Union group canvasses for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6

Long-gestating plans for the Pier 6 development at Brooklyn Bridge Park are getting backing from a union coalition that’s urging thousands of Brooklyn residents to support the project.

Labor group Build Up NYC mailed fliers Thursday to around 15,000 Brooklyn Heights homes touting the purported benefits of residential towers in the park. The Empire State Development Corp. expects to vote on a modification of the Pier 6 plan, which would use unionized workers, sometime this fall.

The Build Up NYC fliers feature a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge and state that the development would “generate a permanent, sustainable income stream for the park” while maintaining and protecting Brooklyn Bridge Park “from the whims of the city budget,” according to Politico.

The coalition is closely aligned with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who sided with Build Up NYC earlier this year when proposing that the 421a development tax break’s renewal be tied to a mandated prevailing wage.

The modified Pier 6 plan would reduce the height of the two proposed residential towers by three stories each, slashing the number of residential units by 20 percent. The buildings would stand 29 stories and 14 stories, respectively, and contain 339 residential units – with 117 set aside for low-to-moderate income housing.

RAL Development Services and Oliver’s Realty Group won the rights to acquire a long-term ground lease on the two parcels for $106 million in June, The Real Deal reported.

While the plan has faced community opposition, the development overcame an obstacle when a park advocacy group settled its lawsuit against the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp. earlier this year. [Politico] — Rey Mashayekhi