Plan For Public Esplanade On Gowanus Canal Wins City Council Vote

BROOKLYN, NY — Plans for a six-story building that would bring a public plaza to the bank of the Gowanus Canal has won the approval of City Council, paving the way for the mixed-use building on Huntington Street.

The application to change zoning rules at the 300 Huntington St. lot to build a new headquarters for construction and real estate company Monadnock Development was approved by council members on Thursday, the company announced.

The zoning change waives a 242-parking spot requirement that the company said would make it impossible to build its 100,000-square-foot building, which will include a construction yard, office space, a set of retail storefronts and a public plaza on the waterfront.

The company, which has been in Brooklyn for 45 years, is moving from its current location on Third Street in search of more space.

“We are proud of our deep Brooklyn roots in the Gowanus [Industrial Business Zone] and look forward to developing our new headquarters and mixed-use sustainable building and providing an accessible and green canal esplanade," Founder Nick Lembo said in a release Thursday.

The City Council approval comes after an agreement with local Council Member Brad Lander and the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) for Monadnock to reserve 5,000 square feet of the building for industrial uses and another 5,000 square feet for future industrial tenants with reduced-rent, according to the company.

The esplanade, developers said, would include bench seating, a canopy of plants and steps to the canal along the block between Smith and Ninth streets. It would be accessed by walking down Huntington Street.

The Huntington Street plot sits just below the portion of the neighborhood slated for zoning changes in the upcoming Gowanus Rezoning, which city leaders hope will bring a mix of development along the canal.

Monadnock's team said the esplanade would be built so that it can connect with any future esplanades built in the rezoning.

The company hopes to wrap up construction by as soon as 2023.