DOB Green-Lights 575 5th Avenue
While many people were away from their computers enjoying the last week of summer (judging from the web traffic statistics!), the Fifth Avenue Committee received approval from the Department of Buildings to start building its 35,000-square-foot affordable supportive housing project on the corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street in the South Slope. While there…
While many people were away from their computers enjoying the last week of summer (judging from the web traffic statistics!), the Fifth Avenue Committee received approval from the Department of Buildings to start building its 35,000-square-foot affordable supportive housing project on the corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street in the South Slope. While there was a great deal of public outcry when the project was announced last year because of concern over the types of residents that could end up in the building, all systems are now go. The fact that the 49-unit building is aiming for a LEED Gold certification should help its image problem.
City Planning Approves FAC Project at 575 5th Ave [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Marty DK’s Fifth Avenue Housing Project [Brownstoner]
City Planning Considers 5th Ave Housing Facility [Brownstoner]
FAC Development at 575 Fifth Avenue [Brownstoner]
These renderings are always hilarious. They always look like they’re going to be built in Toronto or something.
I was looking at buying an apartment nearby — almost did, but it fell through. I wanted to know what the impact is of a nearby Supportive Housing facility, so I went to 551 Warren St. and talked to some of the neighbors who were out on their front stoop.
They said that the residents of the facility weren’t as much of a problem as the Fifth Avenue Committee itself. Seems that construction of the Warren St. facility caused damage to the foundation of the building next door, and they had to enter litigation to get compensated for the damage.
They complained bitterly about the committee and said it was impossible to get any response from them when the damage occurred.
They also mentioned that the screening process wasn’t “conducted carefully enough,” but didn’t go into any specifics.
I know this is anecdotal, but the sense that I got was that these residents saw the 5AC as a political entity with its own agenda and some power, and not particularly interested in engaging with the surrounding community.
Ditto slopefarm.
I think what may have lead to most of the initial knee jerk reaction (which lead to a lot of very scary NIMBY-ism, and not about the building, but its would-be tenants) from a small group of immediate home owners/residents was the lack of information “readily” available from the Fifth Avenue Committee. While public discourse did occur prior to their official announcement, it was not as well publicized as it could have been, nor in the immediate neighborhood of the project. After two community groups had it as a topic on the agenda around the corner at the Grand Prospect Hall (the first I heard of it while attending), that’s when the true public scrutiny began.
Having been to a few of the public forums, I think the questions asked were legit, good answers were given and the entire topic well vetted. And hopefully lessons learned by FAC about being as “out front” as possible on any new projects that will have impact on communities they serve.
Once the immediate community understood the good of the project to the area, there was far less out cry and far more buy-in.
Looking forward to seeing it take off…or dig up, rather.
I don’t recall “a great deal of public outcry.” I recall vocal opposition from a small core, as well as a fair amount of community support in favor of the proposal. While opponents were certainly impassioned, I don’t believe they were all that numerous, certainly not enough to characterize as you did above.
This looks pretty good. Not too tall. Decent materials. Retail.