Development Watch: 681 Driggs Avenue
We were surprised not to see any work being done at 681 Driggs Avenue when we passed by last week. The site, along with another Karl Fischer-designed project across the street, is under the gun to get its foundation in before the surrounding area can be downzoned. The community board fast-tracked its approval of a…
We were surprised not to see any work being done at 681 Driggs Avenue when we passed by last week. The site, along with another Karl Fischer-designed project across the street, is under the gun to get its foundation in before the surrounding area can be downzoned. The community board fast-tracked its approval of a proposal to limit building height in the area two weeks ago, putting the ball in City Planning’s court. Located on the border of the north and south sides of Williamsburg, this design is for a 14-story, 41-unit structure that would come in at just under 100,000 square feet; the project across the street at 207 Grand Street is slated to by 10 stories.
Race to Stop Karl Fischer Grand St. Towers [Curbed] GMAP DOB
“i have paid in the 7 figures to live in williamsburg”
you, sir, are an idiot.
you were dumb to spend seven figures to live in williamsburg – that’s all I can say!!
9:9pm – typical yuppie response -me me me
williamsburg was far far better before you came with your entitled, selfish attitude. Bring on the resession!!
who cares about affordable housing?? sorry, not into freebies for people. i have paid in the 7 figures to live in williamsburg, and no, none of it from some trust fund. i earned it all by working myself up from nothing.
the south part of williamsburg which sort of starts at grand street is still full of some menacing characters and poorly cared for property.
without the people to spend money, the new stores, restaurants, salons, galleries, etc… cannot be sustained, and do not see the poorer population doing that, so yes, that area could use the gentrification if you look at it from the biz owners point of view.
this particular area is the heart of historic williamsburg (some of it prewar – Civil that is). while development of housing and expansion of Grands St’s commercial life are both positive this is just not the spot -nor is there ANY affordable housing included in the project.
Its not “downzoning”, its a limit on the allowed height of new development. The effect on the allowable FAR is marginal, so under either scenario roughly the same number of units can be built.
As for Grand Street, it is developing into a very nice commercial strip precisely because it has a stock of older, smaller ground-floor retail. I’m not sure how this project (or any like it) would change that other than for the worse. (Nor am I sure why that area “could really use the gentrification” – it has, for many years now, been a pretty mixed neighborhood, with a high degree of owner-occupancy.)
i live not too far from there in a really nice condo, so downzoning is good for me – limit the supply, etc…
it just does seem super crazy to limit housing though. don’t we need it???
as posted somewhere else recently, there are no finished building condos still for sale in williamsburg. the glut has not happened, maybe it will, but with the people entering the city, and the people with kids staying, there will continue to be a shortage of space.
this particular area could really use the gentrification, and Grand Street is really poised to explode. The shopping, restaurants, etc… are terrific.
even against my own interests maybe, i am hoping that the building goes up as planned.