The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation is set to release a study concluding that the environmental impact from two new towers at Pier 6 would be insubstantial, signifying that the city is ready to move ahead with their development, Capital reports. According to a statement from the park, "After evaluating the potential impacts on 19 distinct environmental categories—including schools, flood resiliency, traffic and open space—and incorporating any relevant updated changes to the project, the environmental regulations and background conditions, the technical memorandum concludes that the Pier 6 uplands project would not have any additional significant impacts." Wealthy Brooklyn Heights residents, who have opposed the towers since it was announced that they could be used (in part) for affordable housing, are sure to be outraged by this news. But short of filing additional lawsuits (which sounds pretty likely; there's currently only one ongoing one from a group called People for Green Space) their options are running out.
The two towers would be 15 and 31 stories, with 430 total residential units, 30 percent of which would be affordable. The various groups opposing their development started off arguing that affordable housing people are icky, but recently decided to change the optics and contend that they are fighting to preserve green space, and also that the park is "overfunded."
· Brooklyn Bridge Park to tower critics: No more study [Capital]
· Brooklyn Bridge Park coverage [Curbed]
Photo by Shannon Ayala