Prospect Heights Rallies For Atlantic Ave Building Ahead Of Vote

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Neighbors and local construction workers in Prospect Heights urged their community board Thursday to approve plans for a new 18-story apartment building on Atlantic Avenue, arguing that the complex would bring jobs and much-needed affordable housing to the neighborhood.

The rally, set up in the McDonald's parking lot where the building would stand, comes hours before the 840 Atlantic Ave. proposal faces Community Board 8 for a vote. The board's Land Use Committee voted last week to withhold support for the project despite slight changes made to it at the community board's request.

Committee members have questioned the size of the proposal, given its request for slightly more density than they laid out in a plan for the section of the neighborhood known as M-CROWN.

But the neighbors — some of whom are homeless shelter or New York City Housing Authority residents — contend the building's 90 or so affordable units and a promise to hire local contractors make it a necessary addition to the neighborhood.

"Everybody should have the opportunity to live in this neighborhood," said Jamil Abdullah, a contractor who organized the rally. "Give us a chance to build one of these high-rises with affordable housing and local contractors, like myself, can put people to work to build it so they can get out of homeless shelter situations that they're in. All we're asking is for a chance."

The Atlantic Avenue project proposes replacing the McDonald's, its parking lot and a few neighboring small buildings with a staircase-like complex, which developers say was designed to fit its place on the edge of the M-CROWN development area.

Its highest point, 18 stories, would face the busy Vanderbilt and Atlantic avenue intersection and shorter sections as low as three stories would face the less-developed part of the neighborhood starting at Pacific Street, according to designs.

In their most recent proposal, developers reduced the density along the smaller side of the building within .2 of the Floor Area Ratio laid out in the M-CROWN plan. The taller side of the building asks for 1 FAR more than the M-CROWN maximums.

The request for an increase has been a sticking point so far for the community board.

"The community board should be looking to bring this as close in compliance with the M-CROWN vision as possible — we’ve spent a lot of time on the neighborhood rezoning," Land Use Committee Member Gib Veconi said last week.

Developers also updated the plans last week to lower the cost of the units that will be set aside as affordable. Now, 25 percent of the building's apartments will be set aside as affordable to those making between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income, or as little as $900 per month for a two-bedroom spot.

Some organizers Thursday said that while they will push for more affordable spots, the 25-percent will still make a difference for those being priced out of the neighborhood.

"We are in a housing crisis," said Renee Collymore, who is running for City Council. "We have to fight as hard as we can because we don't want to move, we don't want to leave the neighborhood we love so much."

The Atlantic Avenue proposal is set to face Community Board 8's full board at 6 p.m. on Thursday.