City seeks to create a Special Willets Point District; local businesses file lawsuit. On April 21, 2008, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development began public consideration for their proposal to rezone a 61-acre area in Willets Point.
The area, roughly bounded by the Van Wyck Expressway, Roosevelt Avenue, 126th Street, and Northern Boulevard, is known as the “Iron Triangle” for its predominantly industrial and auto service-related character. According to EDC, Willets Point is in desperate need of redevelopment and suffers from extensive environmental contamination, numerous building code violations, poor road and sidewalk conditions, and limited storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure. EDC’s proposal seeks to transform this area into a mixed-use district complete with residential, retail, hotel, convention center, entertainment, and commercial office uses. 4 CityLand 165 (Dec. 2007). (more…)
- Hunts Point proposed rezoning. Image: Courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning.
Borough President testified against the rezoning because of as-of-right hotel use and “big box” retail provisions. On April 9, 2008, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone a 75- block area in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. The proposed rezoning would establish the Special Hunts Point District, bounded by the Bruckner Expressway, Halleck Street, and Ryawa and Oak Point Avenues. The area is characterized by a small residential district surrounded by industrial uses, such as the relocated Fulton Fish Market and the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, as well as some waste-related uses.
The proposed Special Hunts Point District would consist of two subdistricts, one residential and the other catered to the food industry. According to City Planning, 13 residential lots and 47 commercial lots, representing 31 businesses, do not comply with the proposed rezoning. 5 CityLand 9 (Feb. 15, 2008). (more…)
Plan strives to encourage growth in food service industry. On January 7, 2008, the Planning Commission launched public consideration for the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone portions of the Hunts Point peninsula. The proposal is now with Bronx Community Board 2 for its review.
City Planning seeks to downzone 70 blocks of industrial land to M1-2 for light manufacturing. The area surrounds a 22-acre residential district and is roughly bounded by Bruckner Boulevard, Oak Point Rail Yard, Oak Point Avenue, and Halleck Street/Edgewater Road. It is currently developed by a mix of uses, including warehouses, auto repair shops, and food-related manufacturers and distributors. City Planning also seeks to map a C1-4 commercial overlay along portions of Lafayette and Hunts Point Avenues. The overlays would encourage sorely needed neighborhood retail, such as eating and drinking establishments. (more…)
- Sewage digester buildings will overlook Barretto Point Park under DEP’s plan to expand its water treatment plant in Hunts Point, Bronx. Image: DEP.
DEP agrees to work with local community to address its concerns. On September 10, 2007, the City Council approved the Department of Environmental Protection’s plan to expand its water treatment plant in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. Under the plan, DEP will construct two, 130-foot tall, eggshaped digester buildings, which will convert raw sewage sludge into fertilizer. The plan also includes a 1.2-acre staging area that DEP will use for construction and then eventually transfer to the Department of Parks and Recreation as an addition to the newly-opened Barretto Point Park, which Parks built on former DEP land.
In July, the Planning Commission unanimously approved the plan, particularly expressing its approval of the addition to Barretto Point Park. 4 CityLand 106 (Aug. 15, 2007). At the Council’s public hearing, however, the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses focused primarily on the expansion’s impact on air quality.
Representatives from the Bronx Borough President’s office and Sustainable South Bronx joined local residents to argue that the current odor from the plant will only get worse if the plant expands. They urged the Council to delay approval of the expansion until they get assurances from DEP that it will work with the local community to address odor and air quality issues in a timely manner. The opposition also asked that the digester buildings be located well within the interior of the current site, away from Barretto Point Park, so that their presence would not overshadow the park. (more…)
Plan encompasses 134 businesses. On August 8, 2007, the Planning Commission approved an application by the Department of Small Business Services to create the Southern Boulevard Business Improvement District for 134 businesses and 59 property owners, encompassing 792 residential units, in the Hunts Point area of the Bronx.
The proposed BID will allow an annual assessment on businesses and residents to enhance sanitation, security and marketing. The $200,000 first-year budget will come from small assessments on commercial properties of 37 cents per square foot. Residential and vacant properties will pay an annual $1 assessment. Government and not-for-profits will be exempt. (more…)
