domino-hearing2-062110.jpgAs we mentioned yesterday, Monday morning was the final public hearing for the New Domino development planned for the Williamsburg Waterfront. (The project received two-thumbs up from the City Planning Commission earlier this month.) The development as envisioned by the developer would bring 660 units of affordable housing and 1,540 units of market-rate housing to Kent Avenue for a total of 2.8 million square feet (and a price tag of $1.2 billion). Council Member Stephen Levin and Assemblyman Vito Lopez were the most vocal opponents, leading a group of protesters before the hearing while Council Members Diana Reyna and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez rallied the troops in favor of the project. In addition to wanting to reduce the size of the project, Levin said there should be a ferry service from Manhattan to Williamsburg, considering the L train is already “jam-packed.” He also wasn’t impressed with the developer’s plan to alter traffic signals and lane configurations to accommodate the influx of residents. Vito Lopez asked that CPC reconsider the amount of affordable housing from 660 to as much as 1,000 units. He warned if the development wasn’t brought down and the affordable units were increased, “You’re going to destroy this community.” Susan Pollack, the senior VP of Domino’s development team CPC, insisted they were working to create a community in Williamsburg, with 4 acres of open space, a school, and retail space planned there. “We are not representative of displacement or development happening in Williamsburg,” said Pollack. “There’s development in Williamsburg everywhere.” As Crain’s reports, the City Council’s land use subcommittee is expected to vote on the matter by the end of the month.
Domi-no’s and Yes’s Square Off [Crain’s]
Domino Development Fight Comes To City Hall [NY1]
Levin Leads Anti-Domino Charge [Brooklyn Paper]
Domi-no’s and Yes’s Square Off Over Redevelopment [Brownstoner]
Domino Public Hearing Held This Morning [Brownstoner]
Domino Decision: The Details [Brownstoner]
City Planning Approves Domino [Brownstoner]


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