Large, Disputed Development Could Come To Park Slope, Tenants Say

BROOKLYN, NY — A large development project could be coming to Park Slope, much to the chagrin of some neighboring tenants, Patch learned.

Earlier this week, Marvel Architects (of Bedford Union Armory and Brooklyn Naval Cemetery fame) and Stellar Management filed permits with the Department of Buildings for a modest six-story, six-family residential building at 309 10th Street.

The address, which is part of a plot of land between Ninth and 10th streets near Fifth Avenue, is already home to a large, L-shaped apartment building managed by Stellar known as Prospect Towers.

But minutes from a Dec. 16 meeting held between the Prospect Towers Tenants' Association and Stellar Management show a much bigger project may be in the works.

(Reached for comment, Marvel told Patch to direct questions about the project to Stellar. Patch repeatedly reached out to Stellar but did not receive a reply.)

The plans presented by Stellar include two, roughly 18-story mixed-use buildings, according minutes a tenant association executive board member provided to Patch.

According to the notes, the proposed development would include a 200-unit building on 10th Street, with some affordable housing and commercial space, plus a comparably-sized residential tower on Ninth Street, with units reserved for seniors.

Members of Stellar's team — like its vice president of development and the Towers' longtime building manager — were present at the meeting, as well as the president, vice president, and treasurer of the tenants association's executive board, according to the notes.

The proposed mixed-use building plans — which would likely involve a zoning change — would pave over an informal dog run on 10th Street and two parking lots, reducing the number of parking spaces from 100 to 45, according to the notes.

Construction would start in the beginning of 2023, and take up to two years to complete, the notes said — an ambitious timeline given the city's lengthy land use review process.

A longtime tenant who requested anonymity to protect her job, told Patch that most Prospect Towers' residents don't support the project.

"None of us took it favorably," she said of residents' reactions to the plan. "I understand the importance of progress and change, but this is really a disruption to our lives."

Among tenants biggest concerns are construction and parking losses, especially for the building's many older residents, she said.

"Living in construction isn't nice and once it's done our reward will basically be living right up against a brick wall," she added, alluding to the plan to build a tower on the Ninth Street side, adjacent to some Prospect Towers residents' balconies.

Although management said it would pay for some off-site parking during construction, the longtime tenant said that might not work for some older residents — who depend on having cars nearby — and would prove complicated once there were more people and less spots in the building.

The tenant also raised concerns about a previous lawsuit against the landlord. In 2017, 59 tenants across 15 buildings — including Prospect Towers — sued Stellar, claiming that the landlord jacked up rents for renovations it never did, and collected tax credits for providing rent-stabilized rates that it didn't actually offer.

"I'm just worried," the tenant said of the management company. "They're not usually forthcoming."

The longtime tenant added that while creating new affordable housing is important, she believed it shouldn't come in lieu of support for current residents.

"The building is old, we already have plumbing emergencies at least once a month," the tenant said.

Since the plans Stellar presented in December would likely involve a zoning change, the landlord is seeking support from current residents, offering them incentives like community room upgrades, according to the notes.

Residents though, are trying to minimize the plan's impact on tenants and neighbors, the longtime tenant said.

While tenants don't have an official say in the land use review process, they can try to rally support from the Community Board and City Council Member, she explained.

"We're working on getting some meetings on the books," she said.

Meanwhile, the longtime tenant said she thinks the plans to build a six-story apartment building — which haven't been approved as of Thursday — are merely an attempt for the developer to get its foot in the door ahead of any necessary zoning changes.

"They filed for what they're entitled to right now without a zoning change, but if they get a zoning change it would be easy enough to revise the building permit," she said.

"It should not come as a shock to us that they did this, but it did."