Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement Outline
Signed - 6/27/05

The first step towards implementing our CBA is the development of a comprehensive Project Implementation Plan (PIP) which will outline how the strategies and commitments codified in the CBA will be enacted. The PIP will be generated over the course of the next four months and will be incorporated into the legally binding CBA as a supplemental document.

Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development, Inc (BUILD) will develop, coordinate and implement this component of the CBA. BUILD will form and facilitate a Workforce Development Council to establish and ongoing mechanism for community input towards strengthening the employability of the existing labor market.

If you are interested in connecting to any opportunities in this component, you should get on BUILD’s Employment Registry or you can come into our office to complete an employment registry form.

The Developers will use good faith efforts to meet the overall goal during construction of the arena and the Project of employing, or causing to be employed, not less than 35% Minority and 10% women construction workers, of which 35% of each category shall have the status of journey level worker. 

This project is designed to fill apprentice opportunities generated by the first phase of Forest City Ratner Companies’ Atlantic Yards Project. Synchronization of the program’s time line with the construction schedule is critical to ensuring the success of the program. This program model will be finalized with private and public stakeholders during the development of the Community Benefits Agreement Implementation Plan.

Program Design Framework

FCRC will negotiate with the trade unions for a Project Labor Agreement that will attempt to ensure that for every 4 journeyman position hired, a trainee or apprentice from the community position is also hired. In addition, FCRC will negotiate that hiring be done on a local basis based on zip codes

The Developers will incorporate the Project requirements into the existing Community Labor Exchange initiative (“CLE”) operated by The Darman Group Inc. and will work with community-based organizations and trade associations to compile a list of unemployed union members who are Community residents. Developers shall require all construction contractors and subcontractors working at the Arena and/or the Project to hire a portion of its workforce through the CLE.

Creating, launching and maintaining a quality coordinated and accountable workforce development system sharpens our competitive edge in attracting firms to Downtown Brooklyn. As the most populous borough, Brooklyn has the largest reserve of human capital in the tri-state region. Our Employment Linkage and Targeted Job Training Program defines a process for tapping our diverse human resource pool and fostering the hard and soft skill competencies businesses need for an effective workforce. In addition to fostering business success, this system provides an opportunity for successful engagement into the mainstream workforce for thousands of residents within the communities in and around Downtown Brooklyn who currently contend with high rate of unemployment and poverty. The Employment Linkage and Targeted Job Training Program (ELTJTP) is a strategic solution to bridging the skill mismatch between the competencies employers need to meet their business objectives and current skill level of many residents within a two mile radius of Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn at large. 
 

The pre-placement portion of the program consists of three seven week cycles. During each cycle participants are engaged in four component areas: (1) professional skills development and application; (2) a professional seminar series; (3) financial skills literacy; and (4) personal development. The post-placement portion of the program consists of one year of continued active participation in the aforementioned four component activities.

The Developers will require that all professional service firms employed by the Developers have adopted appropriate diversity policies and will work with such firms to foster the hiring and promotion of qualified Minority and women professional employees and, to the extent feasible, to have such employees work on matters related to the Arena and the Project. In awarding this work Developers shall give preference to those professional service firms that have demonstrated a commitment to the goals of hiring and promoting qualified Minority and women professionals.

BUILD will be the lead organization working with local stakeholders and the Developer to create a new high school.

Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development, Inc (BUILD) and the New York State Association of Minority Contractors (NYSAMC) will develop, coordinate and implement this component of the CBA. BUILD and NYSAMC will form and facilitate a Small Business Development Council to establish and ongoing mechanism for community input towards competitive economic growth and maximized consumer choice.
 

If you are interested in connecting to any opportunities in this component, you should get on BUILD’s Business Registry or you can come into BUILD or NYSAMC’s office to complete a pre-qualification form.
 

FCRC will work with local lending institutions and banks to develop special financial packages for local small business and merchants to ensure that they have the financial capability to benefit from the project.

FCRC will work with minority developers to help them expand their business through mentoring, financing, providing resources and overall expertise to ensure that the next generation of real estate professionals is represented by minority members.

Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) and Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development’s (BUILD) MBA Student Intern Initiative is a strategy to meet and exceed participation goals in the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement. Through this initiative businesses engaged or seeking to be engaged in Atlantic Yards will enhance their capacity to succeed at the project as well as foster their overall efficiency as a growing enterprise. This program model will be developed and finalized with private and public stakeholders during the development of the Community Benefits Agreement Implementation Plan. 
 

The initiative will pair MBA interns with business owners to work on one or a combination of the following objectives:

•          Business Plan Development

•          Building Technological Infrastructure

•          Cultivating Effective Operational Policies & Procedures

•          Accessing & Effectively Utilizing Resources

Core Elements

•          10 month partnership between Business Owners (to further their business objectives) and interns (for a meaningful and insightful learning experience).

•          Training and development for student interns

•          Development and support for business owners

Target Outcomes

•          Business owners and student interns will establish goals and objectives for their ten month partnership;

•          A strategic action plan and accompanying documentation strategy will be developed to meet established goals and objectives;

•          Evaluation of accomplishment, successes and challenges;

•          Sustainability plan for partnership outcomes.

The New York Chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) will develop, coordinate and implement this component of the CBA. ACORN will form and facilitate a Housing Council to establish and ongoing mechanism for community input towards a stab le, mixed-income set of residential buildings.

Targeted Affordability - 50% of all the Project housing units will be built on the Project site as affordable to families in the income tiers described below and rented through a broad reaching marketing and outreach process. The other 50% of the apartments will have rents set at the market. Projected number of units 4,000 – 4,500 making the affordable commitment 2,000 – 2,225 units

Apartment sizes – 50% of the units will be studio and one bedroom apartments; 50% of the units will be two and three bedroom apartments. Apartment sizes will be available by same percentages for each income tier.

Rent as a percentage of Income – all affordable apartment rents will be set initially at 30% of income by tier. This will insure that rents are set equitably and nobody pays more than 30% or less than 30% of income towards initial rent.

Community Preference – FCRC and ACORN will work with government agencies to develop a Brooklyn-based definition of Community Preference.

Long term affordability - FCRC and ACORN have committed to long term apartment affordability and not only affordability at initial lease up.

Financing the housing – the ACORN 50/50 Program utilizes existing Housing Development Fund (HDC) bond programs and Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) programs, with necessary modifications.

Apartment sizes

20% studio apartments

30% one bedroom apartments

30% two bedroom apartments

20% three bedroom apartments

The Project Developer intends to provide for ten (10%) percent of rental units at the Project to be available to senior citizens. The Project Developer may elect to include these units in one or more buildings as it deems appropriate taking into consideration the special needs of such residents.

The Project Developer will provide all residential tenants currently renting and legally occupying a legal residential dwelling unit as their primary residence within the Project site and (a) who are in good standing under the terms of a valid written lease agreement, which is in full force and effect, at such time as their premises are scheduled to be impacted by construction of the Project and (b) who have resided in such residence for at least one (1) year prior to the date of this Agreement, with reasonably comparable living space in a new unit within the Project, at their then current rent and a reasonable relocation allowance. For the purposes hereof, a “reasonably comparable living space” shall mean an apartment with approximately the same square footage and number of bedrooms as such tenant’s existing unit which is on a floor that is no lower than the floor of such existing unit. If a reasonably comparable space at the same rent is not available, the Project Developer shall pay the difference in rent for a reasonably comparable living space outside of the Project area, which will to the extent reasonably practicable be in the Neighboring Community (or such other community acceptable to the displaced persons and the Project Developer) until such time as a unit is made available in the Project on then comparable rental terms (giving effect to standard cost of living increases or rent stabilization/control increases, as applicable) and a reasonable relocation allowance for the initial move and subsequent move into the Project.

The Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA) will develop, coordinate and implement this component of the CBA. The DBNA will form and facilitate a Community Facilities & Amenities Council to establish and ongoing mechanism for community input to achieve its objectives.

Health Care Center- A community health care center will be located within a building at the project.

Intergenerational Community Program Initiative- The Project will emphasize the benefits of intergenerational contact by encouraging senior citizens to interact with, and participate in, the care of, children and youth living within the Community.

AFCB will form and facilitate an All-Faith Council, which shall be representative of the religious diversity within the Community, to establish an ongoing mechanism for community input for referrals to the jobs, housing and other programs created by this Agreement.

The First Atlantic Terminal Housing Committee (FATHC) will develop, coordinate and implement this component of the CBA. The FATHC will form and facilitate an Environmental Council to establish and ongoing mechanism for community input to achieve its objectives.

The purpose of this Section is to encourage involvement from the Surrounding Community on potential environmental issues caused by development of this Project and to provide a vehicle to address specific concerns.

Working Group: Address short and long term environmental issues that may affect the Surrounding Community as a result of development of the Arena and the Project.

Mitigation Measures: The Developers shall consult with FATHC to determine appropriate mitigation measures that will address the concerns of the Community regarding environmental impacts caused by the development of the Arena and the Project, including, but not limited to: an on-site and off-site rodent abatement program; a staging plan for construction that minimizes the effects of idling trucks; a pedestrian and vehicular traffic plan; and encouragement of all contractors to use low sulfur diesel in trucks operating at the Project. In addition, the Developers shall adopt the most prudent environmentally sound building practices that will take into consideration the goal of promoting sustainable development in an energy efficient manner.

The Project Developer will work with PHC to ensure that NYCHA Residents are included in all aspects of this Project. PHC will establish a Public Housing Council that will work with NYCHA Residents to ensure full participation in the programs and benefits of this Agreement.

View BUILD Public Weekly Meeting Session discussing the CBA: 

 http://brooklyn-cyclones-club.com/Videos/BUILD_10-26-04_Meeting_0003.wmv