Beep: the light’s green
Adams gives support for Gowanus rezoning, with NYCHA repairs paramount
BY BEN VERDE
Borough President and
Democratic mayoral nominee
Eric Adams announced his
support for the Gowanus Rezoning
on Friday, as the neighborhood
wide scheme snakes
its way through the city’s landuse
change process.
Adams, whose say as borough
president is advisory,
but whose infl uence as the
presumed mayor-to-be is signifi
cant, hinged his support
on the millions of dollars in
capital improvements needed
in the area’s public housing
complexes, the Gowanus
Houses and the Wyckoff Gardens.
“This is about investing
in public housing,” Adams
said. “Buildings cannot go
up around NYCHA developments
while residents see
their futures go down.”
The beep made his announcement
at the Gowanus
Houses New York City Housing
Authority development in
Gowanus, alongside tenant
leaders.
Adams’ advisory approval
requires the rezoning plan to
include full funding for capital
improvements at both developments,
COURIER L 4 IFE, AUGUST 20-26, 2021
with a ballpark
estimate of $274 million in
funding needed.
If the city is unable to come
up with $274 million, Borough
Hall recommended that the
maximum heights and density
for some of the rezoning
area be capped at 145 feet, unless
developers purchase air
rights from the area’s NYCHA
developments.
“New York City is always
changing, but every once in
a while we need a sea change
— and that’s what I believe we
are embracing now,” Adams
said.
Adams, who ran and won
a mayoral campaign that focused
on working-class communities
of color in the outer
boroughs, indicated during
the press conference that his
administration could support
similar projects in the future,
that see NYCHA developments
boosted through tax revenues
from private developments in
their area.
The 82-block rezoning proposal
would allow for residential
development in the largely
industrial neighborhood
while preserving some of the
industrial uses the neighborhood
has long been home to.
The rezoning has earned
the conditional support of local
Community Board 6, with
money for NYCHA repairs
among the paramount conditions
the board said the city
must meet.
“It’s great to see Borough
President Adams emphasize
the importance of NYCHA
funding and so many other of
the conditions we’ve emphasized
throughout the Gowanus
Rezoning Process,” said
Community Board 6 District
Manager Mike Racioppo.
Gowanus Councilmember
Brad Lander, who has the most
sway over the rezoning as the
representative of the area and
with the practice of member
deference in mind, has said he
will not approve the rezoning
if adequate funding for NYCHA
is not included.
“I’m going to use the community
board’s recommendation
and the borough president’s
recommendation as
my marching orders,” Lander
said on Aug. 13..
Borough President Eric Adams held a press conference at the Gowanus
Houses to announce his support for the Gowanus Rezoning.
Photo by Ben Verde
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