Borough President Schedules Hearing On Industry City Rezoning

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — The controversial proposal to transform Industry City's 35-acre complex will face its second official public hearing next week.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has scheduled his public hearing about the Industry City's official application, submitted in late October, for Jan. 14, a day before the local Community Board 7 is scheduled to cast the first vote on the proposal in its review process. Adams will need to cast his own vote on the application after Community Board 7.

The public hearing will give residents the chance to tell Adams their thoughts about the proposal, which would rezone Industry City's 16-acre campus to make way for more than 1 million square feet of new development.

Both Community Board 7 and Council Member Carlos Menchaca have lamented that Industry City should have held off on submitting the proposal until the developers reach a "community benefits agreement" with neighbors about the plans, which Menchaca argues would legally bind them to a list of conditions they agreed to include in the proposal. Industry City has contended that the agreement will be reached during the review process.

Currently, Industry City's application proposes changing zoning rules to make way for 900,000 square feet of new food and retail space, 600,000 square feet of classrooms and educational facilities and a pair of hotels with more than 400 rooms.

The hearing will also follow a renewed call from residents to deny the proposal after Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration said they wouldn't fund protections for renters, a new school and other requests Menchaca had said is a precursor to his support of the plans.

The borough president's hearing will be held in the Courtroom and Community Room of Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St. and start at 6 p.m. on Jan. 14.

Here is the official agenda:

Calendar Item 1 –– Industry City (160146 MMK, 190296 ZMK, 190298 ZRK, 190297 ZSK)
An application submitted by 1-10 Bush Terminal Owner L.P. and 19-20 Bush Terminal Owner L.P. pursuant to Sections 197-c and 201 of the New York City Charter for the following land use actions:

1. 1) A change to the City Map to demap 40th Street between First and Second avenues
2. 2) A zoning map amendment to replace an M3-1 district and establish an M2-4 district: a. Between Second and Third avenues, generally between 32nd and 37th streets b. Generally between 500 feet west of First and Second avenues, between 39th and 41st streets c. A Special Industry City District (IC) within the boundaries of each area
3. 3) A zoning text amendment to establish the IC within the New York City Zoning Resolution (ZR) as Section 129-21 establishing a special permit to enable modification of specific sections stipulating uses permitted as-of-right, specifying performance standards, and regulations governing floor area, height and setback, and yards
4. 4) The grant of a special permit pursuant to ZR Section 129-21 for a proposed commercial development planned as a unit and comprising an area of at least 1.5 acres, on the properties to be rezoned

The total affected area would include 12 lots comprising part of Industry City, together with seven lots intended to be acquired by the applicant, and three lots that are expected to remain in separate ownership. Such actions would facilitate the envisioned redevelopment of over 5,000,000 square feet (sq. ft.) of Industry City as a mixed-use project with commercial, community facility, and manufacturing uses and tenants. The project is envisioned to further facilitate ongoing expansion, renovation, and re-tenanting of existing properties, as well as the construction of new buildings. These applications might result in the realization of 3.75 million gross sq. ft. (gsf) of innovation economy uses, including approximately 1,874,000 gsf of manufacturing use, 937,000 gsf of artisanal and art/design studios, and approximately 937,000 gsf of office space. In addition, the applications provide for approximately 628,000 gsf of academic uses, 287,000 gsf of hotel floor area, 900,000 gsf of retail and restaurant uses, including a supermarket, a 75,000 gsf training facility for the Brooklyn Nets, as well as 43,000 gsf of event space. Finally, the proposal stipulates approximately 478,000 gsf of structured and surface accessory parking, as well as 420,000 gsf of vertical circulation, mechanical space, and shared lobbies, with a total project floor area of approximately 6,556,000 gsf.