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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 169-05
May 2, 2005

MAYOR BLOOMBERG PRAISES CITY COUNCIL LAND USE COMMITTEE AND ZONING & FRANCHISES SUBCOMMITTEE ON APPROVAL OF GREENPOINT-WILLIAMSBURG REZONING

“For the past three years, our Administration has worked to open New York City’s waterfront to the public, add much-needed housing affordable to a range of incomes, and create new public open space.  Today’s expected approval by the City Council’s land use committee, and zoning and franchises subcommittee, of the comprehensive development plan for Greenpoint and Williamsburg is a significant victory for the residents of these Brooklyn communities, and for New York City as a whole.  It brings together the public and private sector to achieve several of our Administration’s most important priorities – affordable housing and access to the waterfront.  The plan reclaims the magnificent Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront by adding 54 acres of public open space.  And through a variety of incentives and the City’s commitment of several publicly owned sites, we have been able to increase the amount of affordable housing from 23%, in the plan approved by the City Planning Commission, to 33% for a total of 3,500 affordable units, making Greenpoint-Williamsburg the most aggressive affordable housing strategy in the City’s history.

“This plan protects the fabric of the inland neighborhoods, preserving their mixed-use character, preventing noxious, heavy industrial uses and further out-of-scale development. The plan will result in the creation of 11,000 construction jobs and over 600 permanent jobs over the next 10 years.  In addition, the rezoning provides stability for firms where industry continues to thrive and my new Office of Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses will offer assistance to strengthen industrial firms throughout the rezoning area.  

“The City Council leadership, in particular Speaker Miller and Council Members Katz, Reyna, and Yassky, have worked with the Administration to craft enhancements to the plan for 10,000 units of housing and achieves a dramatic increase in the number of units that will be affordable to low- and moderate-income families.  In addition, the 54 acres of new public open space – including a 28-acre neighborhood park waterfront park for active recreation and the two-mile public waterfront esplanade – is up from 49 acres in the original plan and a result of the collaboration with the City Council that has enabled us to increase the amount of public open space by 10%.  

“I want to thank Assemblymember Vito Lopez, Brooklyn Diocese Bishop Joseph Sullivan, Deputy Mayor Doctoroff and his staff, the Departments of City Planning, Housing Preservation & Development and Parks and Recreation, and the Office of Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses for their countless hours of work on this comprehensive plan to bring to fruition our vision for the future of Greenpoint and Williamsburg.”

Assemblymember Vito Lopez said, “I am proud that the final rezoning plan will provide poor and working class residents of Greenpoint and Williamsburg with access to the thousands of units of affordable housing, both on the waterfront and in the community at large.”

Brooklyn Diocese Bishop Joseph Sullivan said, “I want to congratulate the Bloomberg Administration and the City Council for their tireless work on behalf of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg community.  This plan ensures that families of all income levels will be able to live in Greenpoint-Williamsburg and enjoy it beautiful waterfront.  We should all be proud of this achievement on behalf of the people of this great community.”

32BJ President Mike Fishman said, “Local 32BJ, New York’s building service workers union, commends Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council for adopting a rezoning plan for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront that ensures an equitable, fair and sustainable development for workers, residents and the real estate industry.  The development will create some 500 good-paying building service jobs that will help workers support their families and provide a much-needed boost to local businesses.”







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler/Jennifer Falk   (212) 788-2958




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