Pastor AR Bernard resigns from NYC’s Charter Revision Commission amid residency questions
The Rev. A. R. Bernard, leader of New York City's largest Evangelical church, the Christian Cultural Center, has resigned from the city's Charter Revision Commission following questions about his ability to meet the residency requirement to serve on the panel of leaders that help shape the city's government.
The New York City Charter "defines the organization, functions, and essential procedures and policies of" the city's government while charter revision commissions "are temporary commissions that review the entire Charter and put any proposals for its amendment before the voters," according to the city's website.
To legally serve on the commission, however, members must be residents of one of the city's five boroughs. Bernard, according to Board of Elections paperwork cited by the Daily News, is a registered Republican who lives in a six-bedroom home in Suffolk County, Long Island.
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Responding to questions from the Daily News about whether Bernard had met the residency requirement to serve on the commission, Frank Dwyer, a spokesman for the commission, said Bernard had resigned.
"Reverend Bernard has informed the commission that he will be stepping down due to the time commitment that serving would require," Dwyer told the outlet. "The commission is grateful for his initial offer to serve. A suitable replacement will soon be named."
Bernard, 71, has been a key player in the city's development over the years.
In 2018, Bernard partnered with Gotham Organization to build 2,100 affordable apartments on his 37,000-member church's 10-acre parking lot next to Starrett City, the nation's largest federally subsidized apartment complex. The development, named "Innovative Urban Living," was initially set up to be a mixed-use community, with 13 buildings ranging from two to 17 stories. It was expected to include retail space, a daycare, a school, parking, a trade school and a public park.
A Constructive Dive report last summer said a development team had secured a $270 million construction loan to start phase 1A of the project, which will feature 376 affordable rental residences for individuals or families earning 30% to 80% of the area median income.
Phase 1A will also include some 17,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and 45,000 square feet of below-grade parking. An additional 441 affordable rental residences for individuals or families earning 30% to 80% of the area's median income will be added in Phase 1B, which was expected to start at the end of 2024.
"We are honored to be collaborating with our partners to fulfill our commitment to create a sustainable, mixed-income community in East New York," Bernard said of the progress in a news release. "This milestone speaks volumes to the belief in our vision as well as the community, and we couldn't be more excited to begin construction."
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