CB2 Gives Thumbs Up to Dock Street
By a margin of 30 to 7, Community Board 2 voted in front of a full-house to recommend that Dock Street, Two Trees’ proposed mixed-use development in Dumbo, be approved; the vote, which carries only advisory weight, was the first step in the ULURP process. The proposal, which was revised significantly after community opposition blocked…
By a margin of 30 to 7, Community Board 2 voted in front of a full-house to recommend that Dock Street, Two Trees’ proposed mixed-use development in Dumbo, be approved; the vote, which carries only advisory weight, was the first step in the ULURP process. The proposal, which was revised significantly after community opposition blocked an earlier version four years ago, carried the day largely, it seems, because of developer Two Trees’ crafty decision to include space for a much-needed public school, a project that the city has already set aside $43 million in funding. When we look at what [the community board] has asked for in the past, the need for a middle school tops that list, board member Lincoln Restler said. Resident Sidney Meyer, reported the Brooklyn Paper, spoke for many of the people in the room opposing the project when he made the point that, It’s a mistake to build anything that close to the bridge — it’s an icon for the entire city of New York. A school can be built somewhere else. The next step in the ULURP process will include a hearing held by the borough president on January 27 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Borough Hall.
Walentas ‘Dock’ Project Sails Ahead [Brooklyn Paper]
CB2 Approves Dock Street DUMBO Project [BH Blog]
CB2 To Vote Tonight on Dock Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
Dock Street Moves Forward — Second Vote on Saturday [Brooklyn Paper]
Full House, No Vote at Dock Street Hearing [Brownstoner]
How Does Dock Street Stack Up? [Brownstoner]
The Next Step for Dock Street [Brownstoner]
DOE: It’s Time to Examine Dock Street [Brownstoner]
Two Trees Plans Mixed Use Building Next to Bridge [Brownstoner]
Dock Street Plans (Marina and All) Go 3D [Brownstoner]
Dock Street Protesters: 20% There on Signatures [Brownstoner]
ITM:
now there is the beginnings of an analysis.
too little. too late. but a good learning exercise can be had.
anyone willing to bring their knowledge to bear in a public(non-internet) meeting?
i don’t care where the cards fall, but i am interested in understanding the cost/benefit analysis in depth but not in conjecture hearsay form.
clearly now this is going to get approved at least in a form that is substantially similar to the current renderings. so more interesting question now becomes timeline. even if 2 trees can get financing i just can’t see them building here until jobs starting coming back. who do they expect to fill these units?
ITM;
The city has been notorious in its inability to add on capacity to the school system in a timely manner,as BK realestate veteran states. I have much more confidence in the ability of Two Trees to execute than the city, in this regard.
Moreover, as a taxpayer and a person involved in business, the whole idea of the city starting to lease space to sop up fluctuations in school demand is appealing. The problem with constructing a school, given the cycle time, is that sometimes these facilities are brought on line when the demand is no longer be there.
ITM – thanks for question. If you compare census data with # of units in area from Atlantic north, bounded by Cadman, you’ll see what i mean. And if you walk area and notice age and demo of folks who live there, if you see quiet wkends, restaurants failing….
As to building school elsewhere, where is land coming from? tough to find…. to build on PS 8 would take Dept. of Ed and SCA 10 years to get it done and Heights would go nuts on that, too
I think what 12:34 means is that the new middle school should be built in brooklyn heights on top of, or next to, PS8. This is what I have heard the BHA wants.
Yet wouldn’t you think that this alternative would cost the city way more than merely fitting out the school interior at Dock Street?
I now believe that much of the opposition boils down to wanting the middle school located in the heights at all costs. I can’t imagine why the board of ed would expand a school that scored so badly on its standardized tests. There were only a handful or two of schools that received an “F” citywide. PS8 was one of them. some of the F schools are actually being closed. I think PS8 parents should be glad the board of ed is not closing the heights school altogether. They shouldn’t push their luck by demanding an expansion of it.
Benson – your statement, “It is an effective way to leverage the private sector to save the public some money.” is incorrect. There are already under utilized public assets (under built schools and land) in the vicinty of this proposed project. If the School Construction Authority chooses not to develop these under utilized assets and insteads chooses to improve a raw space (the Dock Street) they are further extending the taxpayer. They are NOT, as you say, saving the public money. While the conceptual lease obligation for the DOE is something like $1, the improvements cost is substantial. The DOE/SCA will not be able to capitalize these improvements to the same extent that they would if there where to make similar improvements to schools and the land the taxpayer already owns.
BK RE Vet – “Heights is lowest per unit occupancy part of BK by far . . “? It would be helpful if you provided us with the back up data for that claim and be more specific about school age children component of the occupancy number. Thanks.
Real issue, as one day a building will be built on that site for sure, is what is the best building. Face it, something will happen.
Height – shorter the better consisent with something happening at all. Do we want 25-30 stories there, not really. And it is possible, depending on which zoning expert you talk to and what happens to zoning. Could go higher if for some reason City wishes so, so watch out, anything could happen.
Building type – apartment house, office building, hotel, performance space, school.
Affordability – market, 80/20, public housing (totally low income).
Effect on Neighborhood – none, some, lots, positive, negative.
So, current plan in is middle or upper middle of height range, not bad. Building type nearly ideal, but for lack of arts space. School.
Income – 80/20 better than all market, public housing would be objected to and would never happen these days anyway, boutique hotel would be worse than all market, price wise.
Effect is real concern. Most want nothing to change, but not going to happen. Is school good? is mixed income good? traffic increase, people increase, but that end of dumbo quiet and dumbo quiet all but prime times anyway.
dumbo needs more folks….. heights is lowest per unit occupany part of BK by far… why is that all good?
I can understand the objections from people who are having their views blocked or partially blocked but why is the Brooklyn Heights Association so adamantly against the project? It isn’t even in their neighbothood. I have heard they want the new middle school located in Brooklyn Heights, does anyone have the dope on that? Why is the BHA apeshit about the DUMBO project?
Part of what makes views of the brooklyn bridge so dramatic is the dense urban neighborhoods that embrace it on either end. Far as I can tell, this building only enhances that. (Unless of course you happen to be standing behind it, in which case that’s your problem, not the rest of ours.)