Council Member Feliz questions on labor agreements and 32BJ

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, if we could go taller than the 135 foot or 14 story tight, yeah, we could certainly go up.

Theoretically.

I think the other, you know, my role on the team in particular is around the financing.

So as mentioned, we're having some preliminary conversations with groups like the Y.

But obviously a challenge within the city when they do these is they expect those spaces to sort of fully fund themselves through rent.

And, you know, when you start talking about a 20,000, 30,000 square foot space.

You obviously don't want to just end up with a vacant space that the city's not going to fund.

And so it's really trying to find that sweet spot.

And so as mentioned, we're having those exploratory conversations to figure out what the right space is.

But it is something we'd have to explore and figure out with the city.

There would need to obviously be council support.

And there would need to be a partner who could actually, that it would work for.

So that's really the piece that we're...

In particular related to the size question.

Okay, and final question.

Talk to us about the labor aspect of this.

Is there a CBA in place?

Is the plan to use union labor?

I know there were some

a CBA, if I'm correct, on the other Lambert project.

Is it transferable to this one?

Yeah, tell us everything about the union part.

So thank you for the question, and we know that 32BJ is here to speak against the project.

We do have a CBA in place at MAPES Court today, and even the Sojourner Truth site, Astra during the presentation showed that it was a vacant site.

We used to have a building that we ran there.

And since MAPES was redone in 1991, it has been organized by 32BJ, and for the past 35 years that hasn't changed.

32BJ has come to us to sign a development agreement, and we said we already have a CBA in place.

We don't know why you're doing this.

So I don't know if 32BJ wants to open it up and allow other use.

unions to organize the future employees.

It's either that or these are bully tactics to try to get us to do something that they want.

But we have been a 32BJ.

These sites have been 32BJ since the beginning, and we intend to keep them 32BJ.

Thank you so much for the answers.

That's all your question?

Okay.

All right.

Thank you so much.

This panel is now excused.

Thank you for making time to be here.

Thank you.

Council, are there any members of the public who wish to testify remotely or in person regarding this proposal?

Yes, we have two members of the public present who would like to testify and five people who signed up online.

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The following individuals who sign up to testify should now come to the witness table.