NEW YORK | River Ring | 710 FT & 560 FT | 64 + 49 FLOORS

[NYguy]

[chris08876]

Community groups announce tentative support for Two Trees project in Williamsburg; The Bjarke Ingels-designed towers would feature more than 1,000 homes, offices, and a beach

With the rezoning process now underway, a trio of community groups has announced their support for Two Trees Management's proposed waterfront towers in Williamsburg - with some caveats.

“Los Sures, El Puente, and St. Nicks Alliance, the Coalition, have long been advocates for affordable housing, jobs and environmental justice,” reads a letter reported by Brooklyn Paper. “Together, along with many other organizations, we continue to advocate for the interest of low- and moderate-income residents in our community. We appreciate the efforts of Two Trees community engagement over the last nine years and now towards the development of the River Ring Project.”

The proposed development, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, calls for the construction of a pair of high-rise buildings featuring 1,050 homes, offices, retail, and a new YMCA on the site of the former Con Edison North First Street terminal. Additionally, plans call for a three-acre beach - and roughly six acres of open space in total - designed by James Corner Field Operations.

In addition to commitments regarding community benefits and the potential environmental impacts of the towers, Los Sures, El Puente, and St. Nicks Alliance area also seeking greater affordability within the project. While Two Trees has proposed that 263 units - roughly 25 percent of the project total - will be made permanently affordable to households earning between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income, the community groups have asked the developers to go beyond that figure. Two Trees, on its website, has indicated a willingness to consider that request.

As we previously reported, the project is expected to enter and complete the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure this year. According to scoping documents filed with the city in March, the development will "be constructed over a period of approximately 50 months, with expected completion and full occupancy by 2027."

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https://urbanize.city/nyc/post/commu...t-williamsburg

[chris08876]

BIG’s Two-Towered River Ring Secures Approvals, On Williamsburg Waterfront

The proposed two-skyscraper development River Ring, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and developed by Two Trees Management, is closer to fruition after Community Board 1 approval. The 3.5-acre project would bring 1,050 homes with 263 affordable housing units, a six-acre circular waterfront park designed by James Corner Field Operations, a YMCA community facility, 2,000 construction jobs, and more than 500 permanent jobs to the Brooklyn waterfront in Williamsburg.

As reported by Bisnow, the board voted 20-15 Tuesday to support River Ring, with the condition of increasing the affordable housing component from 25 to 50 percent.

River Ring is proposed for a pair of vacant rectangular parcels bound by North First Street, North Third Street, and River Street. The waterfront park consists of three acres of public open space and three acres of protected in-river access, as well as the creation of two new beaches. The design of the waterfront park would protect the complex and other inland properties from future storm surges, reducing the possibility of flooding.

Next in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process, the proposal will go to Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president and then the city’s Planning Commission. The borough president will hold a public meeting later in September to allow for community feedback. River Ring is estimated to be completed by 2030.

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NYY

[JMKeynes]

[JMKeynes]

50% affordable housing is extortionate. I wonder if this project will be financially viable.

[Busy Bee]

River Ring is estimated to be completed by 2030.

Wha?

[gttx]

Originally Posted by chris08876

As reported by Bisnow, the board voted 20-15 Tuesday to support River Ring, with the condition of increasing the affordable housing component from 25 to 50 percent.

This is a pretty significant condition...

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by gttx

This is a pretty significant condition...

The board is only advisory, but they didn't reject it outright. I guess that's a plus from them, but they won't get 50% affordable.

[NYguy]

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/river-...uncil-hearing/


RIVER RING MOVES FORWARD WITH CITY PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVAL, CITY COUNCIL HEARING

By Kirstyn Brendlen
November 19, 2021

The CPC voted unanimously to approve the project on Wednesday, setting the stage for the council’s hearing on Thursday morning and a vote sometime before Jan. 6, the end of the council’s 50-day deadline under the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process.

In their report, the commission said they felt the proposed project fills a need for more housing in Williamsburg, one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, and that the change from a commercial to residential zoning code is in line with the 2005 rezoning. The lot was not included in that rezoning because it was still an active industrial site owned by Con Edison at the time.

If approved, River Ring would bring two mixed-use towers — about 600 and 700 feet tall, respectively — and a large waterfront park to Williamsburg, just north of the former Domino Sugar Factory, another Two Trees development. Current plans include 1,050 apartments, office space, and retail and office space, along with new breakwaters, outdoor classroom space, and water access as part of the park space.

[Busy Bee]

Great news. Did they stick with the color change?

[BuildThemTaller]

Amazing news. The entire strip of shoreline from the 59th St Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge will be all publicly-accessible and mostly park/green space with towers within the next 2 decades or sooner.

[JMKeynes]

The greatest city in the world!!!

[pico44]

Cool.

Very cool.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Great news. Did they stick with the color change?

We will see.

[NYguy]

BTW, this was approved by the Council as well. I know there’s been a lot going on.

[streetscaper]

Nice! Hopefully can start soon?

[NYguy]

https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2...ring-proposal/

City Council unanimously approves River Ring proposal
Construction on new waterfront park, housing expected to begin in 2024





December 16, 2021
Brooklyn Eagle Staff

More than two years since it was first introduced to the Williamsburg community, the City Council unanimously voted to approve the River Ring waterfront project, with 48 votes in favor.

The Council met for its final meeting of the year Wednesday and voted in support of the ambitious proposal first shared by developer Two Trees in 2019. The project, which required the rezoning of a previously underused Con Edison lot, began the land use process in August and was met with approval at every step, albeit with recommendations from community board members and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adam’s office, such as increased affordability.

The final negotiated agreement — which was unveiled last week when River Ring was voted out of the Council’s Land Use Committee — also secured Two Trees’ commitment to fund the construction of some off-site 150 affordable housing units for seniors within the Williamsburg and Greenpoint community.

n total, River Ring will bring about 1,050 new on-site housing units to the waterfront, including 263 deeply affordable apartments. It also will open up about 3 acres of open space, plus 3 acres of protected in-water access, and incorporate a new YMCA facility and approximately $100 million in investments in resiliency efforts to mitigate ongoing impacts of climate change to surrounding lots.

In a previous statement, Two Trees principal Jed Walentas thanked outgoing Council Member Stephen Levin and celebrated the project as an extension of the developer’s work with the adjacent Domino redevelopment project, completing a stretch of waterfront access for Williamsburg’s Southside community.

“We will bring the same commitment and dedication to River Ring that we’ve brought to the Domino redevelopment and Domino Park,” Walentas said. “Taken together, these two projects will provide approximately 1,000 units of affordable housing integrated within new, world-class buildings.”

The vote result was also celebrated on Wednesday by a coalition of Williamsburg organizations Los Sures, El Puente and St. Nicks Alliance, praising Council Member Levin and Two Trees for the negotiated agreement. The groups previously shared an open letter recognizing the developer’s positive record with the community, especially as it relates to local job creation and housing development.

[MAC123]

Originally Posted by NYguy

https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2...ring-proposal/

I love this proposal, but isn't this the one projected to be completed in 2030? That's a really slow development for it's size.
Also I just saw the taller tower is 710 ft and I often forget because that is massive. The tallest building in my entire state is the Devon Energy Center, at only 844 ft (and I've stood under that building, it's big.) and this is just another project going up here. Amazing.

[Zapatan]

Hell yea!

[Doubleu1117]

Been a couple years with seemingly no momentum on this one. Any word if this is still in the pipeline? I know it had a longer timeline, but has been a long time with no updates.
On the back burner until they wrap up the Domino developments?