CB2 To Vote Tonight on Dock Street
Community Board 2’s land use committee failed by one vote to approve the mixed-use development in Dumbo known as Dock Street when it met last month. Since then, the opposition has held a protest (at right) to call attention to how the 18-story project would block views from and of the Brooklyn Bridge and the…
Community Board 2’s land use committee failed by one vote to approve the mixed-use development in Dumbo known as Dock Street when it met last month. Since then, the opposition has held a protest (at right) to call attention to how the 18-story project would block views from and of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Paper has written an article in which it says views wouldn’t be that obstructed by proposed building after all. Now, tonight, the full board of Community Board 2 will convene for a final vote on the project, which includes roughly 400 apartments (20% of which would be affordable) and a public middle school. And even though its decision carries no legal weight (merely advisory), breaths are bated on both sides. Jed Walentas even wrote a letter to the board earlier this week that included this rendering intended to address the criticism that Dock Street would be as big a blight on the Brooklyn side of the bridge as the Verizon building is on the Manhattan side. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s vote, the matter will work its way through the ULURP food chain, from borough president to City Planning to City Council to the Mayor. Update: Opposition group Save the Brooklyn Bridge just posted this rendering of how it thinks the proposed development would impact views of the bridge.
CB2 Says Dock Street Design is “Too Tall” [Brooklyn Paper]
Dock Street Moves Forward — Second Vote on Saturday [Brooklyn Paper]
Full House, No Vote at Dock Street Hearing [Brownstoner] GMAP
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]
Protest photo from DumboNYC
Okay, Rob, let me thoughtfully respond to your comment about people not wanting more kids in NYC….
I have kids and they go to summer camp in RI. When the kids from the suburbs call others “gay” as an insult, my kids call them out on it. I think of that as a benefit of growing up in the city and learning tolerance of others that are different from you.
Peace. And by the way, my teenager probably thinks she has far more “edge” than you!
AndYOuWillKnowUs – pretty much every one of your issues is incorrect and just fear mongering. I spend alot of time in DUMBO, specifically on that block. That block is already in shadows for most of the day because of the height of empires stores, the height of the buildings across the street and the narrowness of the street. Once you are in the shadows, I don’t think another building can put you MORE in the shadows. Also – who cares if the building casts a shadow on Empire Stores? From the renderings I’ve seen, it will in no way lok like it is on top of or towering over the bridge. The bridge pier will still be significantly taller than this building. In all likelihood the new building will blend into the background with the other similarly sized DUMBO buildings along Main Street and Washington St. Finally – yes, the garage is large and will likely lead to an increase in car traffic in the area. But having spent alot of time on those streets I can attest to the fact that those are some of the most deserted streets I’ve ever been on in a gentrified part of brooklyn. You can stand on Water Street for any given hour of the day and the most you’ll see is maybe one car per minute go by. That’s nothing. You can add alot more traffic to those streets without even coming close to “nightmare traffic” the fact remains that DUMBO is kind of a dead end. Noone goes through DUMBO to get somewhere else. The only traffic in DUMBO comes from people who are specifically going there, and for all it’s hype, it’s still a pretty small neighborhood (population-wise. Just take a chill pill and calm down. This building will be good for DUMBO.
SouthParker, I agree with you there.
I was walking through the park the other day looking at the stores and wondering if they could somehow do a school there and still keep within the landmark status. I am sure there are a million issues with that, but imagine how awesome it would be to go to school there. That would be great for the kids and the neighborhood.
well, AndYouWillKnowUsbyTheTrailofRenters, that’s my opinion and the opinion of friends who do live in the neighborhood. And, by the way, why not focus on saving the empire stores which, in my humble opinion, is the real problem?
North Heights – your comment is really unfair and disingenuous. Walentas has produced tons of renderings showing what the building would look like on the Brooklyn side. If you care about this issue (as you seem to) you must have seen these. So don’t pretend that this is the only image walentas is using. This drawing was produced to respond to a specific allegation that was made at the hearing that this building will have the same impact on views of the bridge as the hated verizon building had on the Mnahattan side. To me, this image does a pretty good job of blowing that bogus claim out of the water.
SouthParker, judging by your name you do not live there so I don’t know if you are the best person to say what is good for the neighborhood. A huge building which includes 465 space parking garage in an area of narrow, cobblestone streets that have same direction one way streets would not be good for the neighborhood. It would cast a shadow on the empire stores and shops on water st. it would have tons of cars going down water st. to get back to old fulton and it would look like it was on top of and towering over the bridge.
the only thing i can think of is that many people who live in nyc do not WANT more schools. more schools = more families = more children = less edge to a neighborhood = less fun = nyc just being a crowded bizarro version of the suburbs. just a thought.
*rob*
How can you be opposed to a building that is comparable in height to surrounding buildings, will provide low income housing AND a much needed school for the neighborhood? I understand the concern of some opponents, but you can’t be opposed to something that in the end will prove to be a very good thing for DUMBO. Also, just think of what could happen if this piece of land falls into the wrong hands…
The proposed Dock St. project will be much closer to the bridge. Also it will be placed on some of the tightest, narrow streets in Brooklyn, creating massive shadows and nightmare traffic among other things.