Boerum Hill Map. Image credit: LPC.

Commission rejected modifications to 288-property extension to Boerum Hill Historic District, composed of three discrete pieces. On June 26, 2018, the Landmarks preservation Commission voted to designate a 288-building extension to the existing Boerum Hill Historic District. The extension is composed of three distinct sections to the east, north and south of the existing district. The extension shares it development history and architectural character with the existing district. The first wave of residential development in the area, in the 1850s to 1870s, followed the industrialization of the South Brooklyn waterfront, and saw the construction of speculatively built rowhouses, primarily in Italianate and Greek Revival styles. Following the Civil War and the opening of the Gowanus Canal, a second wave of development in the 1880s included Second Empire houses and neo-Grec rowhouses. The area’s original denizens were largely German and Italian immigrants who worked in port-related industries. (more…)

Boerum Hill HD. Image Credit: LPC.

Composed of three distinct areas to the north, south and west of the existing historic district, proposed expansion shares a character and development history designated section of Boerum Hill. Landmarks voted to add an extension to the Boerum Hill Historic District to its calendar for consideration for designation on October 31, 2017. The extension, as calendared, would bring approximately 288 properties under Landmarks’ purview. The extension is not contiguous, but composed of three separate sections to the north, south and west of the existing historic district. (more…)

Rezoning of 31-block area established height limits to curb out-of scale development. On September 21, 2011 the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s contextual rezoning plan for Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The plan impacted approximately 31 blocks generally bounded by Atlantic Avenue to the north, Warren and Wyckoff Streets to the south, 4th Avenue to the east, and Court Street to the west. Boerum Hill is situated south of downtown Brooklyn between Carroll Gardens and Park Slope. The residential neighborhood is primarily characterized by three- and four-story rowhouses, many of which were built in the late 1860s and early 1870s.

The area was zoned R6, except for portions of five blocks between 3rd and 4th Avenues, which were zoned R7B. Planning proposed the rezoning to prevent the erosion of the neighborhood’s predominately low-rise residential character and support the commercial character of its mixed-use corridors.  (more…)

Neighborhood group supported 31-block rezoning plan, but one property owner requested relief for site. On July 13, 2011, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on the Department of City Planning’s contextual rezoning plan for Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The approximately 31-block study area is generally bounded by Atlantic Avenue to the north, Warren and Wyckoff Streets to the south, 4th Avenue to the east, and Court Street to the west. The proposal seeks to preserve the neighborhood’s low-rise residential character while reinforcing the commercial character of certain mixed-use corridors.

The majority of the area is currently zoned R6 and characterized by three- and four-story brown stone and rowhouse buildings. An R7B zoning district is mapped on portions of five blocks between 3rd and 4th Avenues. These blocks were part of a larger area that was rezoned in 1991 as part of the Park Slope North rezoning. There are no established building height limits under R6 zoning regulations and the maximum FAR for residential uses is 2.43 while community facility uses are permitted to build to a maximum of 4.8 FAR. As a result, the area has recently experienced outof- scale development.  (more…)

Aerial View of Rikers Island Photo Credit: US Geological Survey

The City wastes little time in efforts to shutter Rikers Island and get construction across the boroughs started. Since the latter half of November, the City announced three major developments in the Borough-Based Jails plan. Each announcement is discussed in further detail below. To read more about Borough-Based Jails, read Cityland’s prior coverage here.

(more…)