The Department of City Planning has certified a rezoning of the southern portion of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The rezoning was urged by Brooklyn Community Board 3, as well as local elected officials and civic groups, to preserve the character of existing residential neighborhoods, while creating new opportunities and incentives for what the city terms “moderate-size” residential construction and affordable housing development.
The new zoning would focus future growth on Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue, while downzoning most of the area north of Fulton Street, with the exception of the major north-south avenues. In addition, the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development will assist the development of affordable housing by providing financing.
The City Planning Commission held a public hearing in August 2007. The City Council unanimously approved the rezoning on October 29, 2007.