R to L: Prior versus revised proposal for 80 Flatbush (Alloy Development)
Earlier today, the New York City Council approved (with stipulations) Alloy Development's plan for a mixed-use complex at 80 Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. As one of the most fervent real estate battles of 2018, the proposal drew concerns from locals who believed the initial 74-story vision may be too dense and too tall for the mixed-character area.
Though Flatbush Avenue is now framed by an impressive line-up of new residential towers, the adjacent Boerum Hill sidestreets remain low-rise and residential. Alloy's vision would usurp a full triangular block of three- to five-story buildings bounded by Flatbush Avenue, State Street, Third Avenue, and Schermerhorn Street. While juxtaposition is the nature of living in New York, the thought of a 986-foot skyscraper looming over brownstones proved too hard a pill for some neighbors and the local City Councilman Stephen Levin to swallow.
As specified in the agreement today, Alloy must trim 130,000 square feet from the five-building project and shave the height of the tallest tower by roughly 150 feet. The approved 840-foot height would still make it the tallest building in Brooklyn today, with only 9 Dekalb announced to be taller.
Despite the reduction, much of the ambitious plan remains intact. Housing and density advocates saw the scale of the project appropriate considering the city's ongoing housing crisis and the location across from Atlantic Terminal -- the most transit-rich location in Brooklyn.
Now proposed are roughly 870 apartments (down from 900) with the number of permanently 'affordable' units remaining at 200. The plan also includes office space, retail, a cultural facility, a 350-seat elementary school, and newly-built classrooms for high-schoolers enrolled in nearby Khalil Gibran International Academy. Work on the first phase, which includes the new schools and some residential units, is expected to begin next year. In conjunction with the decision today, Alloy released a new set of renderings depicting the tallest tower with a softer, fluted design that crests with an open-air, cylindrical top.
In a statement, Alloy Development CEO Jared Della Valle says, "We’re proud that 80 Flatbush will deliver so many critically needed public benefits and help address the housing crisis. We hope the broad support we received for building a dense project in a transit-rich area sends a strong message across the five boroughs: amid an ongoing housing crisis, New York City needs to be progressive and seize every opportunity for growth in locations that can accommodate it. Thank you to those supporters for sending that message loud and clear throughout the process. It's incredibly gratifying for us not simply to make a valuable contribution to the city’s built environment but to deliver lasting and meaningful benefits, including 200 units of permanently affordable housing in the center of Brooklyn, a badly needed new Khalil Gibran International Academy, and a new public elementary school in Downtown Brooklyn. It's those benefits that led us to pursue this project in the first place.
We're also proud that this project is the result of an inclusive process we’ve led for more than two years. Feedback from local stakeholders directly helped shape the final result and the project is better for it. Thanks to the Boerum Hill Association in particular for its respectful and constructive advocacy. We also want to thank Council Member Steve Levin for his deep engagement on the issues and working tirelessly to help deliver a project and design that addresses community concerns without compromising the project’s essential benefits. We look forward to participating in the future of Brooklyn with our neighbors."
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
