Brooklyn Borough President proposes height reduction for 80 Flatbush supertall

Following the overwhelming rejection by Brooklyn Community Board 2 last month, the mixed-use project planned for 80 Flatbush Avenue has met with similar disapproval from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams this week.

Instead Adams has offered up several suggestions on how the project can move forward. For one, he wants to reduce the maximum height on the towers planned as part of the project. One of the towers planned by Alloy Development is slated to rise to 986 feet—Adams wants to cap the height at 600 feet.

The proposal calls for the creation of 900 apartments, of which 200 would be affordable units. Adams wants to ensure that there are a mix of bedroom types that will accommodate families with children, and that apartments will be set aside for very low-income seniors, including the formerly homeless.

Other suggestions include adding a new subway entrance at the Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center complex that would reduce congestion on stairways, and that the current residents of NYCHA’s Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses be included as part of the community preferences aspect of the affordable housing units.

The Borough President’s recommendations follow a City Planning Commission hearing for the development, which also includes multiple schools, office, retail, and cultural space. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that a majority of the public speakers (34-11) at the meeting spoke in favor of the development. The Planning Commission still has to issue its verdict, and then the final decision will lay in the hands of the City Council.

UPDATE 6/15/18: Alloy Development CEO Jared Della Valle issued the following statement to Curbed:

“We appreciate that the Borough President took the time to review our application and that his decision acknowledges the pressing need for the public benefits included in our proposal. We also appreciate that the decision reflects the widespread support we’ve received for the project, both in the neighborhood and citywide. The consensus among those supporters is that building in Downtown Brooklyn along Flatbush Avenue and across from one of the largest transit hubs in the city to deliver much-needed affordable housing, two public schools and cultural space makes 80 Flatbush a model for thoughtful urban planning and development.”

• Brooklyn’s 80 Flatbush megadevelopment rejected by CB land use committee [Curbed]
• Brooklyn community board rejects proposed Flatbush Avenue supertall [Curbed]
• New Yorkers debate pros and cons of 80 Flatbush development at City Planning Commission hearing [BDE]