Chelsea Land Use Committee Questions Planned Development

CHELSEA, NY — A Chelsea community board committee critiqued the city's proposed guidelines for the redevelopment of a West Chelsea block on Monday evening, faulting the city's suggested policies for a spate of planned massive developments.

Three developers have hopes to raze a block of land in West Chelsea, and replace the existing structures with at least two high-rise towers. The land, known as block 675, is located on West 29th and 30th streets between 11th and 12th avenues. Currently, the land is home to the artist Jeff Koons' studio, a gas station, a Port Authority office building among other buildings. Politico first reported on Monday that one of the three developers, Douglaston Development, is looking to buy 150,000 square feet of air rights over the land to build the towers, which would bring with them an estimated 1,230 new apartments.

On Monday, representatives from the Department of City Planning presented what they called guiding policies for the developers; a proposed framework for the development that is not as stringent as a zoning change but are more rigorous than guidelines. The city described the space as an "underutilized waterfront block," and voiced support for the developers' hopes to add more housing units and businesses.

The committee's members voiced concerns over the height of the buildings the developers planned to construct, and also said the city's guidelines failed to include adequate provisions for public facilities, including schools and emergency care centers.

Committee members said they would write a letter enumerating their concerns for the city's planning commission before the commission's next meeting in May. The developers' purchase of the air rights, a separate matter from the proposed framework set forth by the city on Monday, must be approved by the City Planning Commission and the City Council.

NYC City Council Member Corey Johnson, who represents Chelsea, told The Real Deal that he wasn't opposed to additional housing on the site, and that he would review additional details about the proposal.

"It’s a complicated project. It’s the site that the Gateway tunnel runs immediately under when it comes into Manhattan," Johnson told The Real Deal. "I’m not opposed to it, but like any of these projects that are complicated, the details really matter. So there’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m not opposed to the housing on the site and I think it’s a good opportunity to get affordable housing and to get money for the Hudson River Park."

Lead image via Google Maps.