The City Council on Thursday approved three different rezonings in Brooklyn that would create more than 300 apartments altogether.
The largest project, 281-311 Marcus Garvey Blvd., would consist of a pair of 9-story buildings on opposite sides of the same street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, containing 155 units combined — all of which would be affordable.
Built by Paths Development (formerly known as Omni), the mixed-use project would also include commercial space, a boxing gym and medical offices. It is an infill project, being built on the campuses of the existing block-long Evers Apartments and Betty Shabazz Apartments.
Another rezoning, at 1289 Atlantic Ave. in the same neighborhood, will result in a fully affordable 14-story building with 112 apartments, overlooking the Nostrand Avenue Long Island Rail Road station. The developer, Joseph Atarien of Atari Realty, would also build ground-floor commercial and community space, as well as 39 off-street parking spots.
Finally, a 9-story building at 817 Avenue H in Midwood would produce 42 apartments — 11 of which would be affordable. The developer is the Agudist Council of Greater New York, an Orthodox Jewish group.
All three projects advanced with the support of the local council members — Chi Ossé for the Bed-Stuy developments and Farah Louis in Midwood. Speaker Adrienne Adams’ approach has largely preserved the practice of “member deference,” which gives lawmakers virtual veto power over projects in their districts, despite speculation that the tradition might end as the city’s housing shortage worsens.
But Speaker Adams has nonetheless pushed for the approval of a few major developments, and enacted a law last year that aims to spread new construction more evenly among neighborhoods by setting growth targets and studying each area’s housing needs.
The Atlantic Avenue project required a rezoning because it sits on what is otherwise a manufacturing-only site, while the two others needed zoning changes to add greater density.
“This is an emergency and we have to tackle the shortage without delay, which is why I’m excited about these two projects,” Ossé said at a hearing on the rezonings earlier this month.
The Atlantic Avenue project approved Thursday sits just outside the 13-block area being eyed for a rezoning by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, which would pave the way for some 4,000 new homes in what is currently a manufacturing-only area.
Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, who represents much of that area, persuaded her fellow lawmakers to reject a different nine-story project in February that sat within that zone. Although the developers said their project followed the same framework as the neighborhood-wide plan, Hudson argued it would be premature to approve an individual development ahead of the broader rezoning.
Of course, permitting new projects and actually building them are different questions. Multiple developers in recent weeks have said the state’s new 485-x tax break for affordable developments is not generous enough for their projects to pencil out financially. Among them was Two Trees executive David Lombino, who told Crain’s that the company’s major River Ring project in Williamsburg is “not feasible” in the current high-interest rate environment.
Nick Garber , 2024-05-16 20:50:24
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