TransGas seeks to construct a 1,100 megawatt generating facility on land that the City intends to convert to a public park. In October 1999, Brooklyn Community Board 1 submitted plans to the Department of City Planning to rezone the Brooklyn East River waterfront in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The rezoning was in response to the decline in manufacturing activity and the increase in residential demand in the area. The rezoning also envisioned a 28-acre park on the waterfront below Bushwick Inlet in Greenpoint. In March 2001, TransGas Energy Systems purchased an option to buy 1 North 12th Street, located within the site of the proposed park, as a site for a power plant. In May 2005, the City adopted the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning Plan. 2 CityLand 67 (June 15, 2005).

The City and TransGas then each embarked on condemnation proceedings for their respective, mutually exclusive, projects. In November 2006, Second Department ruled that TransGas lacked the authority to condemn property for its Brooklyn waterfront power plant absent approval from the New York State Board of Electric Generation Siting and the Environment. 3 CityLand 173 (Dec. 2006). (more…)

Council Member Reyna raised concerns over loss of light industrial space. On March 20, 2008, Gerald Goldman, the owner of a former factory building at 70 Wyckoff Avenue, filed a motion to withdraw his application to rezone a four-story, 62,000- square-foot commercial loft building for residential use.

Goldman had originally sought to rezone ten lots on Wyckoff Avenue between Suydam Street and Dekalb Avenue, from M1-1 to R6, in order to legalize 70 Wyckoff’s current use. Brooklyn Community Board 4, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the Planning Commission approved the application. (more…)

Rezoning passed despite strong opposition by developers. On March 26, 2008, the City Council modified the Department of City Planning’s proposal to downzone 13 blocks along Grand Street and adjoining areas in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The area currently consists of three- and four-story buildings, many of which have ground-floor retail and residential use on upper floors. The contextual R6B zoning would limit building heights to either 40 feet at the street or 50 feet with a setback. 5 CityLand 25 (Mar. 15, 2008). It will affect some planned developments for the area, including a 14-story tower at 227 Grand Street. (more…)

Preservation and housing advocates squared off over development plan. On February 5, 2008, Landmarks held a public hearing regarding alterations and additions to the Domino Sugar Refinery complex, located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

In 2007, the City designated three buildings at the complex. 4 CityLand 141 (Oct. 15, 2007). During the designation process, the owner of the property, Community Preservation Corporation, warned Landmarks that the buildings’ infrastructure would need extensive retrofitting in order to accommodate residential use. 4 CityLand 93 (July 15, 2007).

At the most recent hearing, the owner unveiled the designs for the complex, which include a five-story glass rooftop addition to the 124year-old refinery building, five 40story towers, and a waterfront esplanade. The total development would yield 2,200 residential units, 120,000 sq.ft. of retail space, 100,000 sq.ft. of community facility space, 1,500 parking spaces, and several acres of publicly accessible open space. Fred Bland of Beyer Blinder Belle, one of Community Preservation’s architects, characterized the project as a “21st century completion” of the buildings. (more…)

Community group’s appeal seeks to halt construction of the 42story condo-hotel. On February 27, 2008, BSA heard testimony regarding the Department of Buildings’ approval for the Trump SoHo condominium hotel under construction at 246 Spring Street. The SoHo Alliance Community Group appealed, arguing that the condominium hotel contravenes the manufacturing zoning district’s prohibition against residential development.

Buildings approved the plans for the Trump Soho on September 28, 2007 with the condition that the developers file a restriction against the property that prohibits owners of any one of the condominium hotel’s 413 residential units from living there for more than 29 consecutive days in any 36-day period, or a total of about 120 days per calendar year. The rest of the time, owners would put their Trump SoHo units on the market for transient use on a daily or weekly basis. The restriction, according to Buildings, puts the Trump SoHo under the transient hotel exception to the general prohibition against residential developments in the area. Under the restriction, Buildings would conduct audits and/or issue financial penalties to enforce the transient use requirements. (more…)