Last Of Brooklyn Bridge Park Developments Opens With 140 Units

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — The years of back-and-forth with the community — and the courts — surrounding a new development in Brooklyn Bridge Park was no secret as developers and city officials cut the ribbon to the new 140 units this Tuesday.

The 15-story building known as The Landing, which offers 100 affordable and 40 market-rate units, officially opened this week about five years after it was originally proposed as one of two towers to join the park's Pier 6.

Both developers and city officials that partnered on the project touted the project during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday as a "triumph" for the park and the city after years of pushback early in the plans, including a legal battle with the Brooklyn Heights Association.

"The fact that we're here today is a real testament to good policy, to perseverance, to not backing down and to sticking with what is really right for New York City," said Alicia Glen, the city's deputy mayor for housing and economic development.

Glen said the project's 100 affordable units will provide housing for the city's teachers, municipal workers and other longtime residents in the area. She candidly lauded the developers and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation for not giving up even though they "took a lot of sh*t" throughout the project.

The Brooklyn Heights Association had argued in its lawsuit that The Landing and its neighboring Quay Tower condominiums actually provided too much housing and violated the BBPC's agreement to develop "only the amount (of housing) necessary to fund the park's financial needs," Curbed reported at the time. A judge ultimately dismissed the case.

The two towers, developed by RAL Development Services, are part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation's efforts since 2005 to fund itself through several developments in the park. Developments also include buildings at its Pier 1 site, on John Street, at One Brooklyn Bridge Park and at its Empire Stores site.

The Landing spreads the affordable units — for those making less than 80, 130 or 165 percent of the area median income — throughout its building. Residents in all units have access to the fitness center, children's playroom and rooftop terrace.

Developers said Tuesday that their intent was to not focus on building traditional affordable units, but just "nice apartments."

"This is by no means representative of an affordable project — it is what we believe to be premium housing," RAL President Robert Levine said.

About 45,000 people applied to live in the building, officials said. Residents will start to move in in the next few weeks.

Glen said the popularity of the building shows its success but also the progress still needed for affordability in the city.

"On one hand (the 45,000 applicants is) an extraordinarily exciting thing...on the other hand it shows how much more work we have to do," she said.