Testimony of Frank Giallorenzo, Vice President – Policies & Programs New York Building Congress before New York City C
Published on Apr 4, 2005 by
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the proposed rezoning of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront.
The Building Congress is New York’s largest and most diverse coalition of design, construction, and real estate organizations, involving more than 250,000 skilled professionals and tradespeople. Part of our mission is to evaluate major government initiatives and promote productive capital investment. We support the Bloomberg Administration’s rezoning plan for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront in its entirety.
This rezoning initiative creates the opportunity to reclaim a blighted portion of the waterfront and turn it into a vibrant neighborhood of mixed income housing, retail space and parkland. The rezoning is a great example of good urban planning and balances the City’s need for well planned development with community concerns for affordable housing, neighborhood preservation, and retention of viable manufacturing. The densest zoning is restricted to the waterfront in a manner that requires a varied skyline and enhances pedestrian access to the water.
Ground floor retail, new parks and a waterfront esplanade will make the area a pedestrian friendly neighborhood. In anticipation of future commuter needs, the City has zoned for as-of-right ferry access as well. Moving inward, the density permitted decreases so that the character of the existing neighborhood is preserved.
The City’s housing need is addressed by creating the opportunity for the development of up to 8,780 new housing units, up to 25 percent of which will be designated as affordable housing for people of varying incomes. For the total area, new development and rehabilitation of older buildings inland will result in up to 2,500 affordable housing units.
Affordable housing is a pressing need in the City. It will continue to be in the forefront of planning issues as the City’s population is projected to grow by 1.2 million people in the next twenty years. The Building Congress has become increasingly concerned that additional, more stringent, requirements for affordable units will make development of the rezoned area so expensive that the net result could be that no units are built. Working with the industry and community leaders, we believe the City has derived a formula that allows the maximum number of affordable housing units without hindering development.
From an economic development perspective, the rezoning will permit development that, by 2013, could result in the creation of 11,282 new construction jobs. The 350,000 square feet of retail space within the rezoning can create up to 935 permanent jobs for area residents. The City will reap up to $388 million in taxes over the next 25 years from the anticipated $1.6 billion in private investment that will spur the new construction. Greenpoint-Williamsburg is a great investment for the City, not only for the needed housing, but also for the jobs and revenue the rezoning will permit.
We applaud the City for working with the community to realize the 197a plans that established the community’s land use goals. We commend the Department of City Planning for putting forth a zoning proposal that preserves viable industry in the area, reclaims the waterfront, and facilitates private sector investment in an area that has been neglected for the past thirty years. The Building Congress and its membership encourage the City Council to approve the rezoning proposal for Greenpoint-Williamsburg.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the proposed rezoning of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront.
The Building Congress is New York’s largest and most diverse coalition of design, construction, and real estate organizations, involving more than 250,000 skilled professionals and tradespeople. Part of our mission is to evaluate major government initiatives and promote productive capital investment. We support the Bloomberg Administration’s rezoning plan for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront in its entirety.
This rezoning initiative creates the opportunity to reclaim a blighted portion of the waterfront and turn it into a vibrant neighborhood of mixed income housing, retail space and parkland. The rezoning is a great example of good urban planning and balances the City’s need for well planned development with community concerns for affordable housing, neighborhood preservation, and retention of viable manufacturing. The densest zoning is restricted to the waterfront in a manner that requires a varied skyline and enhances pedestrian access to the water.
Ground floor retail, new parks and a waterfront esplanade will make the area a pedestrian friendly neighborhood. In anticipation of future commuter needs, the City has zoned for as-of-right ferry access as well. Moving inward, the density permitted decreases so that the character of the existing neighborhood is preserved.
The City’s housing need is addressed by creating the opportunity for the development of up to 8,780 new housing units, up to 25 percent of which will be designated as affordable housing for people of varying incomes. For the total area, new development and rehabilitation of older buildings inland will result in up to 2,500 affordable housing units.
Affordable housing is a pressing need in the City. It will continue to be in the forefront of planning issues as the City’s population is projected to grow by 1.2 million people in the next twenty years. The Building Congress has become increasingly concerned that additional, more stringent, requirements for affordable units will make development of the rezoned area so expensive that the net result could be that no units are built. Working with the industry and community leaders, we believe the City has derived a formula that allows the maximum number of affordable housing units without hindering development.
From an economic development perspective, the rezoning will permit development that, by 2013, could result in the creation of 11,282 new construction jobs. The 350,000 square feet of retail space within the rezoning can create up to 935 permanent jobs for area residents. The City will reap up to $388 million in taxes over the next 25 years from the anticipated $1.6 billion in private investment that will spur the new construction. Greenpoint-Williamsburg is a great investment for the City, not only for the needed housing, but also for the jobs and revenue the rezoning will permit.
We applaud the City for working with the community to realize the 197a plans that established the community’s land use goals. We commend the Department of City Planning for putting forth a zoning proposal that preserves viable industry in the area, reclaims the waterfront, and facilitates private sector investment in an area that has been neglected for the past thirty years. The Building Congress and its membership encourage the City Council to approve the rezoning proposal for Greenpoint-Williamsburg.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the proposed rezoning of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront.
The Building Congress is New York’s largest and most diverse coalition of design, construction, and real estate organizations, involving more than 250,000 skilled professionals and tradespeople. Part of our mission is to evaluate major government initiatives and promote productive capital investment. We support the Bloomberg Administration’s rezoning plan for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront in its entirety.
This rezoning initiative creates the opportunity to reclaim a blighted portion of the waterfront and turn it into a vibrant neighborhood of mixed income housing, retail space and parkland. The rezoning is a great example of good urban planning and balances the City’s need for well planned development with community concerns for affordable housing, neighborhood preservation, and retention of viable manufacturing. The densest zoning is restricted to the waterfront in a manner that requires a varied skyline and enhances pedestrian access to the water.
Ground floor retail, new parks and a waterfront esplanade will make the area a pedestrian friendly neighborhood. In anticipation of future commuter needs, the City has zoned for as-of-right ferry access as well. Moving inward, the density permitted decreases so that the character of the existing neighborhood is preserved.
The City’s housing need is addressed by creating the opportunity for the development of up to 8,780 new housing units, up to 25 percent of which will be designated as affordable housing for people of varying incomes. For the total area, new development and rehabilitation of older buildings inland will result in up to 2,500 affordable housing units.
Affordable housing is a pressing need in the City. It will continue to be in the forefront of planning issues as the City’s population is projected to grow by 1.2 million people in the next twenty years. The Building Congress has become increasingly concerned that additional, more stringent, requirements for affordable units will make development of the rezoned area so expensive that the net result could be that no units are built. Working with the industry and community leaders, we believe the City has derived a formula that allows the maximum number of affordable housing units without hindering development.
From an economic development perspective, the rezoning will permit development that, by 2013, could result in the creation of 11,282 new construction jobs. The 350,000 square feet of retail space within the rezoning can create up to 935 permanent jobs for area residents. The City will reap up to $388 million in taxes over the next 25 years from the anticipated $1.6 billion in private investment that will spur the new construction. Greenpoint-Williamsburg is a great investment for the City, not only for the needed housing, but also for the jobs and revenue the rezoning will permit.
We applaud the City for working with the community to realize the 197a plans that established the community’s land use goals. We commend the Department of City Planning for putting forth a zoning proposal that preserves viable industry in the area, reclaims the waterfront, and facilitates private sector investment in an area that has been neglected for the past thirty years. The Building Congress and its membership encourage the City Council to approve the rezoning proposal for Greenpoint-Williamsburg.