BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | There are three expected candidates for the Third District City Council race in 2013, Corey Johnson, Yetta Kurland and Andrew Berman. But redistricting could affect whether one of them — prominent preservationist Berman — ultimately runs or not.
Berman has not yet opened a campaign account, and a large factor behind this is reportedly the redistricting question.
Meanwhile, Johnson has “maxed out,” raising about $170,000, the maximum eligible to receive public matching funds under the city’s campaign finance law. Kurland has raised more than $70,000.
Every 10 years, following the Census, New York City Council districts are adjusted to ensure fair representation and equal population distribution between all the city’s 51 districts. No more than a 10 percent population differential is allowed between the largest and smallest district.
While New York City’s population as a whole grew by only 2 percent from 2000 to 2010, areas like Chelsea and Lower Manhattan saw their number of residents surge. The Third Council District grew by more than 14 percent, while the number of people living in Lower Manhattan’s District 1 spiked 13 percent.
Currently represented by Council Speaker Christine Quinn, District 3 covers the West Side from Canal to 55th St., taking in most of Greenwich Village, as well as Chelsea, and stretching east as far as Park Ave. at some points.
Facing term limits, Quinn is running for mayor in 2013 — which opens up the Council’s so-called “gay seat” for a new representative. Quinn is openly gay, as are Kurland, Berman and Johnson.
District 1, currently represented by Margaret Chin, extends up from the Battery through Tribeca, Chinatown, the Lower East Side and Soho, also taking in the area around Washington Square.
Meanwhile, District 2, represented by Rosie Mendez and covering the East Village, Union Square area and part of the Lower East Side, only saw a 2 percent population growth.
In short, both Districts 1 and 3 are likely to “shed territory” due to their population booms. Some have speculated that Chin’s District 1 will lose the N.Y.U. superblocks — between Houston and W. Third Sts. and Mercer St. and LaGuardia Place — and possibly also Soho, with these being ceded to either District 3 or 2. That would mean District 3 could add areas at its southern edge — which could mean it would lose territory at its northern end, which is where Berman currently lives, on W. 47th St., to be exact. But, if he is able to stay in the district while the superblocks are added to District 3, it could be a powerful incentive for Berman to enter the race — since he has a very strong following there: His organization, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, has allied with N.Y.U. Faculty Against the Sexton Plan to oppose the N.Y.U. 2031 expansion scheme, and they are poised to file a joint lawsuit against the mega-project.
“Andrew Berman is our champion,” said Sara Jones, of the LaGuardia Corner Gardens, which is located on the southern N.Y.U. superblock. The gardeners fear their green oasis will be destroyed by the university’s desire to wedge 2 million square feet of new development space into the superblocks.
Asked last week if he would move, if necessary, to stay in District 3, Berman declined comment. Assuming he owns his apartment, that could make the decision harder.
Asked if he has made up his mind whether he’ll throw his hat in the ring, Berman said, “I don’t have any updates to give you at the moment.”
The election is still a ways off, so he still has some time to decide.
“It’s 14 months out. There are some very important things that are still yet to happen,” he said.
Johnson and Kurland both live in Chelsea, in the heart of District 3, and so don’t face the possibility that their homes would be shifted into a neighboring district.
Another consideration for Berman is that, were he to campaign for office, he would have to leave his position as executive director at G.V.S.H.P. Not only would this mean he’d lose his income, but it would be a major blow to G.V.S.H.P., which has become a force to be reckoned with under Berman’s active leadership.
This week, the New York City Districting Commission is kicking off its first round of public hearings on redistricting. A Manhattan hearing will be held on Thurs., Aug. 16, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., at New York Law School, 185 West Broadway.
The first maps by the commission of proposed new district boundaries should be out by Sept. 5. The Council is expected to adopt the new boundaries in November.
Berman has often been at odds with Quinn on development issues, and some speculate, as a result, the Council speaker might try to get back at him by redistricting the preservationist right out of District 3.
Insiders think Quinn would favor Johnson over Berman or Kurland, the latter who criticized the Council speaker for not doing more to save the financially doomed St. Vincent’s Hospital from closing or from advocating for a replacement hospital. Nevertheless, Quinn is said to have strongly backed Joe Restuccia, executive director of the CHDC affordable housing organization in Clinton, over Johnson for Community Board 4 chairperson two years ago, and she was reportedly shocked that the 30-year-old upstart pulled off the victory.
However, spokespersons stressed that the redistricting process is being done by an independent commission.
Responding to the idea that Quinn might take a hand in the process and try to block Berman from running in District 3, Council spokesperson Jamie McShane retorted, “That’s ridiculous. The commission is nonpartisan, independent and decisions about lines are made with input from the community at series of public hearings that begin this week.”
McShane added that Quinn has “other things” she’s focusing on right now, apparently referring to her responsibilities as speaker and her own bid for mayor.
Shirley Limongi, a spokesperson for the Districting Commission, echoed McShane, saying, “The commission is an independent commission with no political agenda. Neither the Council speaker nor the mayor controls this process, nor are they involved. Granted, the Council has to approve the final redistricting map, but the process is entirely done by the commission.”
Meanwhile, Johnson appears to have taken on the mantle of frontrunner. Earlier this month, he slammed out an e-mail blast, titled “Boom!” announcing that nearly 600 local leaders, activists and advocates are supporting him. His endorsers range from block association leaders and P.T.A. presidents to Rory O’Malley, the star of “Book of Mormon.”
“Our campaign is moving into a new phase of excitement,” said Johnson. “The support from grassroots leaders and activists is overwhelming. Together, we can work for more affordable housing, stronger schools with smaller class sizes, economic and social justice, and the intangible quality-of-life elements that are so essential to the city we love.”
Asked about redistricting’s impact, Johnson said, “I think it’s a total unknown how the district’s going to change — but I think however it changes, I’m going to campaign hard and talk about my track record and accomplishments as community board chairperson and also my vision for the district.”
As for activist Kurland, a close political ally of hers, Dodge Landesman, said, “I doubt the district will change too dramatically, so she’s not really thinking about it too seriously.” However, he added, “Her activism on the West Side has also impacted neighborhoods beyond those just lying in the current Third Council District area. For example, she wanted to save St. Vincent’s Hospital, not only to benefit residents of the Lower West Side, but to alleviate hospital overcrowding for people living near the various hospitals in Community Board 6. If her district goes east, north or south, residents of Manhattan in general recognize her efforts.”
