Now that McGuinness Boulevard is done and dusted, it’s time to turn your attention to a possible new project that could hugely impact the Greenpoint community.
Brooklyn’s Community Board 1 is hosting a hearing on Monitor Point on Tuesday, January 20, starting at 6 pm. The evening will take place at the Polish & Slavic Center (176 Java St.)
You might already be aware of what Monitor Point could entail, but we’ll give you a refresher just in case: developers plan to construct two new massive residential towers on the Bushwick Inlet, leasing the land from the MTA.
Some local residents fear that more high-rise housing will drive up rents and damage the inlet’s ecosystem. The project’s supporters say that the housing, some of it permanently affordable, is needed to keep up with the high demand (the developer, Gotham Organization, recently shared that they increased the amount of affordable units to 40%).
Crucially, the project also consists of the long-awaited Greenpoint Monitor Museum, as well as the development of additional open space on the inlet, both of which Gotham would also develop.
The public hearing is just one step necessitated by the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process. Gotham’s application has been reviewed by the City Planning Commission. After that, it will be subject to several hearings and reviews by key players, including the Brooklyn Borough President, the City Council, and, finally, the Mayor.
Regardless of which side you take (or even if you’re still on the fence!), you can sign up to speak at Tuesday’s meeting. Sign-ups will cut off at 6:15, so get there on time.
God, can’t these greedy developers leave ONE single last piece of waterfront property alone for the sake of present & future Greenpoint residents to enjoy? And it’s not just ANY waterfront propoerty. It adjoins a beautiful serene water inlet, a really pristine & crucial section of the Bushwick Inlet park that is being built just a few steps gown from Calyer Street. If this development is allowed to proceed, it will forever ruin the park & inlet with massive towers looming right above it & next to it. ALSO, this is public MTA land being sold for private interests instead of public benefit – fattening developers already fat bank accounts at our community’s expense. There are other ways to suppoirt the Monitor Museum, ways that can also purchase & preserve this waterfront property as a valuable treasure for future generations. We did it with other areas of the park. We must do it with this crucial section as well. Remember, once iy is lost, it will never by regained. Visit the bushwickinletpark dot org website to arm yourself with the facts. Voice your opposition to this land grab THIS Tuesday January 20th at the 6 P.M.meeting, at the Polish & Slavic Center (176 Java St. just 3 blocks down fro, Greenpoint Ave). Bundle up and take a bit of time out of your busy schedule on a cold Tuesday evening. If you show your support & concern, then hopefully both current & future Greenpointers, perhaps even your own children & grandchildren, will be forever grateful for your activism on behalf of our neighborhood. Stop by for a few minutes. Let’s show with our numbers that we care (and vote).