Manhattan Community Board 2’s Land Use & Housing Committee on Oct. 15 reaffirmed its top capital priority: seeking city action and funding to explore acquiring 2 Howard Street, a multistory federal garage at Howard and Lafayette, with the goal of developing it for fully affordable housing.
The committee agreed to keep the request active on the FY27 district needs statement and to press elected officials and city agencies to allocate initial funding for feasibility work. Katie Bordenaro, vice chair of the committee, described the site: “2 Howard Street is the garage that’s sitting, at Howard and Lafayette. It is, under the control of the GSA,” and said the committee has pursued the property with federal and congressional offices in prior years.
Why it matters: Committee members said keeping 2 Howard on the district’s top list signals persistent local demand and helps city officials identify it as a long-term priority when seeking funding or negotiating with federal counterparts. Members pointed to precedents where state or federal properties were ultimately conveyed to the city—examples discussed included 75 Morton Street and other state-to-city transfers—as models for possible mechanisms to secure the site.
Details and next steps: Members recommended that the district needs request emphasize that the city should allocate dedicated staff and initial funds to explore acquisition, not necessarily full project financing. As the committee summarized, the prior draft request opened with language asking the city to “allocate sufficient funds for the city to acquire ownership of 2 Howard Street and for the development of 100% affordable housing.” Committee members discussed broad outreach, including to the offices of U.S. senators and the Manhattan Borough President, to identify federal counterparts and potential transfer pathways.
Committee members noted limitations: the property is federal and therefore any transfer would require federal action; the city could only begin an exploratory process and identify funding and personnel. The committee also discussed working with other community boards and borough offices that have compiled lists of public properties and encouraged staff to circulate those lists back to members for cross-checking.
What the committee requested: Keep 2 Howard Street as the committee’s top capital priority on the FY27 district needs statement; ask the city to allocate funds and staff to begin feasibility and acquisition planning; and continue outreach to federal representatives and borough-level offices to identify precedents and partners.
Ending: Committee leaders said the work will take time and multiple agencies’ cooperation; they asked members to support carrying the priority to the Community Board 2 executive committee and to continue advocacy with elected officials.