Rezoning of Williamsburg’s Pfizer site moves forward with City Planning approval

The redevelopment of the former Pfizer sites in Williamsburg is one step closer to becoming a reality; today, the City Planning Commission voted in favor of the project (the vote went 9-1), a crucial step in the ULURP process.

The project, which is being developed by Rabsky Group, If given the green light in its current state, the Broadway Triangle area would gain 1,146 apartments, of which 287 would be affordable units, as well as 65,000 square feet of retail, 405 parking spaces, and a half acre of public space.

Though Community Board 1 has already voted in support of the project, local groups have long criticized the megaproject for not offering enough affordable apartments. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams agreed, stating in July that he disapproved of the project as it stands right now. Adams’s suggestions for the site include the addition of more affordable housing at an average rent of 60 percent of the area median income; assurance that residents of Community Board 1 and 3 have 50 preference on the affordable units; and that developers contribute towards the reopening of the MTA’s Flushing Avenue stop on the G line.

Following the planning commission’s vote, the proposal will head to the City Council, and then the mayor, for a final decision. If things work in Rabsky’s favor, the firm is hoping to start construction in January 2018.

• Williamsburg's Pfizer-replacing megaproject needs more affordable housing, says borough president [Curbed]
• Williamsburg's Pfizer-replacing residential project gets community board approval [Curbed]