Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA)

SPURA, under the auspices of the New York City’s Economic Development Corporation and Office of Housing Preservation & Development, with guidance by Community Board 3, must fulfill a powerful, creative, socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable vision in order to meet the needs of our community. On the books since 1965 and to-date undeveloped, SPURA  is potentially the last significant large-scale development project on the Lower East Side for many years to come. 

In 2008, Two Bridges participated in Community Voices and the Future of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, a joint project spearheaded by GOLES and the Pratt Center for Community Development, in partnership with a broad coalition of community-based organizations, to envision the scale and scope of the urban renewal area.

The political, social, and economic complexities surrounding the development of these sites has prevented the realization of this essential project for almost fifty years. In the context of the Lower East Side neighborhood, and to meet the needs of the business community and residents, Two Bridges advocates for:

• The creation of a maximum amount of affordable housing (more than the 50%); The number of affordable housing units must be maximized, and all affordable housing units created must remain permanently affordable.
• The inclusion of a public school and other community facilities in the non-residential square-footage; large ground and second floor non-residential space should be reserved for a public school, urgent or preventative care services, a grocery store, an affordable fitness center and/or a movie theatre & cultural or performing arts space.
• A limitation of square footage on commercial space; in keeping with the scale of the neighborhood and character of small, local businesses, no retail commercial unit should be larger than 10,000 square feet.
• Job creation in this neighborhood with a disproportionately high unemployment rate; local hiring must be stipulated in all scoping documents, and all efforts must be made to ensure that companies follow through in hiring local workers; and a portion of commercial square footage should be dedicated as a business incubator and affordable office space for small businesses and non-profits.

SPURA development must seamlessly integrate with the existing neighborhood from both a design and demographic perspective. The resultant residential, commercial, and community spaces must enhance the quality of life for all, and pay particular respect to the residents and businesses that for decades have bound together as a community in a neighborhood that many others—including the city—had overlooked.