City Council Subcommittee Chided EDC over Downtown Brooklyn Development [UPDATE: Committee Approves Application With Conditions]

Subcommittee raised concerns about the aggregate effect the mass development of Downtown Brooklyn will have on school resources. On October 5, 2016, the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises heard testimony on an application to construct a new 49-story mixed-use building at 141 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The site is a triangular-shaped zoning lot bounded by Flatbush Avenue Extension, Willoughby Street and Gold Street. Currently the space is occupied by a three-story private … <Read More>


New Bill by Council Member Gentile Takes Aim at Illegal Home Conversions

Proposal imposes steep fines on bad actors, and helps Buildings inspectors gain premises access. On June 21, 2016, New York City Council Members Vincent J. Gentile, Jumaane D. Williams, and Barry S. Grodenchik introduced legislation that would impose high penalties on bad actor landlords and equip the Department of Buildings with means to gain entry into suspected illegal conversion sites. This bill was developed with the support of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, after a … <Read More>


CPC Approves Proposed Brooklyn Heights Library Redevelopment Plan, Council Review Next

Developer would build new public library on the ground floor of a mixed-use development and construct off-site affordable housing.  On November 2, 2015, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ and Brooklyn Public Library’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure applications to reconstruct the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on the base level of a mixed-use building.  A public hearing was held on the proposal on September … <Read More>


CPC Holds Hearing on Proposed Brooklyn Heights Library Redevelopment Plan

The proposed redevelopment would replace the current library with an upgraded library and luxury condominiums.  On September 22, 2015, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ and Brooklyn Public Library’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure application to redevelop the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.  The proposal would replace the current library with a new 36-story building containing a new library on the … <Read More>


City Planning Approves Ebenezer Plaza; City Council Next to Consider

The City Planning Commission approved the construction of “Ebenezer Plaza” which will contain two new mixed-use buildings with 531 affordable dwelling units, commercial space and a new house of worship for the Church of God of East Flatbush. On July 12, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on a joint application from Brownsville Linden Plaza LLC. The application requested four zoning map amendments and a zoning text amendment to designate the project <Read More>


City Planning Hears Testimony on Expansion of Mental Health Treatment Facility

The proposed rezoning would facilitate the expansion of a mental health treatment facility to include low-income affordable units for individuals and families. On June 21, 2017, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application for multiple land use actions to facilitate the enlargement and reconstruction of an existing eight-story building by integrating a 10-story horizontal expansion onto an abutting parking lot and three-story addition to the northern portion of the existing building. … <Read More>