. (2022, March 9). Thoughtful design can create high-quality affordable

multifamily housing. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/affordable-housing-doesnt-haveto-look-cheap-inside-or-out/

IMAGES 1 Cover image: Sadowski, C. (2017). NYC Pedestrians. New York Post. NYP Holdings Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://nypost.com/2017/12/22/tourists-were-begging-you-please-learnhow-to-walk-in-nyc/.