Owner withdraws Greenpoint variance application

Owner sought to convert industrial building to residential units. 202 Meserole LLC, owner of a three-story building located at the corner of Jewel Street and Meserole Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, sought a variance to convert the 15,960-squarefoot building into 17 residential units.

In its BSA application, Meserole represented that the building was structurally incapable of supporting as-of-right manufacturing because the building was originally intended for residential use, and consequently had low ceilings and no freight … <Read More>


Two lots win partial upzoning despite opposition

The Council allowed 75-foot rather than 80-foot height. Following a modification proposed by the Planning Commission, the City Council approved a controversial application by 22 Caton Place Corporation to rezone two lots in Brooklyn’s East Windsor Terrace to facilitate a large residential development.

Caton’s original application received strong opposition from local residents, Brooklyn Community Board 7 and Borough President Marty Markowitz, who complained that the proposed 68-unit, 80-foot tall structure was too large for East … <Read More>


New building approved on Water Street

Landmarks issues permit for new six-story building in South Street Seaport. 276 Water Street Development, LLC sought Landmarks’ approval to construct a new residential building at 276 Water Street, one of the only remaining vacant lots in the South Street Seaport Historic District. The 5,019- square-foot lot is located on the corner of Frankfort Street at the Historic District’s edge, directly across from the base of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Landmarks expressed concern over the original … <Read More>


Lapsed building permit reinstated

Building permit extended after Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning. Belvedere III LLC, the owner of 135 North 9th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, applied to reinstate its building permit and extend the time for completion of a new four-story, six-unit mixed-use residential/community facility building with a medical office on the first floor. The development became noncompliant after the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning in May 2005. 2 CityLand 36 (Apr. 15, 2005), 2 CityLand 51 (May 15, 2005), 2 CityLand 67 (June … <Read More>


Bay Ridge 5th Avenue BID approved

BID will encompass 340 properties to address sanitation and security needs. The Planning Commission unanimously approved an application by the Bay Ridge 5th Avenue District Management Association and the Department of Small Business Services to create a Bay Ridge 5th Avenue Business Improvement District in Brooklyn. The proposed BID will allow an annual assessment on businesses and residents to provide improved sanitation and security for 340 properties containing 320 businesses. The BID area extends along … <Read More>


Rezoning encourages medium- and low-rise development

Midwood Rezoning: Proposed Rezoning Map. Used with permission of the New York City Department of City Planning. All rights reserved.

Midwood rezoned to encourage appropriate higher density development. On February 22, 2006, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a rezoning impacting 80 predominantly residential blocks of Midwood, Brooklyn. The rezoning was proposed in response to out-of-scale development permitted by the R6 district’s community facility bonuses that increased FAR from 2.43 to 4.8. Designed to preserve the … <Read More>