The Zazza Williamsburg at 424 Bedford Avenue

Eighty percent of the 66 apartments are now leased at the Zazza Williamsburg project at 424 Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg, according to developer Michael Zazza, principal of the Zazza Group, the Daily Eagle reported. Marketing began in February for the 20-story building, which was first conceived as a condo, but eventually “had to go rental because of the economy,” Zazza said at Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable’s quarterly luncheon yesterday. “We were lucky to get a bank behind us.” The bank was against studio apartments, so the majority are one-bedroom units, with the rent averaging $2,500 per month. Zazza was designed by GreenbergFarrow with four units per floor so that each would have corner windows with views in two directions, while 50 percent have private outdoor space. The development, which is being marketed by the Corcoran Group, also has parking, a rooftop terrace and community gardens. [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]

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Robert Toll and a rendering of 205 Water Street

As expected, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved Toll Brothers’ proposed condo at 205 Water Street in Dumbo yesterday, giving the 67-unit project the final go-ahead. The rust-colored steel and concrete design by Greenberg Farrow is shorter than the maximum 12 stories allowed by current zoning at the site, and unlike the developers of other Brooklyn condos, Toll Brothers did not need to meet any requirement for affordable housing there. All units at the building and 86 underground parking spaces, will be sold at market rates. [Curbed]

Robert Toll and a rendering of 205 Water Street

Toll Brothers’ planned residential tower on Dumbo’s Water Street cleared the first phase of the public review process when a Community Board 2 committee approved the project’s design in an 8-3 vote last night. Toll Brothers’ plans call for 67 market-rate apartments and 86 underground parking spaces. Current zoning in the district allows for up to 12-story buildings and does not have the 20 percent affordable housing requirement that other areas of Brooklyn have, so the steel and gray concrete project at 205 Water Street glided through the vote easily. “We loved the gritty nature of this industrial area, and that was our inspiration,” said Navid Maqami of Greenberg Farrow, which designed the project. Toll Brothers, which recently abandoned its long-planned Gowanus Canal development after it garnered a Superfund designation from the Environmental Protection Agency, will now need to win approval from the full community board before an April 6 vote by the Landmarks Commission. [Brooklyn Paper] [more]