http://www.planNYC.org/ PlanNYC | New York City Planning Information Portal en-us ja3n@earthlink.net http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#4149 Henry Abadi, who owns a warehouse adjacent to the Public Place site, is interested in his land being incorporated into the plans for new development along the Gowanus Canal. The Hudson Companies were chosen last week to redevelop the Public Place site which is currently owned by the city. Abadi would remain the land owner but is considering building below market rate housing and amenities for the community on the site in a similar effort to what is being done on the Public Place site. 2008-04-26 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#4102 The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced that the Hudson Companies has won the bid to develop the Public Place site along the Gowanus Canal. The winning bid includes 774 housing units, of which 615 will be below market rate. Bluestone Organization, the 5th Avenue Committee, and the Jonathan Rose Companies are also part of the team that won the bid. 2008-04-16 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#4039 Cleanup efforts are underway on the Gowanus Canal at the site of Public Place. As part of the cleanup effort, Keyspan, who owns the company responsible for the pollution, will remove almost eight feet of soil that is contaminated and will put in place a barrier to block tar from seeping into the river from under the site. The city presentation the clean up efforts to Community Board 6 this week, saying that efforts could take nearly three years to complete. Odors and dust are likely nuisances during the clean up efforts. The site must be fully remediated before any new development can happen on the site. 2008-04-05 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3960 As construction workers began clearing debris and cement from the contaminated Public Place site along the Gowanus Canal, some residents and local officials expressed concern that dust and other contaminants were blowing off the site causing both a health and a safety risk for local residents. Councilmember Bill de Blasio wrote a letter to the Housing and Preservation Commissioner Shaun Donovan addressing many of the neighborhood’s safety concerns. 2008-03-24 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3842 The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) presented two plans for the Public Place site along the Gowanus to the Executive Committee of Community Board 6 on Monday night. Developers of the plans were not revealed in hopes that the concepts would be judged based on their merit alone. Both plans were very similar, with one offering more open space, but higher buildings than the other. Some CB6 members expressed concern about the secrecy around the developers, but were assured by HPD that both developers “have excellent track records” and have past experience working with the city. 2008-02-28 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3838 The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) unveiled the proposals from the two finalists to develop the Public Place site along the Gowanus Canal. Both properties include over 700 housing units and the buildings in both plans stand six to twelve stories high. The Hudson Companies plan includes 774 housing units (380 rental, 394 condo, 120 for senior citizens), 98,300 square feet of open space, 26,400 square feet of community space and 38,000 square feet of retail space. The Related Companies proposal will have 725 housing units (245 rental, 480 condos, 100 for senior citizens) and about 86,500 square feet of open space, 9,000 feet of community space and 18,000 square feet for retail. The city expects to pick a winner in the next month and begin the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in the spring. 2008-02-26 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3839 The owner of a four-acre lot that adjoins the Public Place site on the Gowanus Canal has said that the city has encouraged him to join with the winning bid for the site. The owner, Henry Abadi, is currently demolishing the warehouse on his property to help clean up the site. Abadi had partnered with one of the developers whose bid was not chosen as a finalist by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Although the requirements for open space and affordable housing will be less strict on Abadi’s land, because it is privately owned, HPD has said that if the land is paired up with the Public Place site, there will likely be affordable housing requirements as part of the agreement to rezone the land from industrial to residential. The two finalists, Hudson Companies and Related Companies, did not have specific plans for Abadi’s site yet. 2008-02-26 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3727 One of the members of the community stakeholders panel that selected the two finalists for the development of Public Place said that the other four bids were not seriously considered by the panel. Only the two finalists provided enough affordable housing, open space and apartments suited for family living. The finalists are teams led by the Related Companies and the Hudson Companies. 2008-02-05 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3647 Two teams, one led by The Related Companies and one by The Hudson Companies, are the finalists in a bid to clean up and develop the contaminated Public Place site along the Gowanus Canal, according to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Both developers’ plans will create a mixed-use community with affordable housing and a park, and both proposals will probably include progressive and green building techniques. The specifics of the plans will be revealed at a community meeting that will likely take place late next month. 2008-01-23 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3490 Details on one of the five bids presented to the city for the area known as Public Place along the Gowanus Canal has been released. The site, once a gas manufacturing plant, is roughly 6 acres and currently owned by the city. One of the plans developed by AvalonBay Group Inc. includes about 750 residential units, of which almost half is expected to be devoted to senior housing. The plan also includes many public amenities, for example, a supermarket, environmental center, youth center and art gallery space. The city will make the final decision on the proposals but it is expected that a citizens’ group formed to review proposals will likely be influential in the process. 2007-12-13 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3338 This week five developers unveiled their bids for Public Place along the Gowanus Canal. Some in the community are concerned that the clean up effort on the site of the former Gas Manufacturing Plant should be done first before bids are evaluated. All five of the bids involve residential development that would require a minimum two years of site cleanup. There are concerns that the site will never be suitable for community and living space and some environmental advocates plan to fight the new development 2007-11-17 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3319 The City has received bids from five developers to build 500 to 1000 units of housing on the contaminated Public Place site along the Gowanus Canal. The project will require a great deal of environmental cleanup. The Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation (GCCDC), a longtime community advocacy group, approves of all the proposals. GCCDC has partnered with four of the developers and is in talks to partner with the other, with the intention of having a role in the development no matter which proposal is chosen. At least 50 percent of the units in the project will be affordable housing, in aid of the City’s goal to increase affordable housing over a 10-year period. 2007-11-12 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3296 Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus (FROGG) has come forward to oppose the use of the 6-acre "Public Place" site near the Gowanus Canal for housing. FROGG and former State Assemblyman Frank Verderame maintain that since the site was originally marked for recreational use, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) must hold a public hearing before it can request development proposals, in accordance with the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP). HPD says that since most of the site is now City-owned, these requirements no longer apply. 2007-11-06 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3107 Three groups, the Ridgewood-Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation and the Carroll Gardens Association, have teamed up to develop a proposal for the Public Place site. Buddy Scotto, a long-time community activist, has said that the teaming up will produce the best proposal because each group specializes in different aspects of redevelopment. Some have expressed concern that Lopez, who is both Chairman of the Housing Committee and founder of the Ridgewood-Bushwick group, might have influence in the selection process. Others believe that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is known for awarding proposals based on merit. The deadline to submit proposals is in October and then HPD will take many months to make a selection. 2007-08-17 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=141#3105 City officials announced that they will begin taking development bids for their property called Public Place located along the Gowanus Canal. The city intends for the site to have affordable housing options, including specific space reserved for low-income seniors, commerical, retail, and community space, such as a youth center or art gallery. Development plans will also include a waterfront park along the canal. The site has remained vacant since 1959. The area is currently industrial, but is situated between Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, both of which are prime residential areas. 2007-07-18 00:00:00