As a new Target store prepares to open this summer in East Harlem, community leaders are working with neighborhood residents. A community benefits agreement for East River Plaza requires 60 percent of mall workers to be neighborhood residents.

In a Community Benefit Agreement reached with the West Harlem community, Columbia University previously agreed to give the West Harlem Local Development Corporation (WHLDC) $76 million for affordable housing, a school and other programs. However, because of internal conflict within WHLDC, none of the money has been granted thus far.

Last month, the New York Bar Association wrote a report suggesting that the City should separate Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) from the the zoning approval process. The Bar Association is interested in examining whether community groups that participate in CBAs accurately reflect the communities and whether corruption taints the CBA process.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. (D) has named a task force to address the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment. The task force includes Majora Carter, Jack Rose, and Kathryn Wylde. A complete list of members is available to view in the complete article. This is the third task force assembled to address Armory redevelopment issues.

Comptroller John Liu's newly created Task Force on Community Benefit Agreements met for the first time on Friday, March 19th. The task force has been given six months to inform recommendations on how to formalize the CBA process. Liu selected four co-chairs from various backgrounds to lead the task force.

A new Association of the Bar of New York City report criticizes the recent and growing use of community benefits agreements in several high-profile development projects across the city. The report suggests CBAs may even be illegal as recently used by developers in New York, arguing they have allowed developers to “buy” zoning approvals.

Ruben Diaz, Bronx Borough President (D), is committed to developing a plan for the Kingsbridge Armory that the community will support. However, because of his role in defeating the city's plan for the site a few months ago, the city is not as optimistic about working with Diaz.

In his recent State of the Borough Address, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz (D), announced the creation of a Kingsbridge Armory Taskforce. While Diaz supports new development, he stressed the need for living wages at new development sites. According to Diaz, this is particularly pertinent when developers benefit from taxpayer subsidies for their projects.

With Forest City Ratner ready to break ground next week on its Atlantic Yards project, stakeholders who helped negotiate a community benefits agreement around the project say they will follow developments closely to make sure the CBA is fulfilled.

When they are done well, Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) can have real implications for how streets are developed. New York has often been criticized for not negotiating the most ideal CBAs between developers and community stakeholders. As a result, Comptroller John Liu's office is in the process of establishing a taskforce to explore how the CBA process can be improved in New York.