[NYguy]

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...60362871638046

Brooklyn Tower Tussle
Proposal for Two Residential High-Rises on Waterfront at Center of Debate





By Laura Kusisto
Dec. 15, 2013

A proposal for two high-rise residential towers on Brooklyn's waterfront is at the center of a debate over changes sweeping the Greenpoint neighborhood, where a dozen tall apartment buildings are planned along the East River.

City Council Member Stephen Levin must decide by the council's last session of the year Thursday whether to vote against a measure to allow two towers—one 30 stories, one 40 stories—at 77 Commercial St., instead of two 15-story buildings. The vote by Mr. Levin, who represents the area on the council, will likely be followed by his colleagues.

If allowed to build higher, developers Joseph Chetrit and David Bistricer would be expected to deliver 200 units of affordable housing and money for a long-promised park, softening the impact of thousands of new residents moving to the area.

But to some in Greenpoint, voting no represents a rare opportunity to put a brake on the rapid pace of development. "There are developers poised to develop all along the waterfront, and a lot of them are watching," said Michael Brown, a 33-year-old community organizer. "We have to make a stand, and we have to say that if you are going to delude and destroy our culture and change the character, you're not going to do it without a fight."

A spokesman for the developers defended the project. "The community has made clear that North Brooklyn needs more open space and affordable housing, and we see this as an immediate opportunity for those goals to be achieved," he said.

The debate underscores the passions still roiled by the city's decision in 2005 to allow about 5,500 new apartments in high-rise buildings on the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfronts, once home to oil refineries and shipyards.

Building kicked off quickly in Williamsburg, a more popular area with better transportation, but the recession put a damper on developers' ambitions in Greenpoint. The area has seen only a smattering of new buildings, and Polish delis and auto- body shops still outnumber upscale coffee shops. Now development in Greenpoint is picking up rapidly, to the surprise of many residents who barely remember the rezoning of eight years ago.

"A lot of what's happening in Greenpoint is the awakening to the realization that 'Oh my God,' development is going to happen here," said Ward Dennis, co-chairman of Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, an organization advocating for waterfront access in Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

At the northwestern tip of Brooklyn, 77 Commercial St. is small compared to other projects moving forward in Greenpoint, but anti-development forces have focused on it because it is a rare site where the rezoning allowed only 15-story buildings, not 30-plus-story buildings. To build taller, Messrs. Chetrit and Bistricer plan to purchase development rights from a neighboring site owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, paying about $8.2 million to build a park there and agreeing to include below market-rate units. The additional height, though, still needs approval from the City Council.

The deal is important to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration because it would help deliver on promises to create affordable housing and parkland along the East River, pledges that made the 2005 rezoning easier to swallow. Small portions of the parkland and affordable housing have been built. Mr. Levin, developers and city officials are negotiating a last-minute deal to get more funding for the park and to target the affordable housing to more low-income residents. People involved with the negotiations said they are hopeful agreement would be reached, but some said they remain far apart on crucial issues.

Some community groups are uncomfortable with allowing taller buildings at 77 Commercial St., but they support the project nonetheless. "I would love to have one gigantic park at the East River. That would be something that would be perfect for the community. It's not the way that's going to happen," said Christine Holowacz, co-chairwoman of the Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning. "You have to just see whether you can make a deal where the community would benefit those most."

Whether or not 77 Commercial St. is approved, change in Greenpoint is inevitable.