#ulurp

These gigantic towers designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) are planned for Williamsburg's waterfront just north of the Domino Sugar Factory development. At 600 and 650 feet tall, these two towers will house a thousand units of housing surrounded by six acres of public space with a park and beach. Previously home to Con Ed, the site runs along the East River just north of the Williamsburg Bridge between North 1st and North 3rd Streets. The developer, Two Trees, is requesting a rezoning and will likely include a YMCA, community-oriented retail, office space, and 250 units of affordable housing. The developer recently purchased the 3.5-acre site from Con Edison for $350 million. Jutting out into the East River, two jetties will offer nature trails while protecting the cove and beach encircled by a pier. The park entrance will be strategically located at the foot of Metropolitan Avenue, which will be anchored by the two towers allowing for an extended view plane down Metropolitan. The park would also unify Grand Ferry Park with North Fifth Park. BIG, who is also leading the BIG U/East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, and has submitted an exiting plan for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, has also incorporated resiliency and flood mitigation elements into the project, including wetlands, berms, and marshes that help absorb flooding during storm surges. The beach, community boating, and outdoor "tidal classroom" featured in the proposal are a step in the right direction for Williamsburg's waterfront, which has been overburdened with new luxury residential towers over the past decade. While it features two 600+ foot residential towers, the project seeks to give the waterfront back to the public, something we at NYC Urbanism advocate for. What do you think of the proposal? #williamsburgbrooklyn #williamsburg #dominopark #eatriver #greenpoint #bjarkeingels #bushwick #bushwickinlet #fortgreene #dumbo #brooklyn #architecture #archilovers #skyline #skyscraper #rezoning #ulurp #nycarchitecture #brooklynnyc #brooklynnavyyard #dominosugarfactory #bigu #escrp #eastriverpark #urbanis #urbanplanning #cityplanning #nycurbanism (at Williamsburg, Brooklyn) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6MAyleHUef/?igshid=himf60ywl5eo

One Manhattan Square, the new supertall residential skyscraper at the foot of the #ManhattanBridge is getting four new #supertall neighbors. Earlier this month, the three controversial towers, which will add 3,000 units to the neighborhood, were approved by the City Planning Commission. The first tower, designed by @SHoParchitects and developed by @JDSdevelopmentgroup at 247 Cherry Street will be over a thousand feet tall, over 150-feet taller than @OneManhattanSquare! The two other #skyscrapers are both over 700 feet tall – 260 South Street (798 feet) and 259 Clinton Street (730 feet). Residents and local elected representatives have expressed concerns over the height and scale of the buildings, which are built "as-of-right" meaning under the current allowable zoning without seeking an upzoning via the #ULURP process (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure). Even without a ULURP, the developers agreed to fund $12.5 million in repairs to the local Two Bridges NYCHA development along with repairs to the East Broadway subway station. Additionally, 700 units of affordable housing will be constructed – the largest privately-financed affordable housing development in the city’s history. After the approval, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer @galeabrewer filed a lawsuit in to stop the towers from moving forward without a land use review process. Councilmember Margaret Chin @teammargaretchin commented, "in order to turn the tide against out-of-control overdevelopment across our city, we need to act decisively and close loopholes that would allow for the construction of out-of-scale luxury towers without a robust and transparent public review.” The Two Bridges neighborhood has a large population of working-class and low-income families, public housing, and senior housing. The proposed Cherry Street tower will be cantilevered over an existing ten-story senior center. It is also important to note the three towers would be built in a flood zone. Do public amenities and affordable housing make the large scale of these towers acceptable? Comment below to let us know what you think about the proposed towers and the call for public review. (at 247 Cherry) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrvhiW-lP4G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1meqij1x8mb2l

One Manhattan Square, the new residential skyscraper at the foot of the #ManhattanBridge may be getting four new #supertall neighbors! The first, designed by @SHoParchitects and developed by @JDSdevelopmentgroup at 247 Cherry Street will be over a thousand feet tall, over 150-feet taller than @OneManhattanSquare! The three other #skyscrapers, two at 260 South Street and one at 259 Clinton Street will be 798, 728, and 724 feet tall. Residents have expressed concerns over the height and scale of the buildings, which will not seek upzoning via the #ULURP process. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (@galeabrewer) and Councilperson Margaret Chin (@teammargaretchin) are urging the #DepartmentofCityPlanning to conduct additional reviews the towers and are threatening to pursue legal action if the city does not stop the developments. Architects Newspaper @archpaper aptly describes the political and social issues surrounding the development: "Though there are many neighborhood groups across the city saying “no” to tall buildings, the political geography of downtown #Manhattan lends the #TwoBridges controversy a special edge. Restrictive zoning and landmarking shields wealthier and whiter neighborhoods downtown from skyscrapers, but those protections are missing in the #LowerEastSide or Chinatown, a condition that jeopardizes affordability and encourages what some see as out-of-scale development. Though activists are working to mitigate displacement, since 2002, #Chinatown has lost more than 25 percent of its rent-regulated apartments. Now, neighbors are worried the developments will stress already over-burdened infrastructure, block natural light, and engender displacement in the low-income neighborhood by causing property values to spike. #At OneManhattanSquare, for example, prices for two-bedrooms start at almost $2.1 million." (at One Manhattan Square)

What's wrong with this picture? Hundreds of vacant condos and big box stores sitting idle while local residents and small businesses face closure and mass evictions. Instead of addressing this humanitarian crisis, City government is railroading through even more luxury developments like @SFWDistrict. Apparently, the biggest priority in the MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC is to restart #ULURP process (in virtual "public" hearings for a community where 41% do not have broadband Internet access) on the behest of real estate developers who care more about profits over the displacement and homelessness they create (at Flushing) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGnuXX9h6Ma/?igshid=1gl2a3c0s9v3u

WITNESS THE DESTRUCTION OF BROOKLYN.

Today, the New York City Council’s subcommittee on zoning and franchises has voted to approve 80 Flatbush, one of the most debated proposed developments in the city. The tallest of the two towers was reduced from 986 feet to 840, with the 200 permanently affordable units and two schools remaining in the plan. The development would sit on one of the most transit-rich locations in the borough, making it a prime spot for dense residential development. But local residents have expressed their disapproval of the size of the building, which they say is out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood. #80Flatbush #ULURP (at Atlantic Terminal) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn9leD8nHrb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1clgqfwhoe1nd

This unchecked development is awful, how our are Community Boards ok with this?! Please everyone go to CB1 ULURP meeting on October 3!