Council Green-Lights Grand Street Rezoning
Yesterday the City Council approved the rezoning of Grand Street in Williamsburg. The 13-block parcel was left out of the area’s wider ’05 rezone, and most new buildings on the street will now only be able to rise to about six stories. Gowanus Lounge notes that “the rezone could force the redesign of more than…
Yesterday the City Council approved the rezoning of Grand Street in Williamsburg. The 13-block parcel was left out of the area’s wider ’05 rezone, and most new buildings on the street will now only be able to rise to about six stories. Gowanus Lounge notes that “the rezone could force the redesign of more than a dozen planned projects,” including two planned, Karl Fischer-designed buildings that were supposed to be 10 and 15 stories high. Good thing or bad?
Rezoning of Burg’s Grand Street Approved [Gowanus Lounge]
Grand Street Rezoning Approved [WGPA]]
Will Burg’s Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]
Grand Street Rezoning [NYC.gov]
Update on Williamsburg/Greenpoint Rezonings [Brownstoner]
Maps from City Planning.
Yea, so a developer who pays money for land which suddenly get zoned form commerical to residential makes a killing. C’est la vie.
No cause of action there or here.
expect Lawsuits? Yea, because theres a bunch of lawyers out there only too happy to take your “case” even if it hasn’t got a chance in hell. Go ahead, waste more money.
This is 12:10 again –
As far as I’m concerned, the grandfathering should be based on the zoning restrictions in place when the lot was purchased, since the zoning often determines the purchase price (and, no, it’s not square footage alone – it’s the FAR that matters). A developer (and no, I’m not one by a long shot) who pays say 10 million for a building with an FAR of 14 is going to be mighty pissed when the land is rezoned to 7 and he can no longer afford to build the building and has a $10 million mortgage to pay on a lot now worth something like 5 million. Expect lawsuits.
To 1:55 and 2:07 I lived out in East Williamsburg for a few years over 10 years ago, and I, along with many others who were eventually priced out made your dirty little backyard worth what it is today, so mind your manners.
L train overcrowding does suck, but your either part of the problem or part of the solution, no? Move a few stops farther out and you will get a seat coming in at least! Anyway, new building permits are down by 50%, so this probably won’t be an issue in a year or two, and will last till the next boom cycle.
With much love,
Guest
I moved away from Billburg because of the L, it got my blood boiling. Now I live just as close to the city, and don’t even notice the commute. I’m not telling YOU where I live tho. Last thing I need is more people here.
More hi-rise in that hood is crazy.
I dont give a crap how much ridership is up on the L train – on Tuesday, I had to wait on the platform for about 45 minutes because the place was so packed. In the spring/summer, that happens maybe once a week. Once all those huge buildings are done, it will be way way worse.
I wonder how many of you posters spend considerable time in Williamsburg? If not, you have the luxury of debating this without any real personal stakes…
Battery Park City has no convenient, overcrowded subways.
willbklyn – why not go and live in battery park city, sounds like you’d fit in great there.
10 years time – when all the glass boxes will look passe and granite countertops in every “luxury” condo will be an embarrassing joke like 70’s taste today?
yep, I bet vinyl shingles will make a comeback.
I’m a NIMBY – that means its MY backyard, not yours, so F.O.
Polemecist – the L line is already running near capacity in terms of number of trains. Upgrades will add one to two trains per hour, no more. And it will do nothing to solve the back up problems on the L line – there will still be only one track in each direction. Every time there is a delay, trains will back up behind, and no amount of automation will fix that. We are zoning for express service in an area that only has (and only ever will have) local service.
12:10 – Zoning is not retroactive. If it was, all of the properties that are overbuilt would have to be reduced to comply. All of the properties that are vested by way of pouring foundations are grandfathered under the old zoning (how do think Bayard Street came to be?).
WillBklyn – Grand Street east of the BQE is a wide zoning street, west of the BQE not. (Also more vintage siding out your way!). The J train is great, but a lot less convenient that Bedford/Lorimer on the L. (And unlike the L, the J can handle some express trains (east of Marcy), so there’s a lot more room for expansion of service if needed.)