#spura

These four developments were originally built by trade unions as affordable, limited-equity housing, but in the late 1990’s they all went market rate. As part of “slum clearance” renewal, old tenements on the SPURA site were razed in the late 1960’s, displacing around 2,000 residents — many of them low-income — and a variety of small businesses. Ironically, a stumbling block to SPURA’s redevelopment has been opposition from some Grand St. co-op residents to low-income and affordable housing on the site who fear it would lower their property values.