Avalon Chrystie Place
AvalonBay Communities has settled the federal discrimination lawsuit against its 361-unit Lower East Side apartment building, Avalon Chrystie Place, which accused the developer of violating the Fair Housing Act, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced yesterday. Filed in August 2008, the suit had said the rental building, at 229 Chrystie Street, was not constructed to be accessible to disabled people and had sparked fears amongst other developers and landlords across the city that they too, would soon be targeted by the city. AvalonBay, which had originally argued in response to the suit that its building was, in fact, in compliance with accessibility codes and laws, agreed in the settlement to inspect and retrofit Avalon Chrystie Place, as well as its six other New York City properties. The developer will pay more than $2.2 million in building improvements, compensation for victims and civil penalties. TRD