New York
Where’s the boom? Rezoning hasn’t transformed East New York — yet
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Totem files Broadway Junction rezoning plans
“Herkimer-Williams” to include 600 units, office and retail space
A developer is moving forward with its plans for Brooklyn’s Broadway Junction, finally getting the long-awaited rezoning process underway.
Totem publicly filed its rezoning plans last week, the New York Daily News reported, in an early step for the project, dubbed “Herkimer-Williams.”
The developer already owns most of the land in the three-block, triangular area, near one of the borough’s busiest subway stations.
Totem is aiming to add 596 units to the rezoned area, according to the rezoning application, all of which would be affordable. That’s a reduction from the 664 units the Brooklyn-based developer included in preliminary plans submitted to the Department of City Planning two years ago.
The project would also include 248,000 square feet of retail space and 748,000 square feet of office space. Everything would stretch along a four-building development — one more building than previously reported — spanning nearly 1.7 million square feet.
The buildings would range between 20 and 30 stories. Height is expected to be a concern with community, according to the firm, and affordability levels and building heights will be negotiated upon with the community during the rezoning process.
Totem also wants to eliminate Herkimer Street between Williams Place and Fulton Street, which would allow for the creation of a contiguous parcel of land. Other concerns include the degree of office space during a down time for the office market, local Councilperson Sandy Nurse told the Daily News.
The project falls just outside of the borders of the controversial East New York rezoning, which has not panned out and so far fallen far short of expected housing goals. Roughly $500 million in city and state funding was recently announced for Broadway Junction to improve accessibility, safety and open space, an eye towards unlocking the potential of the area.
Totem is led by Two Trees Development alumnus Tucker Reed and Vivian Liao. The developer is also collaborating with BEB Capital on a 14-story mixed-use project in Sunset Park.
The formal land use process is expected to begin late next year. The land use process and environmental review would finish the following year before a 10-year construction plan is set to unfold in four separate phases.
A public scoping meeting for the project is scheduled for Dec. 19.
— Holden Walter-Warner
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