Greenpoint’s got a new kid on the block and he’s entered the hood with a bang. For anyone who has seen the mounds of excavated dirt, or the felt the head-splitting thunderous claps of wooden piles being driven into the ground at 7 am, knows Greenpoint Landing has officially arrived.
Greenpoint Landing’s construction crew, which quietly set-up shop at the end of Commercial Street in July, are now laying down the foundation at 21 Commercial Street–a low-rise, affordable residential building with approximately 98 units. Phase 1 of the Commercial Street construction will involve digging trenches, along with upgrades and relocation of combined sewage overflow pipes (CSO’s).
What is the deal with all that incessant banging, you ask? Grab a jumbo size box of earplugs and brace yourselves…The pile driving won’t be ending anytime soon. Greenpoint Landing Developers say the foundation phase of the construction is expected to last 3 to 4 months. This phase includes excavation, pile installation, pouring concrete foundations and other construction activities.
Work permits have been approved by the Department of Buildings and the Department of Environmental Protection. Remediation efforts will be overseen by the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation and the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
If you any questions about the project, or want to receive updates, contact developers at info@greenpoint-landing.com
Great job being objective on the story
Too many people are critical of this project which is displacing no one
Creating jobs building the economy improving an area that was otherwise industrial wasteland and toxic storage
It’s nice to see their first priority is to build the affordable housing and in the long run they will be increasing all the greenpoint residence property values significantly bringing more traffic to the community businesses and creating pedestrian connectivity from Brooklyn to Queens along the waterfront
I’m greenpoint resident over a decade and like most of the neighborhood I plan on being around for a long time and my family for generations i’m happy to be raising my daughter here where so much more will be available to her as she grows up than has been for past generations
Well we’ve seen what happened to Williamsburg and LIC. Main difference is the toxic waste dump and the air pollution this will cause. If they have figured out how not to contaminate the current residence I think most people are happy with affordable housing.
The so called affordable housing -affordable for those who can pay it, that is- is the red herring for the monster they are bringing to the hood. No wonder it’s their first priority.
About the industrial wasteland and toxic storage, I just hope that you and your family live closer to it than I do when they “remediate” it.
And for the traffic increase to the community: Hell, yeah! A ton of it, and still the same crappy subway and narrow streets. You’ll have a blast at the bodega.
I’m an 18-year Greenpoint resident and for you (Nathan) to claim that no one is being displaced shows your lack of knowledge of the happenings in our community. Maybe you don’t hang out in the same circles as me, but we’ve already lost lots of longtime neighborhood businesses and a dozen of my friends had already have had to relocate this past year because of their rents getting jacked to obscene numbers. We’re talking from $1600 to $2400+ from old lease to new lease. And this is just the beginning. GP Landing and 77 Comm projects will ultimately bring more than 15,000 people within an eight block radius. Transportation, sustainability? And that’s after 10 years of heavy truck traffic and construction for us on the northern tip. We’re going to lose a lot of good people in this neighborhood. It’s such a shame as there were many strong voices who opposed this. We started grassroots campaigns, played by the books, met with our local city councilmen, community boards, wrote to “Tale of Two Cities” DeBlasio and testified at every step of this flawed/bought process to be included in at least some part of a responsible development of our neighborhood. But I’ve come to the realization that the only thing that can have a voice in a 3.5 billion dollar real estate deal is 3.6 billion dollars.
I think it’s interesting that the person who believes that residents are being too critical of this development makes part of his money…manufacturing money clips for a living. Enjoy your new clients. You live in another world, friend.
@Nathan,
Displacement, No GPL will not displace people directly; but will indirectly via the luxury rents that will bring even more expense restaurants etc. You know its called gentrification. Sounds like you own so you don’t really comprehend what is about to happen to those not as fortunate as you are. Maybe you will as you soon will no longer be able to afford your property taxes?
The jobs are temporary; but I glad to see jobs
The waterfront is a flood zone, and as sea level are rising. This land is much better suited for wetlands that would absorb the water or a flood-able park where no property destruction would happen.
Knowing what I know about the history of Greenpointers and the awful stories of rare and deadly cancers, I would not be so happy about raising a child in this toxic mess of a neighborhood.
I sometimes ride my bike to LIC or Williamsburg in an effort to acclamate myself to the coming change. Funny thing is we won’t even have as much open space as either of those neighborhoods.
Real developers buy up property that is strategically located with regard to infrastructure or they provide the needed infrastructure themselves, this includes open space, transportation, stormwater detention and so on. Faulty environmental reviews were recognized as being valid, meaning we will not be prepared infrastructurally for the changes to come.
The developer wasn’t even aware of the location of an existing cso on his property, telling of his total lack of self respect and his total disrepect for the land.
I wish people wouldn’t let the ring of the words “affordable housing” taint their perspectives. Perhaps you don’t understand how this ridiculous housing lottery system works: My application for the latest affirdable housing lottery was drawn at #11,926…that’s for 18 units that I qualify for folks! And they only need to fill 50% of those 18 in that particular income bracket with a Greenpoint resident…so much for our “advantage”, huh?! So in other words, they will never open my application. Congrats to those with docket numbers 1-100, you at least get an interview. The rest of us will have to pray for better luck on the next one, or move when we get priced out in the meantime. Affordable housing cannot come to New York City only on the wings of tax credits to developers of luxury projects that will indirectly raise rents that WERE once affordable dramatically throughout the neighborhood.
I live across the street and am pretty sure that the pile driving starts at 8am each morning. Compared to the pile driving last year (of the new apartment building on Clay Street), this doesn’t seem so bad. I thought all of the waterfront projects were 40 story towers so it’s nice to see that this project is much smaller.
CJ, just curious, which affordable housing did you apply for?
The one on Manhattan Ave btwn Box & Clay
Nathan, I understand that being surrounded by chain stores makes you feel at home, but that just shows how little you know about the Greenpoint you claim to embrace so lovingly as our “developers”. Did you get outpriced in Manhattan? That would explain your comment.
Angela, I know that the pile driving starts before 8:00 am because I have my alarm clock set at that time and these days I don’t need it to wake up.
Jim, take your pick and then read the fine print.