. ▁However , ▁political ▁cor ruption ▁ab ounded , ▁and ▁the ▁new ▁apart ments ▁were ▁never ▁built . ▁The ▁compet ing ▁forces ▁within ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁had ▁been ▁deb ating ▁whether ▁the ▁SP UR A ▁area ▁should ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁develop ▁afford able ▁housing ▁within ▁Manh attan ▁Community ▁Board ▁ 3 ; ▁or ▁be ▁developed ▁as ▁mixed - use ▁– ▁low - ▁and ▁middle - in come ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁commercial ; ▁or ▁whether ▁it ▁should ▁be ▁all ▁large ▁commercial ▁ret ail ▁use . ▁This ▁debate ▁is ▁often ▁w aged ▁in ▁ ▁the ▁community ▁h alls ▁of ▁local ▁public ▁school ▁aud itor iums ▁and ▁other ▁city ▁meeting ▁places , ▁in ▁newspaper ▁columns , ▁at ▁co - op ▁board ▁meet ings , ▁and ▁at ▁private ▁strategy ▁sessions ▁in ▁individual ▁homes . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Koch ▁administration ▁that ▁ended ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁city ▁contract ed ▁with ▁Sam ▁Le F rak ▁to ▁build , ▁but ▁massive ▁divided ▁opposition ▁caused ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁with dra wn . ▁The ▁land ▁still ▁sat ▁vac ant ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁and ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁local ▁community ▁board ▁took ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁SP UR A ' s ▁development ▁up ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁community ▁cons ensus ▁that ▁the ▁area ▁will ▁be ▁built ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁mixed ▁use ▁of ▁low - in come ▁housing , ▁commercial ▁properties / ret ail ▁spaces , ▁and ▁market - value ▁homes . ▁The ▁Board , ▁community ▁and ▁city ▁pl ann ers