Controversial High-Rise Plan Near BK Botanic Garden Scrapped: Report

BROOKLYN, NY — A rezoning that would allow a developer to build a 10-story apartment building on the 962-972 Franklin Ave. lot in Crown Heights near Brooklyn Botanic Garden was approved this week by the City Planning Commission in the name of affordable housing.

The city's rezoning was a compromise from the 14 stories that the developer wanted to build, which the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and its supporters said would cast a dark shadow on the beautiful and rare plants in the historic garden.

But, shortly after the city approved the 10-story rezoning compromise, lawyers for developer Ian Bruce Eichner said he would have to scrap the affordable housing plan altogether, saying the new design is not feasible for him, according to The Real Deal.

The plan for the building went from 475 apartments to 355 units, and from 119 affordable housing units to 91-106 units reserved for affordable housing, making it no longer financially feasible according to the developer, The Real Deal reported.

Now, Eichner will likely build an apartment building between six and eight stories tall on the site since that is what the lot is already zoned for, and he will not be building affordable housing, The Real Deal reported.

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