Isaac Hager’s Cornell Realty Management withdrew plans to rezone a Crown Heights property to make way for 565 apartments amid community opposition, but said it will resubmit the application down the road.
The developer had sought to rezone parcels off Franklin Avenue in order to build a pair of 16 story towers, but told the local community board Wednesday night that they were no longer pursuing the rezoning, DNAinfo reported.
Members of Movement to Protect the People, an activist group that rounded up more than 4,000 signatures opposing the project, cheered at the news.
“What that means is they may reapplying in the future, they may build as-of-right, no idea,” Liburd said, adding that Cornell may reapply in the future or build the project as-of-right.
Under current zoning laws, Cornell could build towers up to seven stories tall on the sites at 40 Crown Street and 931 Carroll Street. Hager bought the sites for a combined $17 million in 2014.
In a statement to the community board, Cornell said it is “respectfully withdrawing” the proposal, but plans “to resubmit this application after additional outreach with community stakeholders and elected officials to obtain input and ensure the benefits of the project are fully understood.” [DNAinfo] – Rich Bockmann