NYC Building Plans Separate Entrances for Rich, Poor

Wants those who live in affordable housing to enter through alley
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 19, 2013 5:16 PM CDT
NYC Building Plans Separate Entrances for Rich, Poor
In this Aug. 15, 2003 file photo, the sun rises over the skyline of the Upper West side of Manhattan as seen from Weehaken, NJ.   (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, file)

Yes, this is the year 2013, and yet: A planned luxury tower on Manhattan's Upper West Side may have two separate entrances, one for the affluent people living in its waterfront condos and one for the less well-to-do folks living in its 55 low-income units. The developer is looking to snag millions in tax breaks and air rights in exchange for including the affordable housing, the New York Post reports. But those five low-level floors would have a separate elevator and maintenance company, in addition to the separate entrance—located in a back alley. (The units also, needless to say, won't face the Hudson River.)

The developer, Extell, broke ground last year, but the segregation issue came to light now that it has applied for the aforementioned tax break as well as New York's Inclusionary Housing Program. That program would give Extell more floor area in exchange for the affordable housing, and Extell plans to sell that floor area to another building nearby. Extell has already gotten tax breaks on five other buildings, which ultimately cost taxpayers $21.8 million in tax revenue in their first year. (More New York City stories.)

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