Last month we heard rumblings that the Department of City Planning was looking into zoning tools that would encourage more commercial use in new developments on 4th Avenue—thus tweaking the 2003 and 2005 rezonings that helped pave the way for a bunch of 12-story buildings that have nothing going on at street level—and yesterday a press release from the department made it official. A “Special Fourth Avenue Enhanced Commercial District” is being proposed from Atlantic Avenue to 24th Street that would require new developments to have retail in “at least 50% of the ground floor frontage,” with at least half of those storefronts being comprised of glass. It would also generally limit curb cuts for new projects to side streets. Community Boards 2, 6 and 7, and the borough president’s office, have 60 days to review the zoning amendment. CB6 will discuss the proposal at its land-use meeting on Thursday.
Special 4th Avenue Enhanced Commercial District [DCP]
Planning to Boost 4th Ave Commercial Use? [Brownstoner]


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. 1st parking along 4th Ave is critical to making it a pedestrian friendly street. Parked cars create a buffer between the sidewalk and the street and make the sidewalk feel safer and more conducive for pedestrian flow. I would not eliminate parking lane at all.

    I would widen the median a bit plant it as well as plant street trees along the sidewalk. If traffic is the issue than a narrower street but with synchronized lights should be a good balance between efficient traffic movement and crazy speeding. Also you could eliminate 2 spots at each “right turn corner” to allow for traffic to keep moving while right turn traffic waits for crossing pedestrians.

    The thing that is frustrating is that with very little effort (lot less than this rezoning) the city could Plant street trees – (funding is basically already in place) which would do wonders for the street, And with a bit more effort the City could setup a BID type structure to get developers and RE owners to fund the median planting and upkeep. If the street was nicer, the retail would take care of itself.

  2. Fourth Avenue is not a shining ornament on the lapel of Ms. Burden or the Planning Commission. In fact, it is a disgrace.
    To me, it represents a lost opportunity. A mistake due perhaps to the disdain and ignorance of the Outer Boros that the socialite/debutante grew up with and brought to the job.

  3. I agree – I think people will always go to retail places on streets and avenues where they feel comfortable. and welcome, actually. One of the things we are trying to do with Nostrand, which has lots of retail actually, but little appeal visually. So we’re working on plantings and others things to make it better.

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