Bawabeh Holdings Seeks to Rezone East Flatbush Site

Bawabeh Holdings has big plans for East Flatbush, so long as it can shepherd the site through the city’s rezoning process.

The firm filed a rezoning application for a nine-building project in the Brooklyn neighborhood, the Commercial Observer reported. The development site is along East 98th Street and Rockaway Parkway.

Bawabeh aims to construct 972 housing units, which would break down to 108 units per building, should it be broken down evenly. The development would span 1.2 million square feet in total and anywhere from 194 to 292 units would need to be designated for affordable housing under New York City law.

Each of the buildings will stand 14 or 15 stories tall. The site’s zoned for industrial operations and auto shops, necessitating the rezoning.

The rezoning application was first reported by PincusCo. Bawabeh could not be reached by the Observer for comment.

Should the project sail through the rezoning process, it would be built in two phases, each expected to last roughly 45 months. The development would not be completed until 2035.

The rezoning plan comes a few months after a limited liability company tied to the Bawabeh clan was reported to be pushing for a 300-unit project at 1720 Atlantic Avenue, which sits outside of the broader Atlantic Avenue rezoning area.

As the developer’s plan stands, 84 apartments will be permanently affordable to those earning, on average, 60 percent of the area median income. But local Councilmember Chi Ossé, who supported the Atlantic Avenue rezoning, is pushing for deeper affordability.

Elsewhere in Flatbush, the City Council recently approved rezoning 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension, clearing the way for nearly 1,300 housing units.

The site is home to a 350,000-square-foot commercial building with office, retail and parking garage space. The site is owned by the city, but the building is operated through a long-term ground lease by Rabina and Park Tower Group, which will be leading the redevelopment.

— Holden Walter-Warner