AvalonBay Stresses Affordable Housing in Public Place Bid
The Brooklyn Eagle has a lot of details today about one developer’s plans for the Public Place site in Gowanus, the 20-acre parcel of land between Smith Street and the canal that used to contain a gas manufacturing plan. The paper got a hold of AvalonBay’s proposal for the site and suggests the firm’s plans…
The Brooklyn Eagle has a lot of details today about one developer’s plans for the Public Place site in Gowanus, the 20-acre parcel of land between Smith Street and the canal that used to contain a gas manufacturing plan. The paper got a hold of AvalonBay’s proposal for the site and suggests the firm’s plans are a crowd favorite among community groups (“its presentation submission is said to include many endorsements from community leaders and groups”). Basically, AvalonBay’s bid looks like it’s trying to be all things to all people: The firm is stressing affordable housing and says it’ll build 425 affordable rental units and 326 affordable homeownership units; as per the rendering above, the company is looking to only build one tall, 12-story building (other proposals may feature more than one tall building, which some community activists aren’t thrilled about). Aside from housing, AvalonBay’s plan calls for a 14,000-square-foot supermarket, artists’ workshops, retail spaces, an art gallery, a restaurant, an environmental center and a walkway along the canal. On paper, a lot of these ideas certainly sound great, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the city finds the company’s approach more attractive than those from other big firms, like the Related Cos. and Two Trees. The winning bid for the site is expected to be chosen early next year.
Plan for Developing Brooklyn’s Vacant `Public Place’ Unveiled [Brooklyn Eagle]
Five Developers Bid for Public Place Site [Brownstoner]
Rendering from the Brooklyn Eagle.
The comment at 3:12 reads like randomly generated Madlibs.
My favorite aspect of the rendering is the imaginary water taxi . . . though it would be fantastic to have a water taxi to Fairway/Red Hook . . . and would connect those distant Hook dwellers to a brand new subway station.
I can’t believe the “fuck the poor” attitude of so many people on this blog. Ironically, it’s typically from people living paycheck to paycheck who fancy themselves middle class . . . though they’ve got a giant mortgage, credit card balances, and 1 month out of work might leave them teetering on bankruptcy.
Polemicist —
You are simultaneously aggressive and stupid. Not a happy combo.
The point about the sewer system is not that it can’t be updated. Of course it can. The point is WHEN (ie. before the development or years later to adress serious problems that should never have arisen had proper planning taken place) and WHO PAYS (the taxpayer or the developers).
In spite of your own assessment of your populist approach, in fact your reflexively pro-development, anti-preservation attitudes are profoundly elitist.
Is 11:19 a civil engineer? A student of history? Nope. How will Brooklyn upgrade its infrastructure as it becomes more like Manhattan in terms of density? Well, gee, maybe the same way Manhattan upgraded its infrastructure!
In 1890, the layout and density of Brooklyn and Manhattan was very similar. Why would anyone think its impossible to upgrade sewer systems? We have had sewers in some fashion going back to Roman times! Think!
12:23 – high density residential development is actually perfect for contaminated sites. The foundation ends up being more expensive in order to cap the contamination, but such a heavy foundation is perfect for larger buildings.
Many areas of Manhattan were formerly industrial and we have survived. The east side slaughter houses and the Park Avenue industrial corridor are now among the most desirable residential districts in the city.
I hear it’s okay if it’s grilled…
My husband marinated a batch a couple weeks a go and baked it and it was kind of inedible.
Seriously though…can’t artists’ “renderings” be a little more realistic??? A late-70’s style watercolour makes it look like this project was conceived and marketed in 1982!
Does anyone know: will there be upgassing issues and dangerous chemical infiltration in this area as they have in North Brooklyn from Standard Oil/Exxon’s big decades’ long oil spill?
Is the area in Red Hook highly contaminated?
Raw fecal material.
Once AY is built, the extra burden on North Brooklyn’s already fragile sewer system will make the Gowanus Canal a permanent open drain of raw fecal material. Currently there’s waste in the canal after every major rainstorm. Oh, and the AY EIS believes no upgrades are necessary — so any future improvements will come out of the taxpayers’ pockets not the developer’s.
Who are you people? How can you deny people — who take care of your elderly parents, cook your food, clean your homes and offices and generally do all the dirty work you tyhink is beneath you — affordable homes that are attractive, within the community and accessible to public transportation. Go move to a gated community somewhere else. NYC is about living — and learning from — diversity.
so build a nice development, but only allow poor people to enjoy
gotta love the social engineering of this modren day housing project
i mean its worked so well in the past, like those lovely success stories along the east river in manhattan
I LOVE the PURPLE sidewalks/esplanade.
So realistic!!!