Proposal to negotiate long-term leases for existing garage serving neighboring community district faced local opposition. On October 13, 2010, the Department of Sanitation withdrew a proposal that would have allowed Sanitation to negotiate long-term leases for two privately owned lots that it uses as a maintenance facility in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Sanitation has occupied a one-story garage at 525 Johnson Avenue since 1954 and an open parking lot across the street at 145 Randolph Street since 1987. The properties have been operated under month-to- month license agreements since their leases expired in 2007 and 2006, respectively. The properties are located in Brooklyn Community District 1, but the facility serves Community District 3.

Sanitation intends to relocate the facility to a site located within CD 3 at 56 Nostrand Avenue. The City Council in 2001 approved the relocation, but completion of the new garage facility has stalled due to cuts in Sanitation’s capital budget. According to Sanitation, construction of the Nostrand Avenue facility will take six years from the date that funding is restored. (more…)

CPC Resources Inc.’s New Domino project at the former Domino Sugar plant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Image Courtesy: Rafael Vinoly Architects

The City Council approved developer’s modified proposal for 2,200-unit mixed-use project. On July 29, 2010, the City Council approved CPC Resources Inc.’s modified proposal to build a 2,200-unit mixed-use project on Williamsburg’s Domino Sugar plant site. The 11.2-acre site includes the Domino Sugar parcel located along the East River waterfront between Grand and South 5th Streets and a smaller upland parcel across the street between South 3rd and 4th Streets.

CPC Resources will redevelop the landmarked Domino Refinery Building, demolish the Bin Building, and construct four buildings on the Domino parcel and one on the upland parcel. The Rafael Viñoly designed project will provide four acres of public waterfront, ground floor retail space along Kent Avenue, four underground parking garages, and nearly 100,000 sq.ft. of office space. CPC Resources intends to market 30 percent of the project’s 2,200 apartments as affordable. (more…)

Council Member Levin concerned that project would burden existing infrastructure. On April 28, 2010, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on CPC Resources Inc.’s proposed 2.75 million sq.ft. mixed used development at the landmarked Domino Sugar plant site in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The 11.2- acre project site encompasses the former Domino plant along the East River between Grand and South 5th Streets and an upland parcel bounded by Kent and Wythe Avenues, and South 3rd and 4th Streets. (more…)

Council Member Levin concerned that project would burden existing infrastructure. On April 28, 2010, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on CPC Resources Inc.’s proposed 2.75 million sq.ft. mixed-used development at the landmarked Domino Sugar plant site in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The 11.2- acre project site encompasses the former Domino plant along the East River between Grand and South 5th Streets and an upland parcel bounded by Kent and Wythe Avenues, and South 3rd and 4th Streets. The proposal included building four towers on the Domino site and a fifth structure on the upland parcel. CPC Resources would demolish the Domino Bin building and relocate the “Domino Sugar” sign to a redeveloped Refinery Building. The buildings would feature a series of setbacks to reduce their bulk and create a tapered effect.

The project would create approximately 2,200 residential units, 30 percent of which would be affordable. It would also provide four acres of public waterfront space, 125,000 sq.ft. of retail space, 99,000 sq.ft. of office space, and more than 1,600 underground parking spaces located in four separate facilities. Four of the buildings would include ground-floor retail with residential units above. The tower built on the waterfront parcel’s northern portion would be used primarily as office space. The Refinery Building would contain more than 100,000 sq.ft. of community facility space. (more…)

The Refinery LLC’s proposed Domino Sugar project in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Image: Courtesy Rafael Viñoly Architects.

Proposal includes five new high-rise buildings, 660 units of affordable housing, and four acres of open space along the East River. On January 4, 2010, the City Planning Commission certified The Refinery LLC’s proposed development at the 11.2-acre, landmarked Domino Sugar plant site in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Refinery LLC seeks to build a 2.75 million sq.ft., mixed-use development on a 9.8-acre parcel bounded by the East River, South 5th Street, Grand Street, Kent Avenue, and an adjacent upland parcel bounded by South 4th and South 3rd Streets, and Kent and Wythe Avenues. The project would create 2,200 residential units, including 660 affordable units, and provide four acres of publicly accessible waterfront space, 274,000 sq.ft. of retail and community facility space, 99,000 sq.ft. of office space, and 1,693 underground parking spaces.

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