The Domino Sugar plan — good for Brooklyn? Two views

The New Domino: A benefit to Williamsburg

By Susan Pollock

We are particularly pleased that the City Planning Commission has unanimously approved our “New Domino” plans, which will now advance for final consideration by the New York City Council.

Planning Commission Chairwoman Amanda Burden highlighted The New Domino’s benefits, saying, “This project will bring high-quality design and architecture, much-needed affordable housing, significant community facilities, and open space on the waterfront to a Williamsburg community in need of all these things.”

The Commission’s action reflects support for the planning framework that offered a community-oriented project that balances density, open space, preservation, and most important, affordable housing. A living urban community requires creative planning and design — which is why we have double the parks, lawns, playgrounds and quality public open space required; a design that emphasizes light and air; a restored landmark centerpiece; access to the waterfront and a quarter-mile riverfront esplanade; and a circulation system that links The New Domino directly to the existing street grid. Space is also provided for a supermarket and for a new school in the Refinery if needed, and the development offers a job-training program for 500 neighborhood residents.

These many benefits, including maintaining the affordable housing for the life of the development, will be guaranteed not simply by plans and promises, but by legally enforceable restrictive covenants.

At the same time, it needs to be recognized that providing 660 affordable units and extraordinary public amenities comes with a significant price tag — a burden borne by revenues from the market-rate component of the New Domino. Cutting back on that component reduces the dollars available to cover these costs and impairs the development’s overall economic viability.

In casting his positive vote, Commissioner Irwin Cantor addressed the issue, modifying the lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s 1955 hit song: “Affordability and density is like love and marriage — you can’t have one without the other.”

Our mission over the past 37 years has been to create affordable housing for New Yorkers, providing nearly 140,000 such homes and apartments for working families. We became engaged in The New Domino principally because of the opportunity to create 660 affordable units to serve lower income families. We will uphold that commitment.

There are pre-existing transportation issues to be addressed that are community-wide and clearly far beyond our scope. Reducing the density of the New Domino, as some have called for, would have little or no tangible effect on the problem, amounting to one or two persons per subway car. But the New Domino can and will be part of the solution to the area-wide issue. Working with others in the community over our 10-year development period, we will pursue responsible, strategic improvements with the MTA and with ferry and shuttle bus operators to make a real and lasting difference.

We look forward to continuing positive and cooperative dialogue with the Williamsburg community and the City Council.

Susan Pollock is senior vice president of CPC Resources, the developer of The New Domino.

New Domino is just too big

By Assemblyman Vito Lopwz and Councilman Steve Levin

Last week, the City Planning Commission approved the redevelopment of the historic Domino Sugar factory by CPC Resources, the for-profit subsidiary of the Community Preservation Corporation, and the Katan Group, a luxury housing developer.

It is an 11-acre, 2.7-million-square-foot project consisting of approximately 2,400 units of housing, as well as retail and commercial space. We agree that the redevelopment of this former manufacturing site is essential to the future of the Brooklyn waterfront, but we share many concerns about the scope of the proposed project.

This community needs, and this community has repeatedly asked for, affordable housing as part of a responsible development plan.

But simply put, the New Domino is too big.

The developer must find a way to reduce the height and bulk while maintaining the affordable housing components of this project.

For a community that is grappling with rapid gentrification and displacement, it is essential that we address the issues that may further harm the Williamsburg neighborhood. The proposed height and density of this project significantly dwarfs other developments in the area. The developer intends to construct four towers along the waterfront, ranging in height from 300 feet to 400 feet. The community needs true access to its waterfront areas, not a row of 40-story towers walling Williamsburg off from the East River.

Once completed, the project will add an astounding 7,000 new residents. Taken together with the other recent development projects that have been approved along the waterfront, there stands to be upwards of 15,000 new residents — and that number is growing. That is a 25-percent increase in population for the half-mile surrounding the site.

Such a dramatic increase will severely tax the community’s existing infrastructure. The nearest subway station is about 15 blocks away from the development. For those residents who can make the trek to Marcy or Bedford avenues, they are faced with overcrowded trains, yet the developer has routinely dismissed the notion that thousands of additional residents will burden the local infrastructure.

Despite repeated requests for the developers to address infrastructure concerns, CPC has not made any plan to update the sewer systems, alleviate subway and bus overcrowding or answer substantive concerns about the creation of hazardous conditions.

As the New Domino development moves to the Council for a hearing on Monday, we hope that the developer will listen to Williamsburg. We seek a reasonable compromise that would allow the development of the vacant site, but balance concerns about height, density, and infrastructure.

Vito Lopez is an assemblyman and Steve Levin is a councilman. Their districts both include the Domino site.

Brooklyn Paper