BK Borough President Approves Gowanus Rezoning, With Conditions

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has become the latest local official to offer his support to the Gowanus rezoning under the condition that the city makes a long list of changes to the proposal.

Adams — who, as the Democratic nominee, is also heavily favored to become the city's next mayor — announced Friday that he will recommend approval of the Gowanus rezoning with a list of 38 conditions.

At the center of his support, which is advisory, is a long-sought-after demand that the city fully fund public housing repairs in the neighborhood. Both Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin have said their votes will hinge on that and other demands.

"Builders cannot go up around NYCHA developments while these residents see their futures go down," said Adams, who announced his decision from one of two New York City Housing Authority developments that fall under the rezoning.

Also included in Adams conditions is a pumping station for St. Mary's Park, an accessible subway entrance on Union Street, investment in new school seats and money for community childcare, he said during his press conference.

The borough president's recommendation also includes a plan for how to fund the $274 million in NYCHA repairs should the city not include it in the rezoning upfront.

The contingency, first floated by city council members years ago, would require developers who want to build near NYCHA buy air rights to get more height or density for their buildings. The money from the air rights would go toward the repairs.

"This is a great way to make sure we use the air rights to take care of what’s happening on the ground," Adams said.

The borough president's support comes after a split vote from local community boards for the rezoning, known as the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, earlier this summer.

The rezoning officially started its journey through the city's review process in June after a months-long legal battle over how hearings about it would be handled during the coronavirus crisis.

The Gowanus rezoning seeks to transform the once-industrial neighborhood by changing zoning rules in an 80-block area surrounding the Gowanus Canal. Supporters have said it could bring the "opposite of gentrification" to the neighborhood.

In his announcement, Adams cited several statistics from a recently-released Racial Equity Studyabout the rezoning, which concluded that it likely would work in increasing diversity in the area.

The Gowanus area, which has experienced massive population changes in the last 15 years, has become one of only 10 districts in New York City where more than 60 percent of residents are white, according to the study.