Developer Quadriad Realty Partners may be serious about its proposal to put four apartment towers at Broadway and 190th Street, but the community board is just as serious about making sure that doesn't happen. Some of the CB's objections: the buildings are so tall (23 to 39 stories) that they might block out light, plus they'd crowd the neighborhood's schools and subways and could speed up gentrification. So the board sent Quadriad away, urging the developer?which has yet to acquire the site in question?to return with plans for shorter towers with apartments better sized for larger families and with a larger proportion of apartments for middle- and moderate-income tenants.
Quadriad? Doesn't really feel like complying. The developer plans to apply to the City Planning Commission for the zoning change it needs without modifying the towers first. Only if the commission says no will Quadriad reduce the buildings to the maximum size allowed by zoning, 28 and 24 stories.
Nor does Quadriad want to increase the number of affordable apartments, arguing that its only the taller buildings that provide enough revenue to allow for even the proposed number of non-market-rate apartments in the first place. So how are Quadriad's chances looking with City Planning? Considering that the commission downsized Quadriad's previous proposal for a 21-story tower in Williamsburg, this one certainly isn't a shoo-in.
· Washington Heights Development Proposal Rejected by Community Board [NYT]
· Developer Gets Serious About New Washington Heights Towers [Curbed]
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