City Planning Green-Lights Greenpoint Towers

The City Planning Commission yesterday approved the two huge Greenpoint tower projects that have met with fierce local opposition because of their height and size. Developers Park Tower Group and Chetrit Group can build the projects as-of-right without any special review because of the 2006 rezoning. The City Council will be the next body to vote on the towers, within 50 days, reported Crain’s.

This review is to allow Greenpoint Landing (above, in two different renderings) to add a school, 431 units of affordable housing, and 276 market rate apartments. The rest of the 5,500 units are automatically allowed under the rezoning.

Over at 77 Commercial Street, Chetrit is seeking approval to alter height and setback requirements in exchange for buying air rights so the city can afford to develop a park. That complex will have 720 units.

The towers for both projects will be 30 to 40 stories high. At previous stages in the review process, the community board and Brooklyn borough president recommended beefing up public transportation and increasing the number of affordable units. It’s not clear if the developers will incorporate these suggestions.

The projects “would be among the final significant changes to the city’s waterfront approved under the Bloomberg administration,” said Crain’s.

Two Big Greenpoint Apartment Towers Get Green Light [Crain’s]
Renderings by Handel Architects