[sparkling]

Rendering of 420-430 Kent Avenue by ODA Architecture revealed

Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Jessica Dailey

Former governor Eliot Spitzer is moving full steam ahead with his South Williamsburg development, and the Times has all the details on what to expect. The site, located at 420-430 Kent Avenue on the East River, just south of the Williamsburg Bridge and the Domino development, will hold three 24-story towers deigned by ODA, and, unsurprisingly, they will look like stacks of boxes—or, as ODA's Eran Chen puts it, a "molded iceberg, sculpted to create the maximum number of views and outdoor spaces." Building permits were approved last week, so construction is imminent.

Previous plans for the site called for two towers and 413 apartments, but Spitzer has grander plans. His development will create a whopping 856 rental apartments, with 20 percent of those being affordable. The project also includes a public park, waterfront esplanade, and two rooftop pools. David Maundrell of aptsandlofts, which will market the buildings, says the development will be "authentic Brooklyn, not an extension of Manhattan."

The area is booming with new buildings, but Spitzer isn't concerned with the competition. "Can Williamsburg absorb 4,000 units?' he said to the Times. "I don't think there's any question the answer is yes." That is probably true, but can North Brooklyn's subway lines handle the amount of people 4,000 new units will bring?