Brooklyn, NY – In response to the NYC Council’s advancement of City of Yes for Economic Opportunity, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso issued the following statement regarding Proposal 18 from the plan:
“The Adams administration’s City of Yes for Economic Opportunity begs the question: ‘Are we building a city where all New Yorkers – regardless of background, economic status, or educational attainment – can succeed?’ And if it weren’t for Proposal 18 in City of Yes for Economic Opportunity, the answer would have been a clear ‘Yes.’
“By relaxing regulations around manufacturing districts and failing to provide critical analysis about existing conditions and how manufacturing districts will be mapped moving forward, Proposal 18 leaves the future of our city’s Industrial Business Zones (IBZs) in limbo.
“Without a thriving manufacturing sector, New York City will increasingly become a city for the wealthy and well-connected. Generations of New Yorkers, especially those with limited educational opportunity and English language proficiency, have relied on our manufacturing districts for well-paying, quality jobs that provide a path to the middle class. If our manufacturing districts are at risk, so are the jobs they provide – and without a solid plan for how to protect jobs, we will be unable to solve New York City’s staggering housing crisis.”