The City Council’s Land Use Committee has passed the long- and much-debated Gowanus Rezoning Plan, which would add more than 8,000 new apartments to the Gowanus neighborhood, with 3,000 designated as affordable for low- and middle-income residents.
Council Members Stephen Levin and Brad Lander, together with members of the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice, announced an agreement with the de Blasio administration on key commitments that ensure the Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning will meet community goals for investment in public housing, wastewater management, infrastructure investments and more:
- $200 million for comprehensive in-unit renovations of 1,662 units in NYCHA’s Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens
- The City will fund significant renovations at the Pacific Branch Library ($14.7 million) and the Old Stone House ($10.95 million)
- The City will invest $174 million to upgrade sewer infrastructure to address long-standing flooding along 4th Avenue which is especially severe at the intersection of Carroll Street
- 10 developers will provide 150 affordable studio spaces that will be managed by Arts Gowanus which will focus on stewardship, access, and public programming of open spaces, especially the new public waterfront esplanade along the canal
Additionally, the City will invest hundreds of millions more in flooding and stormwater infrastructure, parks including a public esplanade along the waterfront, schools, and workforce development as a result of the rezoning.
The Gowanus Rezoning Plan has also been approved by the City Planning Commission, Borough President and Mayor-Elect Eric Adams (with conditions), and Brooklyn Community Board 6 (also with conditions). The plan was also approved by the full Council on November 23rd. Read more here and here.
