Judge dismisses lawsuit to block Brooklyn’s Pfizer rezoning

The seemingly endless fight over the Broadway Triangle—a stretch of land on the border of Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy and Bushwick—may be coming to an end. On Friday, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge dismissed the lawsuit filed by Churches United for Fair Housing and Brooklyn Residents Against Segregated Housing the accused the redevelopment project of discriminating against people of color, reports The Real Deal.

Back in March, plaintiffs asked the court to make the city reverse the rezoning of the former Pfizer site and to conduct a racial impact study to determine the effect that the eight-building residential project would have on black and Latino residents in Bed-Stuy and Bushwick. The development is slated to create 1,146 new apartments, of which 287 will be affordable.

However, Judge Arthur Engoron found that the city was not obligated to conduct a racial impact study when it rezones areas. “The Pfizer project has already passed political process muster; today it passes judicial process muster,” said Judge Engoron. “This court finds no legal impediment to it and will not stand in its way one more day.”

Developers were pleased with the judge’s decision, however, the Churches United for Fair Housing is planning to host a rally tomorrow, called “Take Back Bushwick,” that challenges projects like the Pfizer redevelopment and the construction of a 27-story luxury tower on Wyckoff Avenue that they argue is contributing gentrification and displacement within the neighborhood.

• Judge dismisses discrimination suit over Rabsky’s Broadway Triangle development [The Real Deal]