The massive 2004 Downtown Brooklyn rezoning that brought scores of residential high rises in the area spurred un-envisioned economic development that now needs tweaking, according to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
In his office’s recently released report, “A Decade Later in Downtown Brooklyn,” analyzing the impact of the Downtown Brooklyn Plan, a rezoning initiated in 2004 by the Bloomberg Administration, Adams noted the intent was to spur more commercial and not residential growth, which has strained the capacity of currently existing infrastructures.
While underscoring the successes of the rezoning, including the billions of dollars in private sector investment that the plan helped leverage, Adams recommends for the City to consider a Zoning Text Amendment that will encourage the development of commercial properties in Downtown Brooklyn. The amendment will also institute infrastructure needs measures in the rezoned area and expand opportunities for developing commercial space and affordable housing in the neighborhood.
“In many ways the [2004] rezoning was a success…[but] unfortunately, much of the premise for the rezoning has not been met, namely making Downtown Brooklyn a 21st century business and commercial district,” wrote Adams in his report. “Downtown Brooklyn is bearing a burden of unanticipated new residential development without a comparable level of infrastructure to sustainably support a growing 24-hour community. The gap between what was assumed for the 2004 analysis and what has been developed warrants a fresh look at how to accommodate past and future growth and direct necessary capital budget investment.”
According to Adams’ review of the 2004 rezoning, Downtown Brooklyn anticipated the construction of 4.6 million square feet of office space, about 850,000 square feet of retail space, and approximately 1,000 units of housing by 2014.
Yet, despite the recent announcement of a 420,000 square-foot office building at 420 Albee Square and the commitment by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to create additional opportunities for companies that want to relocate in the neighborhood, only 1.3 million square feet of commercial property has been developed — 3.3 million square feet less than had been anticipated.
At the same time, more than 11,000 units of housing have been developed or are in the process of development — compared with 979 units of housing that were expected in the Downtown Brooklyn Plan. In addition, 1,700 hotel rooms have been constructed in the neighborhood — 300 more than anticipated.
As a result of increased residential rather than commercial development in the neighborhood, Adams’ report found the needs of neighborhood residents to be different from the needs anticipated in the Downtown Brooklyn Plan.
Public schools in the area, for example, have each experienced increases in enrollment, and one school, PS 261 Philip Livingston currently exceeds its capacity by 15 percent. In addition, the number of riders traveling through area subway stations has increased 30 percent from 2002 to 2014 compared with a 24 percent increase system-wide.
In addition to calling for a Zoning Text Amendment, Adams recommended EDC and the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) convene a task force to revisit infrastructure needs, including a fully built-out Brooklyn Strand, additional transit options, safer pedestrian and cycling connections, as well as improved access to health care facilities.
To free up commercial space in Downtown Brooklyn, he reiterated his proposal to relocate government agency functions to sites such as Broadway Junction, in addition to calling for EDC to fast-track its Request for Proposals (RFP) to build additional commercial space in the neighborhood.
Adams also called for expanding affordable housing opportunities, recommending the linking of parking reduction to use of the voluntary affordable housing bonus, as well as the mapping of remaining areas for use of that bonus.
Adams’ full report can be accessed at brooklyn-usa.org.
