City Planning seeks more retail for Park Slope

While previous rezonings have transformed Fourth Avenue in Park Slope from an auto-oriented, industrial block to one ripe with residential development, the area still isn’t the “complete neighborhood” the city envisioned, the Department of City Planning said. Retail is still sorely lacking. As a result, City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden announced she is submitting a new rezoning proposal for public review that would require new developments to have at least 50 percent of ground-floor frontage be literally transparent and occupied by retail uses. “Fourth Avenue is a wide, transit-rich corridor with new housing and residents, but often lacks an active pedestrian environment,” Burden said in a statement. “This new proposal will help ensure the continued transformation of the avenue into a dynamic commercial corridor and provide much needed services to its surrounding communities.” The new rezoning area spans 56 blocks along Fourth Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and 24th Street. The area was last rezoned in 2003 and 2005, which fostered the residential growth that the neighborhood has witnessed but failed to spur the shops for which planners had hoped. Burden’s proposal will now be reviewed by local community boards 2, 6 and 7 and Borough President Marty Markowitz’s office. Afterward, the City Planning Commission and City Council will review, and ultimately approve or reject, the proposal. — Adam Fusfeld