Looks Like BBP Board Is Dead Set on Pier 6 Towers

Photo: MK Metz

 The overall impression one was left with after Wednesday's Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation board meeting was that the board is set to go full speed ahead with the two planned residential towers at Pier 6 despite much local opposition.

A few talking points:

* The two towers were a part of the General Park Plan (GPP), written 10 years ago.

* The board voted down a resolution to reconsider the GPP, which was written before the area was so crowded --  packed schools (P.S. 8 is over-capacity)  heavy traffic, not enough hospital beds and other infrastructure insufficiencies.

* It did, however, agree to "undertake an analysis" to determine if a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) is required. The extent of this analysis is a bit murky.

* Because real estate values have exploded since the GPP was written, fewer luxury units are needed to fund the park.

*  So the Mayor wants to make the 2 towers (15 and 31 stories) 30 percent affordable, since the park doesn't need as much income.

* Many residents don't want condos in their park. There's not enough green space in Brooklyn.

* The mayor's game is to make opposition sound like nimbyism. But it probably isn't nimbyism. The same people were against the development even before the moderate-income units were going in.

* The board feels the income from the towers at Pier 6 is necessary, especially for the piers, which need a lot of maintenance. Figures were presented showing how necessary they were.

* The park is a great place, everybody agrees.

* But it's getting very crowded on weekends.


Two in-depth meeting wrap ups:

Brooklyn Bridge Park board to move forward with Pier 6 development. [Brooklyn Eagle]

Battle Royale at Borough Hall: BBPC Board Shoots Down Pier 6 Opponents  [Brooklyn Heights Blog]


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