Officials want the developers of waterfront megatowers in Two Bridges to slow down

Builders, including JDS, Starrett Corp., L+M and CIM Group, said delaying review process is "counterproductive"

From left: Renderings of the Two Bridges Towers (credit: CityRealty) with JDS' Michael Stern, CIM's Alex Kafenbaum and Starrett's Josh Siegel
From left: Renderings of the Two Bridges Towers (credit: CityRealty) with JDS' Michael Stern, CIM's Alex Kafenbaum and Starrett's Josh Siegel

City and state officials are calling on JDS Development, Starrett Development and Two Bridges Associates (a partnership between L+M Development Partners and the CIM Group) to allow more time for the community to weigh in on their proposed collective waterfront developments in the Two Bridges neighborhood.

Community members stormed out of a meeting in January after the developers shot down a demand for an extended community engagement period before starting the environmental impact review process for their four planned towers. The developers said delaying the review would be “counterproductive,” but elected officials — including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Councilwoman Margaret Chin, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, state Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou — wrote a letter to the developers seeking an extension, DNAinfo reported.

“Embarking on community engagement with a community that feels rushed into making decisions on their priorities without adequate information is disingenuous,” the officials wrote. “We require time to create understanding and arrive at consensus about our community’s needs and desirable outcomes.”

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The three developers plan to build massive residential towers along the waterfront, not far from where Gary Barnett is constructing One Manhattan Square.

JDS’ 247 Cherry Street would rise 77 stories, and Two Bridges Associates plans to build two towers at 260 South Street. Starrett’s 259 Clinton Street is set to rise 62 stories. [DNAinfo] — Kathryn Brenzel