Sunset Park Brownfield Opportunity Area Request for Proposals for Planning, Design and Economic Analysis Services July 8, 2011 Overview The Sunset Park Waterfront Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Study is being led by UPROSE, a non-profit organization committed to increasing open space and areas of outdoor recreation, decreasing pollution and environmental hazards in the community and facilitating community-inclusive practices and policies in environmental decision-making in Sunset Park. UPROSE is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to assist in developing a comprehensive strategy for achieving community redevelopment goals along Sunset Park’s industrial waterfront. UPROSE seeks a consultant team that will assess the conditions in the study area within a local, regional and national context. The consultant team will be required to work with multiple constituencies (communities, businesses, CBOs, City, State and Federal agencies) to create a comprehensive plan for redevelopment appropriate to the area, compatible with the community vision and supported by economic analysis. We encourage responses that emphasize innovative planning practice and demonstrate an understanding of complex urban industrial and mixed‐use areas. UPROSE has already begun to work with community members to develop a vision for the area’s many brownfield sites as a resource for achieving future economic development and land use goals. The community’s goals and priorities for the study area are as follows: • • • • •
Increase job opportunities especially through the encouragement of sustainable industry and green jobs; Decrease environmental hazards and facilitate the remediation and redevelopment of key brownfield properties in the BOA study area; Work with area businesses, the city and the state to develop environmentally friendly business practices; Preserve existing affordable housing and encourage new housing development on brownfield sites where appropriate; and Create new open space and areas of outdoor recreation in Sunset Park that will reconnect the residential community to its waterfront. Purpose
Respondents to this RFP (hereinafter “the consultant team”) will prepare a BOA Step 2 Nomination Study that meets the specific objectives of the Sunset Park Waterfront BOA described below and BOA program requirements as itemized in Attachment 1, “Appendix C: Step 2 Nomination.” This study will provide an in‐depth description and analysis of existing conditions, opportunities, and reuse potential for the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area, with an emphasis on the identification and reuse of potential strategic sites that can serve as catalysts for revitalization. Background The proposed Sunset Park Waterfront BOA encompasses 694 acres along Brooklyn’s southwestern waterfront (see map on next page). The study area is bounded on the north by 17th Street and on the south by 65th Street, and on the east and west by 3rd Avenue and the East River waterfront. The east-west boundaries, which originally coincided with 5th Avenue and the waterfront, were revised during the Pre-nomination study (see Sunset
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Attachment 2). The Sunset Park BOA is located in Community District 7 and encompasses US census tracts 0002, 0018, 0020 and part of 0022. It is also within the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone and is a designated NYS Empire Zone. The study area boundaries are also coincident with the boundaries of the Brooklyn Community Board 7 197-a plan study area. North of the study area is the busy manufacturing hub of Red Hook and to the south lies the quiet residential community of Bay Ridge. The Sunset Park BOA study area is located in an older industrial waterfront neighborhood. Like many older industrial neighborhoods Sunset Park residents enjoy the related assets of a waterfront locale and proximity to jobs. But these benefits have not come without cost. Sunset Park is a community whose predominantly lowincome residents live side-by-side with active industry and a working waterfront, as well as highways, power plants, and other infrastructure that serves the New York City region. These land uses burden Sunset Park with heavy truck traffic, noise, and air pollution, and isolate residents from the waterfront. The recent resurgence of Sunset Park’s industrial sector has brought with it proposals to build waste transfer stations; the Sunset Fleet Energy Power Plant; a diesel bus depot and a sewage treatment plant. Many of these proposals have been approved with no parallel plan for mitigating environmental impacts on community residents. There are some bright spots however. The planned Bush Terminal Park will give Sunset Park its first waterfront open space and the plan for the Brooklyn Greenway cuts right through the industrial neighborhood supporting the idea that people and industry can thrive together. The BOA planning process will also provide the Sunset Park community an opportunity to incorporate climate change adaptation strategies into plans for addressing land use patterns, open space pedestrian and transit needs. The City and State are already devising strategies to protect critical infrastructure. Sunset Park is particularly interested in identifying neighborhood-driven strategies informed by environmental justice principles, and ways to partner with government to ensure a climate resilient community. Sunset Park BOA Vision Statement “The Sunset Park community envisions the Sunset Park waterfront as a vibrant and environmentally sustainable working waterfront that is a good neighbor to the residential, walk to work community, providing diverse modes of transportation for goods and people; a home for large industrial, small community commercial and residential uses; as well as ample open space and public access to the water’s edge.” The Nomination Study process will consist of the following tasks: Task 1: Inventory and Analysis The consultant shall review existing data, community plans and BOA Pre-nomination Study findings prior to gathering new information. This review should provide enough information for a detailed overview of the study area. Additional research and analysis may be required in order to establish priorities for redevelopment of strategic brownfield sites. Areas for additional research may include, but are not limited to, the following: • • • •
The Sunset Park industrial sector, its relationship to regional industry particularly that of the maritime sector and locational or other factors that make the area appealing to manufacturers; The transportation network including truck circulation and auto storage needs; public transit options; and pedestrian routes and opportunities for expanding them; Inventory of known and potential brownfield sites; Historic land use research; Sunset
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Tax lot map and ownership records for key sections of the study area (numerous lot splits, combinations and a number of large tax lots with unclear chain of title could confuse the strategic site selection process); Impact of global factors, such as climate change; Criteria and definitions for strategic site selection and additional investigation of chosen sites; and Environmental conditions in study area, including brownfield sites with existing remediation or redevelopment plans (a full Phase I will not be necessary, assume that research will be based on existing environmental reports and databases).
The consultant should complete a site inventory to assist in strategic site selection. The inventory will identify underutilized properties and/or sites identified as strategic due to existing or suspected environmental contamination. The inventory will then be used in conjunction with community priorities for redevelopment and relevant economic and/or real estate analysis to define site selection criteria and begin to identify strategic sites. As strategic sites are chosen, developing reuse alternatives for each site will be the major focus of the community visioning process Deliverables: • A written report and presentation including tables, graphs, maps, and related reference documents where necessary, describing existing study area conditions, assets, physical characteristics • Site Inventory and detailed strategic site profiles, including historical and environmental data. Task 2: Urban Design and Open Space Analysis The consultant shall conduct an analysis of and develop recommendations for enhancing public amenities throughout the study area. This analysis will focus on planned and needed improvements and recommendations for implementation especially where there is potential for coordinating these with BOA strategic site redevelopment plans. Sunset Park is an environmental justice community faced with a disproportionate number of environmental and health burdens. It is home to a bus depot, numerous truck routes, the overtaxed Gowanus Expressway, two New York Power Authority electrical turbine engines with 100 tons of yearly emissions, three antiquated power plants, a sludge transfer facility and dozens of brownfield sites. The amount of open space available for recreation is extremely limited at less than 0.25 acres for every 1,000 residents and residents are presently cut off from the waterfront by the elevated Gowanus Expressway and a very active industrial business area. Efforts to redevelop Sunset Park’s waterfront industrial corridor have been underway for many years. The Sunset Park waterfront has been the focus of multiple planning and economic development initiatives led primarily by city and state agencies. These projects include the revitalization of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, major improvements to the First Avenue Rail Line, the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Army Terminal, plans for the reconstruction of the Gowanus Expressway and other circulation improvements. The Sunset Park shoreline is completely bulkheaded except in areas where pier deterioration has led to “renaturalizing” or where open space has been constructed and a naturalized shoreline created or maintained. The Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier 4 at the foot of 58th Street currently provides the only formal public access to the waterfront. The New York City Economic Development Corporation is now planning for the redevelopment of Bush Terminal Piers 1 through 5 and adjacent land along Marginal Street as a new waterfront park and recreational pier. The project area extends along Marginal Street in the study area over multiple city blocks. It is approximately 23 acres in size.
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In addition to the planned open space at Bush Terminal Piers, there are also efforts to develop a Brooklyn waterfront greenway running from the Newtown Creek in Greenpoint to the Shore Parkway Esplanade and Bike Path in Bay Ridge. This planned infrastructure investment can provide opportunities for integrating existing and proposed public open space on the Sunset Park waterfront into a larger public open space network. The “Greenway-Blueway” plan, and other ongoing efforts, take a step toward identifying strategies for accomplishing the Sunset Park portion of this greenway and should be reflected in any urban design strategy. As a waterfront community home to heavy industry and regional infrastructure, Sunset Park is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. With this in mind, the urban design team should include strategies for meeting this challenge through design and development where appropriate. In addition to overall inventory and analysis of existing and planned amenities, the consultant shall evaluate and provide recommendations for the following: • • • • • •
Infrastructure improvements, streetscape design, traffic calming and other techniques that will help reconnect neighborhoods to the waterfront; Opportunities to create on street connections between residential communities and the waterfront; Opportunities for redevelopment of brownfield sites along the proposed Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway; Techniques to maximize recreation, open space and access to the waterfront including the potential of redevelopment of under‐used waterfront sites; and Strategies for addressing climate change impacts such as: the use of alternative building materials that can withstand flooding/water inundation, heavy winds and extreme heat/cold, and added green and open space to increase permeable/absorbent surfaces in the area; Strategies for addressing unresolved vehicular-pedestrian conflict in the design of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.
Deliverables: • Urban Design and Open Space analysis, principles and framework; • Identification of opportunities to enhance pedestrian and cyclist amenities adjacent to planned Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, “Blueway-Greenway” routes and identified strategic sites; • Conceptual designs for potential pedestrian access or open space in connection with possible strategic site redevelopment; and • Conceptual designs that address complexities of establishing a route for the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, namely potential conflicts between pedestrian routes and truck or rail traffic. Task 3: Economic Analysis The consultant shall conduct an economic analysis that will provide an opportunity to ground community goals and priorities for redevelopment in economic realities. Although current economic trends, from the local to the global level, particularly in manufacturing and industrial sectors will provide a framework for this economic analysis, this task should be focused on determining the viability and feasibility of reuse alternatives for strategic sites identified through the planning process. The economic analysis will require a consultant or consultant team that brings to bear experience in both economic development and real estate analysis/development. The economic analysis for the Sunset Park BOA must include findings of local stakeholders such as the New York City Economic Development Corporation, South Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The economic analysis prepared by the consultant will include: Sunset
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An industry and labor market overview that focuses on local, regional and global economic trends, skilled workforce availability and training opportunities;
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A fine grain, block by block, industrial real estate analysis that provides an overview of vacancy rates, industrial rent rates and real estate values in the study area, characteristics of existing building stock, and health of and trends in the residential and commercial sectors;
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Development of reuse alternatives for strategic sites that reflect economic and market conditions which also address community needs, goals and priorities; and
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Conduct of proforma analysis for reuse alternatives on strategic sites. Remediation funding, tax credit programs or other financing available for brownfield site redevelopment should be included in proforma assumptions.
Deliverables: • Draft and final economic and real estate analysis document. Document should provide an overview of existing conditions and recommendations for capitalizing on study area strengths and final should incorporate comments from Local Steering Committee, UPROSE and DOS. • Specific recommendations for at least four strategic sites including analysis of reuse alternatives and pro forma modeling. • Outline of strategy for marketing study area to potential developers, businesses and investors. • Presentation of findings to Local Steering Committee Task 4: Identification of Issues and Opportunities and Draft Recommendations In consultation with UPROSE, the Local Steering Committee, and other consultants, the consultant team will develop draft recommendations. This document will include issues and opportunities, a revised vision statement, graphics that illustrate the vision for the study area and for several strategic sites, and policy and infrastructure improvement recommendations. Deliverables: • Outline of preliminary issues and opportunities identified through the review of existing documents and data. This information should be presented in a short written narrative (executive summary), with maps and boards that graphically depict opportunities and constraints arrived at through preliminary analysis; • Incorporate comments/revisions into materials after review by UPROSE; • Project boundary description and justification; • Site selection criteria matrix; • Designation and description of specific strategic or “soft” sites • Two copies on disk of all geographic information collected. Data shall be geo‐coded/referenced and created with or readily transferrable to ArcView GIS 9.3. • Draft Recommendations document and necessary revisions to document • Presentation to Local Steering Committee and UPROSE. Task 5: Prepare Final Recommendations and Report Consultant will prepare a final report for UPROSE and the BOA Local Steering Committee that responds to questions, comments, concerns raised after presentation and draft recommendations. For the purpose of compliance with DOS BOA funding guidelines, the final report should conform to the outline (entitled “Step 2 Nomination Study”) attached to this document. Sunset
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Deliverables: • Final Nomination Study document including all required appendices, data, graphics and maps. • Preparation and submittal to UPROSE and NYSDOS of 8 electronic copies on compact disc in Adobe format and 4 bound hard copies of Final Nomination Study document including all related appendices, data, graphics and maps. Task 6: Project Management UPROSE and the selected consultant will hold an initial organizational meeting with NYSDOS project management staff, and develop a final workplan and finalize roles and responsibilities of the project team during this initial meeting. Project startup will also include preparation for the community kick-off meeting. In advance of the kick-off meeting, the consultant will review all existing plans, inventories and analyses of the study area and develop a detailed overview as a framework for planning and development activities. Ongoing project management activities include monthly meetings/conference calls between UPROSE staff and the lead consultant, at least four meetings with/presentations to the local steering committee and conference calls and/or meetings with NYSDOS project management staff. Deliverables: • Initial Project Meeting; • Finalized schedule and workplan; and • Overview of existing data in preparation of project kick-off meeting. Task 7: Community Participation Project Kick-off The project kick-off meeting will be the formal start of the planning process. Existing data and assumptions, priority sites and project workplans will be presented to the community at large during this meeting. Community Meetings A community wide charrette shall be convened after the consultant has done initial analysis and preliminary strategic site selection, to allow community stakeholders an opportunity to participate in strategic site selection, discussions about reuse alternatives, infrastructure and open space needs, and to review and refine community vision, goals and objectives. A second community meeting shall be held after draft recommendations are prepared to report findings back and to incorporate additional feedback into final recommendations. Other community meetings may be held during planning process. Deliverables: • Presentation to project team and local steering committee in advance of any larger community meeting; • Incorporate feedback into revisions of presentation and materials as needed; • All materials (e.g., graphics, Power Point presentations, etc.) needed to hold 2 community‐wide meetings; • Attendance and participation in all community-wide meetings; and • Written and graphic record of each charrette or community meeting.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING RESPONSES TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 1. UPROSE will hold a pre-bid conference call on July 25, 2011, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The call-in number is (218) 339-3600 and the access code is 429490#. UPROSE will provide some additional description of the BOA study area and their objectives and answer any questions. Bidders are also encouraged to visit the BOA study area, however, UPROSE will not conduct a formal tour prior to project award. 2. All submissions should be sent electronically to Lavina Maykut at
[email protected] and Sabrina Terry at
[email protected] in Adobe format. If the file is small enough, please send it via email, if not, please provide an option for electronic download (such as Dropbox). In addition, two bound hard copies should be sent to the following address: Sabrina Terry UPROSE 166A 22nd Street New York, NY 11232 SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 8, 2011. 3. Cover Letter: Letter of interest that includes a synopsis of qualifications of the firm or team, the primary contact, anticipated project manager and for teams, a clear description of which firm is providing which professional service(s). Also, please discuss consultant availability over the period of eighteen months. 4. Submittal Cover: Include the Request for Proposal (“RFP”) title, submittal due date, and principal contact information (name, address, telephone, fax numbers, and e‐mail address). 5. Project Teams: We encourage consultants to assemble teams to respond to this RFP. UPROSE is looking for a broad range of services from fine grained industrial real estate analysis and urban design analysis to recommendations for climate adaptation strategies and would welcome a team that brings a variety of perspectives to the project. 6. Methodology: The statement of methodology should contain a written narrative that demonstrates the consultant team understands the solicitation and methodology for implementing each task in the project scope as described above. 7. Project Personnel: Please list the key personnel of the firms that will be working on this project. This listing should include each individual’s educational background and relevant experience working on similar projects within the last three (3) years and please include resumes. Also include a description of the functional role for key staff and approximate time allocation. 8. Qualifications: Project descriptions for three (3) or more recent, relevant projects performed by each of the firms of the team within the last five (5) years. These projects should demonstrate local knowledge as well as knowledge of the BOA program. Provide the name of the client (include contact information), description of services provided, key personnel involved, year the project was completed, and estimated cost. 9. References: Please list at least three references we may contact. Please give the person's title along with their relationship to either a particular project or how they are acquainted with the firm. Addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses should be listed. Sunset
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10. Proposed fees: Provide a proposed fee schedule with hourly rates and number of hours estimated for each employee that will be providing services and provide a task total for each task identified in the fee schedule (use the tasks listed in this RFP). 11. Method of Payment: The NYSDOS provides funds from BOA grants on a reimbursable basis and the selected consultant should be aware that they will receive payment for their services once NYSDOS reimburses UPROSE for those services. Prompt invoicing will help to expedite payments. 12. Project Schedule: The proposal should include a project schedule that lists each task, each task start date, duration and end date. 13. Economic Opportunity Plan: UPROSE encourages the creation of opportunities for minority‐, women‐, and disabled‐owned businesses, including professional services contracts. The participation goals for this project are as follows: • • •
MBE Range: 5‐10% WBE Range: 5‐10% DSBE Range: Encouraged
14. Additional information: Any other information, up to an additional three (3) pages, your firm or team would like to present may be included. 15. UPROSE will review the proposals and develop a short list of teams who will then by invited in for interviews. The interviews are intended to be discussion-based and formal presentations are not encouraged.
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ATTACHMENT 1 BOA PROGRAM GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS STEP 2- NOMINATION
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APPENDIX C Step 2- Nomination ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The Nomination (Step 2) and Implementation Strategy (Step 3) comprise the BOA Plan. The Sections outlined under Nomination (Sections 1-3) comprise the first three sections of the BOA Plan. The Sections outlined under Implementation Strategy (Sections 4 - 5) comprise the last two sections of the BOA Plan.
Nomination The Nomination should be organized as outlined below: Executive Summary Section 1 - Project Description and Boundary - Lead Project Sponsors - Project Overview and Description - Community Vision, Goals and Objectives - Brownfield Opportunity Area Boundary Description and Justification
Section 2 - Public Participation Plan and Techniques to Enlist Partners - Public Participation Plan - Techniques to Enlist Partners
Section 3 - Analysis of the Brownfield Opportunity Area - Community and Regional Setting - Inventory and Analysis - Existing Land Use and Zoning - Brownfield, Abandoned and Vacant Sites - Strategic Sites - Land Ownership - Parks and Open Space - Building Inventory - Historic or Archeologically Significant Areas - Transportation Systems - Infrastructure - Natural Resources and Environmental Features - Economic and Market Trends Analysis - Summary Analysis, Findings, and Recommendations of the BOA and Strategic Sites
Nomination Description of Contents The Nomination should include the requirements outlined below:
Executive Summary Provide an executive summary to describe the Nomination. The executive summary shall include: the community and project overview and description; the study area boundary; the community's vision for the area and major goals and objectives; the public participation process; existing conditions in the study area and key natural resources; key economic opportunities based in part on the economic and market trends analysis; strategic sites and associated redevelopment opportunities; and key findings and recommendations. Please note information in the Pre-Nomination Study approved by the State should be used in Step 2 as appropriate and not duplicated under Step 2.
Section 1 - Project Description and Boundary Lead Project Sponsors - Describe the relationship and organizational structure between the sponsoring municipality and involved community organizations or the relationship and organizational structure between the sponsoring community organization and the municipality. Project Overview and Description - Provide a project overview and description including: the relationship of the study area to the community and region; acreage in the study area; and the number and size of brownfield sites and other abandoned, vacant, or partially developed sites located in the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA). Describe the area's potential in terms of opportunities for: new uses and businesses; creating new employment and generating additional revenues; new public amenities or recreational opportunities; and restoring environmental quality. Map Requirements Community Context Map - that shows the location of the BOA in relation to the municipality, county and region. Study Area Context Map - that shows the location of the BOA in relation to the entire municipality. Community Vision and Goals and Objectives - Describe the community's vision statement and specific goals and objectives to be achieved relative to community redevelopment and revitalization, improving economic conditions, addressing environmental justice issues, transportation, infrastructure, recreation opportunities, improving quality of life and environmental quality. The community's vision and associated goals and objectives will reflect, to the degree appropriate, the principles of sustainable community development, including, but not limited to:
strengthening and directing development towards existing communities centers; fostering distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place; mixing land uses; taking advantage of “green” building design; creating a range of housing opportunities and choices, including affordable housing; reusing historic buildings and preserving historic sites; preserving open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas; providing a variety of transportation choices (public transit, pedestrian, bicycle, etc.); creating walkable neighborhoods; using best management practices for stormwater management;
making development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective; and encouraging community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.
Brownfield Opportunity Area Boundary Description and Justification - Describe the proposed brownfield opportunity area boundary and describe and justify why certain borders were selected. The borders should follow recognizable natural or cultural resources such as but not limited to: highways, local streets, rail lines, municipal jurisdictions or borders, water bodies, or other clearly recognizable features. Project study areas should be between 50-500 acres. The borders must be justified in terms of: land uses that affect or are affected by identified brownfield sites natural or cultural resources with a physical, social, visual or economic relationship to identified brownfield sites areas necessary for the achievement of the expressed goals of the BOA Map Requirement Brownfield Opportunity Area Boundary Map - that shows the entire BOA, borders, and location of brownfields sites and other underutilized, vacant or abandoned properties.
Section 2 - Public Participation Plan and Techniques to Enlist Partners Public Participation Plan - Describe the public outreach methods and techniques used to ensure public participation throughout the course of preparing the Nomination. Methods and techniques may include, but are not limited, to: the use of steering committees; establishing and maintaining a project contact list; public informational or outreach meetings; vision sessions; design charettes; workshops; discussion groups; surveys; and public meetings and hearings. Minimum Public Participation Requirements: Local Steering Committee to guide the plan's preparation. Three public presentations and informational meetings on the draft Nomination (Sections 1- 3). These meetings will provide opportunities for the general public to participate and be informed about the plan's preparation at key junctures during the plan's preparation. Techniques to Enlist Partners Partners - Describe the partners that have been consulted about the plan. Examples of partners may include: local, county, state or federal government agencies; property owners; private sector interests; notfor-profit organizations; academic institutions; and other stakeholders. Consultation Methods and Techniques - Describe consultation methods and techniques used to inform project partners about the project's status and progress and to enlist their assistance in the process. Examples of consultation methods and techniques may include, but are not limited to: written correspondence; phone contact; and meetings and workshops involving local, county, state or federal government agencies, property owners, private sector interests, not-for-profit organizations, and academic institutions. Describe meetings or workshops that have occurred at appropriate and key stages during the preparation of the Nomination. The purpose is to: improve communication and understanding about project objectives and needs; gain information about the status of on going remedial activities and the environmental condition of brownfield sites in the study area; gain information about funding opportunities available from government programs and private-sector or not-for-profit organizations to
facilitate clean-ups, foster appropriate redevelopment, rehabilitate existing infrastructure or provide new infrastructure; gain support from government agencies for permitting and financing; and to coordinate government agency and private-sector actions. Minimum Consultation Requirements (can be coordinated with the presentations above): Presentation to partners on the Nomination (Sections 1- 3) that describes existing conditions, strategic sites, and summary analysis, key findings and recommendations.
Section 3 - Analysis of the Proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area Community and Regional Setting - Describe the contextual relationship of the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area by providing a descriptive summary and overview of the municipality and region that includes, but is not limited to: community size, population, and location in relation to the county and region; key demographic information and trends; housing trends and needs; the area’s economic history and current condition including income, dominant employment sectors, and unemployment figures; land use history and current status; transportation systems; infrastructure; and natural features. Complete this summary by relying primarily upon existing reports and plans. Inventory and Analysis - The inventory and analysis must be completed for the entire brownfield opportunity area and provide an in-depth and thorough description and analysis of existing conditions, opportunities, and reuse potential for brownfield sites located in the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area with an emphasis on the identification and reuse potential of strategic sites that may be catalysts for revitalization. The inventory and analysis must include the information needed to develop specific and realistic recommendations for the use of land and groundwater in the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area and implementation projects. Describe and characterize the Brownfield Opportunity Area by conducting an inventory and analysis. Divide large areas into logical sectors or subareas to organize and facilitate the preparation of the inventory and analysis. Describe and characterize the study area, sectors, or subareas in terms such as: total acres; acres developed and vacant including strategic sites for redevelopment; percent of the total area or sector developed with specific land use types and percent of land area vacant. The inventory and analysis needs to include, but is not limited to, a description of the following: Existing Land Use and Zoning location of study area as it relates to the community; total land area in acres and area of each sector or subarea in acres of the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area; existing and adjacent land and water uses including, but not limited to, residential, retail, commercial, water-dependent, industrial, publicly or privately owned land, vacant or underused sites, dedicated parks and dedicated open space, institutional uses, and cultural uses; land area committed to each land use category; brownfield sites and other underused, abandoned, or vacant properties that are publicly and privately owned; known data about the environmental conditions of the properties in the area; existing zoning and other relevant local laws or development controls guiding land use including historic districts; and local, county, state or federal economic development designations or zones (such as Empire Zones, Environmental Zones, Urban Renewal Areas, Federal Enterprise Business Zones, Business Improvement Districts, Industrial Parks, Special Assessment Districts, etc.)
Map Requirements Existing Land Use Map - that shows the pattern of existing land use. Existing Zoning Map - that shows the location and type of zoning districts. Brownfield, Abandoned, and Vacant Sites - Describe the condition of relevant brownfield, abandoned, or vacant sites, including current ground water conditions, and potential contamination issues based on field observations, existing environmental information, historical land use records, aerial photographs, or other available data. For each relevant brownfield and abandoned or vacant site, a descriptive site profile shall be completed. For potential strategic brownfield sites, it is recommended that a Phase I report be prepared in accordance with American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. See Appendix E, Step 3 Site Assessments Factors for Site Selection for factors used to determine eligible strategic brownfield sites. Sites will be identified using tax map information (block, lot, section parcel numbers) as the primary means to identify each site. Strategic Sites - Provide a description and analysis to determine strategic sites for redevelopment that have been identified through the planning process. Factors that may be used to identify strategic sites can include but are not limited to: location, size, capacity for redevelopment, potential to spur additional economic development, potential to improve quality of life or to site new public amenities, owner willingness, and adequacy of infrastructure, transportation systems, and utilities. Map Requirement Underutilized Sites Location Map - that clearly shows the location, borders and size of relevant brownfield sites and other underutilized, abandoned or vacant sites that are privately or publically owned. Land Ownership - Describe the private and public land ownership pattern including: land and acres held in public ownership (municipality, county, state, and federal); land held in private ownership; and land committed to road/rights-of-way. Map Requirement Land Ownership Map - that shows the primary public and private land ownership patterns. Parks and Open Space - Description of all public (municipal, county, state, and federal) and privately owned lands that have been dedicated for, or committed to, parks or open space use. Map Requirement Parks and Open Space Map - that shows lands that have been dedicated or committed for park or open space use. Building Inventory - Describe key buildings in the area including building name, levels, gross square footage, original use, current use, condition, and ownership. Map Requirement Building Inventory Map - that shows the location of key buildings. Historic or Archeologically Significant Areas - Describe historic or archeologically significant areas, sites, districts, or structures. Map Requirement Historic or Archeologically Significant Areas - that shows resources of historic significance (may be shown as part of the Building Inventory Map).
Transportation Systems - Describe the types of transportation systems (vehicular, rail, subways, air, navigable waterways) and types of users (truck, car, bus, ferry, train, subway, recreational and commercial vessels, pedestrian, bicyclists, etc.). Map Requirement Transportation Systems - that shows primary transportation networks and systems. Infrastructure - Describe infrastructure (water, sewer, stormwater, etc.) and utilities including location, extent, condition and capacity. Include parking lots and garages. Map Requirement Infrastructure and Utilities - showing primary infrastructure. Natural Resources and Environmental Features - Describe and analyze the area's natural resource base, environmental features and current conditions including, but not limited to: upland natural resources and open space; geologic, soil and topographic resources; surface waters and tributaries, groundwater resources and use; wetlands; flood plains; erosion hazard areas; fish and wildlife habitats; air quality maintenance areas; visual quality; agricultural lands; and locally, state, or federally designated resources. Map Requirement Natural Resources Map - that shows the location of primary natural resources and environmental features. Economic and Market Trends Analysis - Describe and analyze economic conditions and market trends that, when combined with the inventory and analysis, sufficiently justify a range of realistic future land uses to occupy the area and strategic sites that are targeted for redevelopment. Describe future land uses that are economically viable, compatible, and appropriate for the area targeted for redevelopment. The economic analysis shall include existing and projected socio-economic conditions within the municipality and the region and consider the following: population; labor force and earnings; employment (public and private); transportation factors; land available for development; types of potential future land uses most appropriate for the study area; development impacts; and a description of benefits such as employment, impact on the area targeted for redevelopment, municipal tax revenues, economic benefits from construction and subsequent business operations, and economic multipliers to the municipality and region from desired end land uses. The economic and market trends analysis may consist of a macro and micro analysis, including a micro-economic and real estate trends analysis that addresses issues and opportunities at the municipal, neighborhood and block levels relevant to the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area. Summary Analysis, Findings, and Recommendations of the BOA and Strategic Sites The summary analysis and subsequent findings shall be provided and include, but is not limited to, the following:
an analysis and findings based in part on the economic and market trends analysis, that provides an in-depth and thorough description of existing conditions, including an assessment and summary of existing land use and zoning;
an analysis and findings of reuse and development opportunities and needs for properties located in the proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area, with an emphasis on the identification and description of reuse and redevelopment opportunities for strategic sites that have been identified by the community as catalysts for revitalization;
an identification of strategic brownfield sites that are potential candidates for site assessment grants;
an analysis and findings that shall include anticipated end or future land uses including residential, commercial, industrial, recreational or cultural, and a clear comparison of proposed uses and necessary or desired zoning changes to existing land use and zoning;
an analysis and findings regarding publicly controlled and other lands and buildings which are or could be made available for development or for public purposes;
anticipated future use of groundwater; and
an analysis and findings of necessary infrastructure improvements and other public or private measures needed to stimulate investment, promote revitalization, and enhance community health and environmental conditions
Following the summary analysis and findings, a series of key recommendations will be provided. These key recommendations will serve as the basis for the Implementation Strategy.
ATTACHMENT 2 SUNSET PARK PRE-NOMINATION STUDY
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Sunset Park Brownfield Opportunity Area Brooklyn, New York Step 1: Pre-Nomination Study Report September 2009
Prepared for UPROSE By Tawkiyah Jordan
This document was prepared for the New York State Department of State and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation with state funds provided for the Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program.
Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….. Maps Contaminated and/or Permitted Facilities
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Section 1: Description of Project and Boundary Community Overview and Description………………………………………..…….….… Maps Community Context Immigration Poverty
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Project Overview and Description……………………………………………….………... Maps Study Area Context
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Community Vision and Goals and Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………
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Brownfield Opportunity Area Boundary Description and Justification………………….. Maps Proposed BOA Boundary
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Community Participation…………………………………………………………............
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Section 2: Preliminary Analysis of the Brownfield Opportunity Area Existing Land Use and Zoning……………………………………….…………….......... Maps and Figures Table: Land Use by Lot Area Major Site Users Existing Land Use Existing Zoning Community Resources
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Brownfield Abandoned and Vacant Sites………………………………………………... Maps and Figures Underutilized Sites Location Map Table: Potential brownfields/underutilized sites warranting further study
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Land Ownership……………………………………………………………………..…… Maps Ownership Patterns
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Natural Resources…………………………………………………………………........... Maps Natural Resources
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Summary of Preliminary Analysis and Recommendations………………………………. Maps Actions for Revitalization
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Maps and Figures Map 1 – Contaminated Land and/or Polluting Facilities Map 2 – Community Context Map 3 – Immigration Map 4 – Poverty Map 6 – Proposed BOA Boundary Map 7 – Existing Land Use Map 8 – Major Site Uses Map 9 – Existing Zoning Map 10 – Community Resources Map 11 – Underutilized Sites Location Map Map 12 – Ownership Patterns Map 13 – Natural Resources Map 14 – Actions for Revitalization Table 1 - Land Use by Lot Area Table 2 - Potential brownfield/underutilized sites warranting further study Appendix Description of identified sites of interest
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Introduction The proposed Sunset Park Waterfront Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) encompasses 694 acres along Brooklyn’s southwestern waterfront. The study area is bounded on the north and south by 17th and 65th Streets respectively and on the east and west from 3rd Avenue to the East River waterfront. The east-west boundaries differ from the boundaries originally proposed for the Sunset Park BOA which originally stretched from 5th Avenue to the waterfront. The study area has been narrowed to capture the majority of possible brownfields while excluding the residential neighborhood east of 3rd Avenue where little opportunity for brownfield redevelopment exists. The study area is bordered by the busy manufacturing hub of Red Hook and the quiet residential community of Bay Ridge. It is located in Community District 7 and US census tracts 0002, 0018, 0020 and part of 0022, is within the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone and overlaps the boundaries of a designated NYS Empire Zone. The boundaries are contiguous with the boundaries of the Brooklyn Community Board 7 197-a plan study area.
Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NYC
The Sunset Park BOA study area is located in an older industrial waterfront neighborhood. Like many older industrial neighborhoods Sunset Park residents enjoy the related assets of a waterfront locale and proximity to jobs. But these benefits have not come without cost. Sunset Park is a community whose predominantly low-income residents live side-by-side with active industry and a working waterfront, as well as highways, power plants, and other infrastructure that serves the New York City region. These land uses burden Sunset Park with heavy truck traffic, noise, and air pollution, and isolate residents from the waterfront. The recent resurgence of Sunset Park’s industrial sector has brought with it proposals to build waste transfer stations; the Sunset Fleet Energy Power Plant; a diesel bus depot and a sewage treatment plant. Many of these proposals have been approved with no parallel plan for mitigating environmental impacts on community residents. There are some bright spots however. The planned Bush Terminal Park will give Sunset Park its first waterfront open space and the plan for the Brooklyn Greenway cuts right through the industrial neighborhood supporting the idea that people and industry can thrive together.
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Contaminated and/or Permitted Facilities
Description of Project and Boundary
In Sunset Park as in many communities that have been home to manufacturing for the past hundred years, brownfield properties can present a major challenge to realizing the ultimate vision for revitalizing a neighborhood. The adjacent map provides an overview of ongoing contamination in the Sunset Park BOA area. Although various plans and economic studies of the neighborhood have been conducted, none has focused on brownfields as a vehicle for economic development and community revitalization. A “brownfield” or “brownfield site” is defined as any real property, the redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a contaminant. The BOA program provides a unique vehicle for facilitating the remediation and redevelopment of environmentally contaminated properties while supporting community priorities for redevelopment. Stimulating economic growth, attracting environmentally responsible manufacturers and green jobs and seizing opportunities to create public access to the waterfront are a few of these priorities.
Data Sources: U.S. EPA Envirofacts Database and NYS DEC Geodata Inventory
Map Terms. Article X refers to electric/power generation sites approved by the NYS Public Service Commission through an extensive application and review process. The purpose of Article X review is to increase power generation capacity while ensuring that siting of such facilities has the least negative environmental impact on communities as possible. State and Federal Superfund Sites are seriously contaminated sites, where toxic industrial chemicals exist and continue to leak pollutants, frequently poisoning groundwater over wide areas. NYS superfund sites are classified as sites that “pose a significant threat” and are a danger to the environment or public health. A Federal Superfund site is any land in the U.S. that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment. A pollution discharge elimination site is a facility permitted to discharge waste directly to surface waters. A Toxic Release Inventory Site is a facility which manufactures, processes, or uses significant amounts of toxic chemicals and is required to report annually about the types and amounts of toxic chemicals that are released to the air, water, and land as well as information on the quantities of toxic chemicals sent to other facilities for further waste management.. The Waste Transfer Site indicator shows locations of waste transfer stations. An Air Pollution Emission Site is a site issued an air pollution permit and monitored by NYSDEC as directed by Title V of the Clean Air Act. Sources: U.S. EPA Envirofacts Database and NYS DEC Geodata Inventory Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 1
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Community Overview and Description The Sunset Park BOA Study Area is located in the Southwest Brooklyn neighborhood of Sunset Park, in Brooklyn Community District 7 (CD7). The study area is concentrated at the Sunset Park waterfront, one of New York City’s last remaining working waterfronts. Sunset Park is bounded by two and one-half miles of waterfront stretching north-south from 15th to 65th streets and extending west to east from the waterfront to 8th Avenue. To the north of the study area, along the waterfront, are the neighborhoods of Red Hook and Gowanus, which also developed as industrial/maritime districts and to the south is the residential neighborhood of Bay Ridge. (See Community Context Map). The neighborhood is traditionally known for its port facilities, maritime commerce and vibrant industrial sectors. Much of the waterfront industrial area is a designated New York State Empire Zone as well as a New York City Industrial Business Zone. The Gowanus Expressway/3rd Avenue corridor is a major thoroughfare that cuts through the neighborhood effectively dividing the neighborhood into two distinct areas; the industrial/commercial waterfront and the upland residential community.
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Sunset Park’s waterfront has long been an integral part of the northeast’s maritime and industrial sectors. The millions of square feet of manufacturing space developed in Sunset Park over the last century were viable due to the area’s proximity to rail, major waterways and highways. The number of businesses and jobs in the area grew exponentially from the early 19th century thru World War II. In fact, many of the community’s largest manufacturing sites were constructed during this boom time. However, the number of jobs in the area declined during the 1930’s and again after World War II. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, further shrinkage of the sector coupled with public disinvestment and the development of containerized shipping, pushed many water-borne industries to New Jersey. The neighborhood has been able to maintain its importance as a working waterfront due to important assets. Its location on Upper New York Bay and deep water channel, existing industrial infrastructure, access to local skilled labor, and connection to New York City and the wider region through major transportation networks are just a few. New York City’s manufacturing sector policy initiatives and related tax incentives have helped bolster the health of Sunset Park’s industrial core and continue to enhance the potential for economic growth. The employment opportunities available in Sunset Park and relatively affordable housing have long been a draw for newcomers to New York City. The neighborhood is one of the city’s most diverse, attracting both immigrants and native New Yorkers wanting to live in an affordable, stable neighborhood. During the ten year period between the 1990 and 2000 censuses, population growth in Sunset Park outpaced that of the city as a whole and was more than double the borough-wide growth rate. The 16.8% burst in population reflected migration and immigration patterns seen citywide. Immigration remains a constant boon to the neighborhood’s population numbers. (See Immigration map this page) According to data collected by the 2000 US Census and 2006 American Community Survey, immigration to the area is continuing at a steady pace with most new immigrants arriving from China, Korea, Dominican Republic and Ecuador. The 2006 American Community Survey (ACS), which can only provide estimates before the 2010 census, puts the Community District 7 (defined for purposes of research as zip codes 11220 and 11223) population at 139,547. CD 7 is a low to moderate income neighborhood with a median household income of $34,434. The income in the BOA study area neighborhood, nearer to the industrial waterfront, is considerably less with 28% of residents living below the poverty line. (Community Snapshot 2007:CD7, City of New York, poverty map following page).
The largest single source of employment for residents of CD7 in 2000 was the manufacturing sector, which employed 6,469 residents. This was followed by the health care and social assistance sector; Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 1
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retail trade; accommodation and food services; and educational services, which employed 5,497 (11.5%); 4,699 (9.8%); 4,404 (9.2%); and 3,340 (7.0%) of persons 16 years and older in the civilian labor force respectively. According to a study completed in 2001 by the Pratt Center and Municipal Art Society, Making It In New York, the number of manufacturing jobs in Sunset Park declined through the 1990’s, continuing the dramatic decline in jobs that began in the 1970’s. The decline in manufacturing businesses in Sunset Park, however, at 6% was much lower than New York City’s which was 15% during the same period. Although the area remains a vibrant industrial business district, manufacturing uses have continued to decrease in the area overall. According to the latest study performed by Community Board 7, there were 472 manufacturing establishments in the district in 1998 and 383 in 2004. High rates of poverty are pervasive in the residential community adjacent to the study area. Due to the high poverty and unemployment rates in Sunset Park, several of the census tracts in the neighborhood were designated as New York State Environmental Zones, or En-zones. En-zones indicate census tracts with a poverty rate of at least 20% according to the 2000 Census, and an unemployment rate of at least 125% the New York State average, or a poverty rate of at least double the rate for the county in which the tract is located. Brownfield properties redeveloped in En-zones are eligible for an additional tax credit bonus in the state’s Brownfield Tax Credit program. Sunset Park is an environmental justice community faced with a disproportionate number of environmental and health burdens. It is home to a bus depot, numerous truck routes, the overtaxed Gowanus Expressway, two New York Power Authority electrical turbine engines with 100 tons of yearly emissions, three antiquated power plants, a sludge transfer facility and dozens of brownfield sites. To the north is a major solid waste transfer station operated by the New York Department of Sanitation and to the south, a sewage treatment plant operated by the New York Department of Environmental Protection. The amount of open space available for recreation is extremely limited at less than .25 acres for every 1,000 residents. Although Sunset Park is geographically a waterfront community, residents are presently cut off from the waterfront by the elevated Gowanus Expressway and by a very active industrial business area. The BOA will allow these multiple issues to be addressed through brownfield redevelopment planning. Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 1
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Project Overview and Description The purpose of the pre-nomination study for the Sunset Park BOA is to provide a preliminary assessment of community conditions and to develop a community vision focused on achieving economic and environmental revitalization through brownfield redevelopment. Furthermore, the BOA will result in an area-wide plan centered on improving environmental quality and quality of life through brownfield redevelopment. When UPROSE began the BOA pre-nomination study process a wide swath of the community was suggested as a potential study area. This preliminary study area extended from the waterfront to 5th Avenue and from 17th Street in the north to 65th Street in the south. The pre-nomination study process has provided an opportunity to refine the study area that will be moved forward in the BOA process. The study area now being proposed to advance to the Nomination Study phase excludes properties between 3rd and 5th Avenues. The area bounded west to east by the waterfront and 3rd Avenue is heavily industrial with an important commercial sector and a very low percentage of residential uses. East of 3rd Avenue lie the predominately residential blocks of Sunset Park. (See Study Area Context Map page 10) The study area boundary does not extend past 3rd Avenue to the east, but it does include the predominantly industrial/manufacturing and commercial uses along the west side of 3rd Avenue. Although not included within the project boundary, the properties along the east side of 3rd Avenue directly adjacent to medium and high density residential properties are primarily used for auto repair, storage and other auto related uses and therefore could pose an environmental risk to human beings. Some future study of these properties which identifies potential risks to environmental health is warranted and supported by the goals of the Sunset Park BOA. The Sunset Park community envisions the development of a vibrant and environmentally sustainable working waterfront that is a good neighbor to the residential, walk to work community made possible by brownfield remediation and reuse. The development of diverse modes of transportation for goods and people, a home for large industrial, small community commercial and residential uses, as well as ample open space and public access to the water’s edge round out this vision. Priorities for brownfield redevelopment in Sunset Park include: • • • •
Increasing job opportunities especially through the encouragement of sustainable industry and green jobs; Decreasing environmental hazards and facilitating the remediation and redevelopment of key brownfield properties in the BOA study area; Preserving existing affordable housing and encouraging new housing development on brownfield sites where appropriate; and Creating new open space and areas of outdoor recreation in Sunset Park that will reconnect the residential community to its waterfront
In addition to the BOA, other recent community planning efforts have also emphasized the need to attract green manufacturing and green collar worker opportunities especially for disconnected youth and the immigrant population. Major transportation and infrastructure projects planned by government promise to promote port redevelopment. Thus, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration, continues to move forward with the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project. This project will substantially improve the railway infrastructure east of the Hudson River, particularly in Brooklyn and provide new opportunities for green economic development in Sunset Park. The project entails the
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establishment of a rail link between the end of the U.S. railway system in New Jersey and Brooklyn and therefore the rest of the Long Island, by way of a tunnel under the Hudson River. The rail link would allow for the movement of goods via rail instead of truck, thereby reducing truck trips in the City. This effort would also help alleviate the burden of truck-based transport on the City and reduce the pollution emitted by diesel-burning trucks. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority), in conjunction with other City, State and federal agencies, have recently completed a Comprehensive Port Improvement Plan (CPIP) and is currently preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS). As part of this strategic plan, the Port Authority plans to develop the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which runs along a section of the Sunset Park waterfront, into a greenport. A greenport is a port that uses environmentally friendly technologies and best management practices that allow for continued economic development of the port while minimizing the negative impacts to the environment and the surrounding communities. Several years ago, in anticipation of the extensive waterfront development that would result from port improvement, UPROSE mobilized the community to ensure that port development plans included increased green space and community access to the waterfront. In response to UPROSE’s advocacy and community involvement, the NYCEDC plans to construct a 24-acre park at Bush Terminal Piers 1 through 4. Jointly, these piers have been designated a brownfield and require remediation to eliminate human exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals on the site. To date, NYCEDC has proposed various projects to revitalize the Sunset Park waterfront including: redeveloping the building known as Federal Building #2 into one of the City’s first mixed-use light manufacturing and retail complexes; and building the SIMS Recycling Facility to help realize the City’s commitment to creating an environment that encourages important industrial businesses to remain and grow in New York City. A project that addresses the deteriorating Gowanus Expressway is currently underway by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Gowanus (I-278) is a major highway connecting Manhattan, southern Brooklyn and Staten Island whose elevated route along 3rd Avenue bisects the community of Sunset Park. Both the steel structure and surface of the expressway are in serious disrepair and require continual emergency repairs to maintain the current level of 200,000 vehicles per day. The Gowanus is not only a major regional transportation link, but also a major contributor to and trigger for asthma in Sunset Park. To preserve the capacity provided currently by the Gowanus Expressway, NYSDOT is proposing several alternatives including different rehabilitation alternatives and tunneling the roadway underground. The revitalization projects mentioned above support Sunset Park community needs and vision of an economically viable and environmentally sustainable neighborhood. Specifically, these projects emphasize the need to redevelop Sunset Park’s waterfront as a maritime and industrial resource that meets the needs of adjacent upland communities. The revitalization of the BOA study area is closely tied to the aforementioned redevelopment efforts in and around the industrial waterfront because the largest brownfield sites are located within the waterfront area. Revitalization within the BOA will support the community’s vision as expressed in the Brooklyn Community Board 7 197-a Plan, as well as the plans of multiple city and state agencies. The BOA has the potential to strengthen economic development and encourage full utilization of the industrial waterfront in Sunset Park. Brownfields redevelopment will have both a local and regional impact, foster a more sustainable quality of life and environment, and increase access to natural resources by reconnecting the working and residential communities with the water’s edge.
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Community Vision and Goals and Objectives Sunset Park BOA – Looking Ahead As an environmental justice organization, UPROSE is dedicated to planning processes that are inclusive and allow local residents to have a voice in making decisions about their future. The BOA process supports these values through the prescribed designation of a Local Steering Committee and extensive community participation. UPROSE’s Local Steering Committee and other stakeholders, through numerous public planning and visioning sessions, identified priorities, developed a vision statement, goals and objectives for the Sunset Park BOA study area. BOA Vision Statement The Sunset Park community envisions the Sunset Park waterfront as a vibrant and environmentally sustainable working waterfront that is a good neighbor to the residential, walk to work community, providing diverse modes of transportation for goods and people; a home for large industrial, small community commercial and residential uses; as well as ample open space and public access to the water’s edge. Local Planning Initiatives Brooklyn’s Community Board 7, where Sunset Park is located, is a diverse community, ethnically, racially and economically. There are, as in any community, divergent interests in the area that can be a challenge to collective decision-making and community based planning. There is also a long history of decision-making by government agencies related to the industrial/waterfront district that has excluded the views or concerns of residents. However, in recent years, efforts like PlaNYC 2030, the Department of City Planning’s rezoning initiatives and the multiple redevelopment projects spearheaded by the New York City Economic Development Corporation have helped begin a collective thought process about Sunset Park’s future. In addition, Community Board 7 (CB7) has recently completed an important comprehensive planning initiative which helped inform the BOA goals and objectives. The Sunset Park 197-A Plan completed in 2007 by CB7, shares study area boundaries with the BOA study area and helps lay the foundation for future zoning, planning and redevelopment initiatives along the Sunset Park waterfront. The term 197-a refers to Section 197-a of the New York City Charter, which enables New York City’s 59 community boards to prepare plans for the development of their neighborhoods. The Sunset Park 197-a Plan, which has evolved over the last decade after significant community participation and discussion, provides a framework for revitalization of the Sunset Park waterfront as an economically viable and environmentally sustainable resource to serve the needs of the community. UPROSE was deeply involved in the development of the Sunset Park 197-a Plan, and worked with community members to ensure that their vision for redevelopment and revitalization would be incorporated into that plan. The Sunset Park 197-a Plan is built upon a vision of the Sunset Park waterfront west of 3rd Avenue as a 24-hour mixed use neighborhood that promotes regional and local economic development, fosters a healthy, sustainable living and working environment, and reconnects upland residential communities to the waterfront. The recommendations of the 197-a Plan include support for improvements to the transportation infrastructure such as the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project, and the tunneling of the Gowanus Expressway to limit the negative impacts of truck traffic on the community. The197-a Plan also advocates for a comprehensive community-led planning process to address brownfields and supports the idea of a Greenway-Blueway in the neighborhood.
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This community plan calls for the designation of the Sunset Park waterfront as a “Sustainable Industrial Business Zone” which would seek to balance industrial development, infrastructure needs and the needs of the residential community. In a Sustainable Industrial Business Zone, this balance can be maintained by encouraging green and energy efficient building on industrial properties, and promoting new green manufacturing opportunities. Green manufacturing is critical for the community, not only because it provides much-needed job opportunities for Sunset Park residents, but also because it directly enables them to take part in and help grow a local green economy. Another major community plan developed in the last several years is the Sunset Park Greenway-Blueway Plan. The plan, spearheaded by UPROSE, calls for a major new transportation link serving pedestrians and bicyclists. In turn, remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites will be essential for implementation of the greenway plan. Though there is much to look forward to, Sunset Park still has major environmental justice concerns related to the siting of municipal facilities such as power plants and waste transfer stations in the neighborhood. The operation of these facilities has resulted in negative health outcomes in the community. Some of these adverse effects can be mitigated by conducting rigorous environmental impact assessments prior to the siting of municipal facilities in Sunset Park, and in particular by encouraging and providing incentives to trucks that will service these facilities to use alternative, low-emission fuels. There is also major community concern over the lack of sustainable job opportunities in the neighborhood, jobs that offer upward mobility and pathways out of poverty. A revitalized Sunset Park waterfront community that provides opportunities for training and development of the Sunset Park workforce would begin to address this issue. Creative entrepreneurship would also be encouraged among members of Sunset Park’s largely immigrant and low-income community. As stated previously, BOA Goals and Objectives have been informed by the ongoing community conversation detailed above as well as the planning initiatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the NYC EDC which have conducted studies and developed implementation plans for major projects in the study area. The following goals and objectives were developed during numerous community planning sessions and local steering committee meetings. Sunset Park BOA Goals and Objectives •
Increase the number of jobs in the community that pay a living wage by encouraging the growth of sustainable industry and green jobs as well as entrepreneurship opportunities Identify tax based and other incentives available to business and property owners in the study area, use this information in marketing the BOA program to potential development partners, specifically opportunities to attract “green” industries Link residents to expected new jobs in the study area by identifying related skills training programs throughout New York City Work with government and intermediary agencies to incorporate information about business support programs into BOA literature and into marketing efforts to business and property owners Employ a focus on industrial uses and “green” industries in any future macro or micro economic analysis of the study area Provide support for policy initiatives that nurture industrial areas in New York City through work with coalitions such as the Apollo Alliance, the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and the Zoning for Jobs campaign
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Realize the full implementation of the Sunset Park Greenway-Blueway, improve pedestrian safety and connectivity, including safer options for cyclists, create new open space and areas of outdoor recreation in Sunset Park that will reconnect the residential community to its waterfront Work to ensure that the remediation and subsequent construction of Bush Terminal Pier Park and related circulation improvements moves forward as planned Coordinate efforts with city agencies such as the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Transportation to identify sites along planned Greenway-Blueway route that may benefit from BOA resources In partnership with NYCEDC determine how a continuous waterfront path, public access to the waterfront and/or public open space can be included in redevelopment plans for publicly owned properties Identify small or oddly shaped brownfield sites that could provide additional space for recreation if remediated
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Provide opportunities for residents to benefit from improvements to the waterfront by preserving existing affordable housing and encouraging new housing development on brownfield sites where appropriate After Phase 1 assessments are complete on sites of interest, the services of an environmental professional should be retained to determine whether residential development is feasible on sites that are under consideration
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Decrease environmental hazards while creating new opportunities for development by facilitating brownfield remediation and redevelopment Apply to the New York State Department of State for a BOA Step 2: Nomination Study grant for the Sunset Park BOA to be used for further investigation of brownfields in Sunset Park including Phase 1 analysis, numerous pre-development activities, a fine grain economic analysis and generation of development scenarios for strategic sites Work with partner organizations and government agencies to determine whether BOA resources can facilitate development of alternatives to trucks for freight movement by providing additional resources for brownfield redevelopment initiatives Collaborate with the Department of Sanitation to find ways to decrease the negative environmental impact of waste transport activities, such as unnecessary sanitation truck idling along 2nd Avenue
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Facilitate the remediation and redevelopment of key brownfield properties in the BOA study area in an effort to catalyze development Conduct a Phase I study of entire study area, select most strategic sites for redevelopment and work with property and/or business owners to determine how BOA resources can support remediation efforts With government agency officials, identify publicly-owned and tax delinquent properties where redevelopment might be aided by BOA resources or participation
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Promote brownfield redevelopment of privately held properties by using the BOA process to open up communication and encourage cooperation between agencies, community and property owners
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Include private property owners and business leaders among Local Steering Committee membership Partner with SBIDC and BEDC and other relevant organizations to distinguish property owners that are seeking development opportunities Demystify site remediation process by providing owners Phase 1 analysis results and clarify information about options for moving forward with remediation and redevelopment. Educate property owners about federal, state and city programs with funding available for brownfield redevelopment Acquaint owners of small sites not feasible for the BOA or state Brownfield Cleanup Programs with the New York City’s Office of Environmental Remediation brownfields program Communicate regularly with agencies that work with local property owners to share BOA goals and progress •
Generate a community conversation about brownfield redevelopment that will support communityinclusive practices and policies in environmental decision-making BOA Local Steering Committee and community meetings represent opportunities to discuss potential BOA brownfield redevelopment initiatives as well as ongoing public and/or private development activities and to consider community feedback Share information gathered through the BOA initiative in a timely and public manner on a dedicated website and in newsletter form Meet regularly with the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation (OER). OER can serve as an intermediary agency and help streamline communication between BOA groups and multiple city agencies
Brownfield Opportunity Area Boundary Description and Justification (Proposed Boundary Map follows)
The Sunset Park BOA Study Area encompasses more than 600 acres of predominantly industrial, manufacturing and commercially zoned sites along New York’s East River, more specifically Upper New York Bay. The study area stretches from the traditional north-south boundaries of Sunset Park at 17th and 65th streets respectively; and east-west from the waterfront to the 3rd Avenue/Gowanus Expressway corridor. The boundary was drawn to include important infrastructure, the area’s industrial core, specially designated business and economic development zones and major known and potential brownfield sites. This study area has been the recent focus of other planning and economic development processes including Brooklyn Community Board 7’s 197-A Community Plan and the NYC Economic Development Corporation Sunset Park Vision Plan. The BOA study area is primarily industrial, zoned for a mix of light and heavy manufacturing, interspersed with medium and high density residential uses primarily between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Some mixed use zoning east of 2nd Avenue allows for new residential development on blocks that are already primarily residential. The majority of manufacturing related business and heavy industry is located between 2nd Avenue and the waterfront. Lot sizes vary widely as does building square footage. Residential uses are dispersed throughout this waterfront area but are concentrated in the southern portion of the study area between 41st and 65th streets and 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Uses allowed in M zones are located in blocks with residential uses, however, these uses tend to be auto maintenance related or light manufacturing such as woodworking or cabinet making. There are also many wholesalers with retail operations in this southern section of the study area.
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Commercial uses in the study area are concentrated along the 3rd Avenue/Gowanus Expressway corridor with some mix of industrial uses. Commercial enterprises along this corridor are primarily small retail outlets and some adult entertainment establishments. Some of these businesses provide services relevant to other businesses in the neighborhood. For example many tool and vehicle rental, printing and sign making businesses are located along 3rd Avenue along with a few eateries. Due to the history of industrial land use in the study area, in addition to the pervasive use of historic fill in New York City development, it is probable that a majority of the properties in the study area have some level of contamination on site. Contamination in the area is the product of over 150 years of heavy manufacturing, storage of hazardous materials, siting of multiple polluting utilities and waste transfer facilities and groundwater contamination due to illegal dumping and poor wastewater management practices. Many of the major brownfield sites in the study area are publicly owned and are the focus of economic development planning efforts. Development projects such as the Bush Terminal development and the revitalization of Brooklyn Army Terminal have been spearheaded by New York City’s Economic Development Corporation in hopes of utilizing existing resources to support the continued growth of the industrial sector in Sunset Park. The study area targets the majority of known or potential brownfield sites in Sunset Park. The neighborhood west of 3rd Avenue has a long history of industrial and manufacturing use and numerous brownfield sites currently under or scheduled for remediation and redevelopment. Lot sizes in the study area are uncharacteristically large in relationship to other New York City industrial neighborhoods, increasing the potential for large-scale redevelopment projects. Most waterfront property in the BOA study area is publicly owned and managed. Government agency owners include the NYC EDC, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the NYC Department of Sanitation and New York Power Authority. These properties along with large privately held properties such as Lutheran Medical Center and Industry City Associates represent almost 50% of the lot area in the study area and the majority of ongoing, completed or future brownfield remediation and redevelopment opportunities. The remainder of the study area is populated by predominantly privately owned, small sites with vague land use history and/or environmental contamination information. Many of these smaller sites are home to active uses including light manufacturing, warehousing, wholesale distribution and auto related businesses. There are very few vacant lots or abandoned structures in the study area. As one of the largest owners in Sunset Park’s industrial core, New York City has taken the lead on developing a vision for Sunset Park. The NYC Economic Development Corporation Sunset Park Vision Plan focuses on the development of a vibrant, water-dependent industrial hub. This vision will be realized through multiple brownfield redevelopment initiatives that represent millions of square feet of new manufacturing, commercial and office space. NYC’s strategy is an intelligent one which focuses on properties owned publicly. These are properties that due to their size, ambiguity around contamination on site, messy title histories, etc. may prove difficult for private developers to tackle at a cost that would make development profitable. The City’s attention to these sites moves currently vacant or vastly underutilized and highly visible properties into active use and creates stability for other future development. The BOA has an opportunity to leverage the public dollars being invested along the waterfront by working for redevelopment of the no less significant, though smaller and predominantly private, properties inland. In many cases, the remediation and redevelopment of these smaller sites is complicated by tax liens, necessary lot assemblage, and unclear chain of title or environmental contamination.
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Community Participation In order to develop the BOA plan, UPROSE formed and trained a BOA Steering Committee consisting of government officials, agency representatives, Sunset Park community leaders, and UPROSE staff. The Committee members are listed below: Government Officials Randy Peers, Chairperson of Community Board 7 Representative, Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez Elizabeth Ernish, Brooklyn Borough President’s Office Sarah Jacobs, State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz Irene VanSlyke, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery Dan Wiley, Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez Government Agency Representatives Curtis Cravens, NYS Department of State Josslyn Shapiro, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Andrew Genn, Economic Development Corporation Representative, Chinese American Planning Council Waleed Abdelrouf, Al Noor School Patricia Ruiz, Lutheran Medical Center Degan Bayliss, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Phaedra Thomas, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation UPROSE Staff Elizabeth Yeampierre, UPROSE Jae Watkins, UPROSE Youth Justice Advocates, UPROSE Starting in October of 2006, UPROSE began hosting a series of stakeholder and community meetings on the BOA. The BOA Steering Committee, which included representatives from local government, Community Board 7, and neighborhood organizations, began convening in advance of the larger community meetings. This process was concurrent with the community participation component of the 197-a Plan, and provided complementary findings. In these meetings, the Committee identified community needs and engaged in a prioritizing exercise, in which all participants wrote down redevelopment needs that were most important to them. The group then discussed and listed redevelopment needs in order of importance, with the most important at the top of the list: A. Living wage/Environmentally friendly jobs B. Low income/Affordable Housing C. Affordable Daycare D. Open, Green Space E. Schools (all levels) Shortly thereafter, UPROSE hosted the BOA Community Kick-off Meeting on January 31, 2007. The meeting was recorded and facilitated by Jae Watkins, UPROSE EJ Programs Coordinator. UPROSE welcomed all attendees and gave a brief overview of the BOA project and UPROSE’s history of using brownfield policies as an essential element for prioritizing environmental justice in NYS and NYC. For the past ten years UPROSE has been a strong advocate for the current legislation that allocated funding for the BOA and continues to work to perfect State and City policies so that communities can take advantage of programs that allow residents to gain community power. The kickoff meeting discussion proceeded as follows:
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• Overview of Brownfields, BOA Project, and benefits to our community • Community participation and opportunities • Introduction of project staff, consultants, and steering committee • Identification of goals for redevelopment in Sunset Park • Discussion of community vision • Review of Potential Brownfield Site Assessment Tool In its brownfields planning work, UPROSE has emphasized the importance of community participation and the incorporation of local knowledge. UPROSE has sought to incorporate as many views as possible, initial meetings of the BOA Community Advisory Board, a small group of community leaders, representing key local stakeholders, were a forum for discussing existing conditions and focused on getting maximum public input. The board then developed a vision statement and goals and objectives. Finally, an initial draft of the pre-nomination study was reviewed and discussed. In order to develop the community’s vision for a redeveloped and revitalized Sunset Park, UPROSE convened a group of youth and community members, engaged in the same prioritizing exercise as the Committee, and identified priorities for redevelopment in the BOA study area. The top five priorities, in order of importance, were: A. Open, Green Space B. Jobs and job training C. Green industry development D. Safe, efficient truck routes, freight mobility, and waterfront development E. Maintaining the industrial and manufacturing base in the neighborhood The Steering Committee and Advisory Board members, a small group of community leaders gathered together periodically to discuss community concerns and possible solutions, shared a similar set of priorities, and both groups hoped to see the potential sites identified in the BOA study area redeveloped with an eye towards increasing open space, maintaining existing industry and expanding green industry and jobs. It was agreed that the proposed Sunset Park Greenway-Blueway and the addition of a park at the Bush Terminal Piers would add much needed open and green space to the neighborhood, and that developments recommended in the 197-a Plan would address the manufacturing and employment concerns of community members. UPROSE committed to continue to engage community members in more in-depth visioning processes as the BOA study continued and specific sites were identified for remediation. Youth Justice Advocates/Organizers Youth were also part of the process of identifying potential brownfield sites in the proposed BOA area. This fieldwork was completed by UPROSE staff and volunteer Youth Justice advocates who canvassed each street in the BOA project boundary. Incorporating the youth into the fieldwork both empowered the advocates and engaged them in the process of making decisions about their neighborhood. The many sites that were identified as potential brownfields by the young people and UPROSE staff were subsequently vetted using site selection criteria developed by a professional planning consultant. These criteria will be described in more detail later in the document. UPROSE also involved the Youth Justice advocates in community outreach and presentations about environmental justice in Sunset Park. These presentations and outreach events incorporated discussion of the BOA and reached approximately 5,000 participants. The Advocates presented to various constituencies including schools, churches, and other local organizations. In their outreach, Youth Justice advocates spoke with community members about potential efforts for revitalization in the BOA study area
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and the benefits of a sustainably redeveloped Sunset Park. Overall, youth leaders led about 20 community workshops around the BOA project throughout 2007. Youth organizing efforts included presentations at: • Middle School 88 • Al Noor High School • Fort Hamilton High School • Telecommunication High School • Brooklyn Public School 1 • Center for Family Life • Boricua Festival • Brooklyn Community Board 7 presentation • 6 Community Forums held at UPROSE
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Preliminary Analysis of Brownfield Opportunity Area
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A. Existing Land Use and Zoning Land Use in the study area The Sunset Park Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) study area is located in the western portion of Brooklyn Community Board 7 (CB7) encompassing the area of Sunset Park between 17th and 65th Streets, from 3rd Avenue to the waterfront. Over the last century, the study area has been an active industrial and maritime area with significant pockets of residential use. The Sunset Park BOA resembles many other New York City waterfront neighborhoods. Older infrastructure is in need of improvement and dilapidated, underutilized and vacant properties are common. Sunset Park’s industrial area is unique however, in that it reflects the characteristic New York City street grid pattern, reminiscent of a time before the construction of the Gowanus Expressway when the upland residential community was connected directly to jobs and industry. Narrow streets and rowhouses typify the residential neighborhood east of 3rd Avenue and the potential for this street grid to be reconnected exists if planned Gowanus Expressway reconstruction results in a tunneling of the expressway. Today, land use in the waterfront study area remains primarily manufacturing based. Over 50% of the lot area in the study area houses transportation and utility uses followed in number by industrial/manufacturing uses. Other major land uses are utilities, warehousing, auto maintenance, vehicle storage and wholesale distribution. A smaller percentage of uses include multiple family residential, small retail outlets, adult entertainment establishments, office and open space/recreation. There is very little vacant land in the study area. Land Use by Lot Area (sq ft) – Sunset Park BOA Study Area (Land Use Map page 25) Land Use in BOA Study Area
Square Feet
Percent of Total Lot Area
30198945
100.00%
Residential
974413
3.23%
Mixed
204672
0.68%
Commercial
1080352
3.58%
Industrial/Manufacturing
8343669
27.63%
17930005
59.37%
Public Facilities/Institutions
413740
1.37%
Open Space/Outdoor Recreation
394970
1.31%
Parking Facilities
481684
1.60%
Vacant Land
291819
0.97%
Total Lot Area
Transportation/Utilities
Data Source: NYC Dept of City Planning
MISLAND † reports used by CB7 in the preparation of the Sunset Park 197-a plan described land use in the study area as follows, up to 59% of the total lot area in Census Tracts 2, 18, 20, and 22 - which comprise the study area – is occupied by transportation and utility uses and 27% is occupied by industrial/manufacturing uses. Although there are pockets of residential use in the study area, primarily in the mixed-use district and small residence districts between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, they account for only 5% of the total lot area. The remaining lot area is comprised of commercial/office uses (3%); public facilities and institutions (1%); open space and outdoor recreation (1%), parking facilities (2%) and vacant land (1%). Although land use patterns are relatively consistent throughout the area, distinct characteristics are evident and are best described in a subzone context. The subzones described here however, are not intended to be translated into †
MISLAND is a standardized reporting method used by the New York City Department of City Planning that aggregates detailed Real Property Assessment Database land use categories into more generalized land use classes for census and land use analyses. Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 2 21
exclusive subareas during the Nomination Study phase. The Major Site Users and Existing Land Use maps that follow (pages 24 and 25 respectively) provide further context for the following discussion of study area characteristics. Hamilton Avenue/17th Street (17th through 28th Streets) Beginning at the northern end of the study area between Hamilton Avenue/17th Street and 22nd Street there are several large sites along the waterfront. Few of the east-west streets extend as far as Second Avenue, much less the waterfront, making public access to this area impossible. The waters of the bay meet the shore just west of 3rd Avenue at some points and the majority of streets terminate at dead-ends or unused right-of-ways. Major utilities and public facilities are located on the large superblocks in the area. This area is home to the Hamilton Avenue Waste Transfer Station, Con Edison Power Plant (New York Power Authority), Jetro, Home Depot, the PDS Industrial Development along 19th Street, Sunset Park Industrial Park, KAMCO Construction and LaFarge North America. There are several auto and truck repair establishments in the area as well as construction trades, cabinet makers, ironworkers, etc., who market to contractors, builders and property owners frequenting Home Depot, which is a regional destination. South Brooklyn Marine Terminal/Industry City (28th through 41st Streets) The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) is owned by New York City and managed by the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The site encompasses 88 acres along the waterfront from 28th Street south ending at 38th Street. Two new businesses will come to the site in the near future, the Sims Inc. will operate a recycling facility and Axis Group, Inc. will operate an auto storage facility. Both businesses rely on waterborne transportation. Currently there are multiple parking lots; vehicle storage facilities and auto impound lots along 2nd Avenue at the western edge of the site. 39th Street provides the first opportunity, traveling south, for public access to the waterfront and connection to the planned Bush Terminal Park. The proximity to the MTA B35 and B70 lines and Costco’s location at the intersection of 39th and 1st makes this area a current and future locus of neighborhood activity with a clear need for additional public amenities. Also located in this district, from north to south, are the Federal Detention Center, Federal Building #2, Industry City Associates and Costco. Industry City is the largest private industrial complex in Sunset Park. It consists of 10 multi-story industrial loft buildings stretching from 33rd Street to 37th Street between Second and 3rd Avenues, with a total of 5.5 million square feet of industrial floor area. It houses approximately 150 firms mainly involved in manufacturing and warehousing operations. Industry City is owned and managed by Industry City Associates. Facing 3rd Avenue beginning at 28th Street these and other multiple story buildings (Bush Realty Associates owned properties) extend west to 2nd Avenue with very few small lots housing some commercial and auto related uses. These uses are found primarily to the south of the area ending at 41st Street. Industry City Associates is in the midst of creating a plan for the complex of buildings owned by the company, this information has not as yet been made public and much of the millions of square feet remain unused. It is at the southern end of this subzone that residential uses and related commercial/retail uses begin to increase sharply. Bush Terminal/E. W. Bliss Building (42nd thru 54th Streets) Adjacent to the SBMT on the waterfront is Bush Terminal and the related Piers 1-6. The complex is owned by New York City and managed by EDC and the private firm Turner Construction. Comprised of many buildings between 41st and 50th streets, 1st Avenue and the waterfront, the development is home to almost 100 manufacturing businesses and warehouse/distributions operations. There is also a waste transfer facility in this subzone and the majority of the study area’s apparel related businesses. Of the subzones described here, the area east of Bush Terminal shows the most evidence of the disinvestment that occurred in the neighborhood many decades ago. The greatest number of vacant lots, buildings and underutilized sites can be found in this sector along with an increasing number of residential uses between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. In fact, some of the blocks in this area are primarily residential. Typical residential uses are two-three family Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 2
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structures with some larger multiple family dwellings. Planned for Piers 1-5, which jut out into New York Bay between 43rd and 50th Streets, is Sunset Park’s first waterfront open space. Pier 6, the least dilapidated of the Bush Terminal Piers will be leased to a water dependent industrial business. Major land uses in the area include film production, chemicals handling, apparel, auto related businesses and commercial/retail. There are very few back-office uses. The dilapidated but architecturally significant E.W. Bliss building is located in this subzone. The building has been vacant for many years and has been identified as a community priority for redevelopment in the CB7 197-a plan. Two adjacent structures related to the Bliss building sit on separate tax lots. One of these structures has recently been used during filming and some work has been done on the property. It is unclear whether the contamination documented at the Bliss building is present on these adjacent sites; therefore further environmental investigation is necessary. Brooklyn Army Terminal/Lutheran Medical Center (51st thru 65th Streets) The section of the study area that runs from 51st Street to the 65th Street Rail Yards represents the most diverse mix of uses of all subzones. At the southern end of the area specifically are high density residential uses, commercial and retail uses. The development of housing at this southern end of the study area has resulted in a district with many more uses that are common in residential neighborhoods. Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) is the largest single development in the area followed by Lutheran Medical Center. BAT is owned by New York City and managed by EDC. The Brooklyn Army Terminal is located between 58th Street and the 65th Street Rail Yard, Second Avenue and the waterfront, covers approximately 97 acres of land and contains over 4 million square feet of industrial space. BAT has become one of Brooklyn’s largest industrial parks. Although city zoning maps still show BAT as a Transportation and Utility use (based on its historical use) it houses almost 70 firms. Uses in the building include light manufacturing, warehouse and distribution businesses and back-office operations. Current tenants represent the apparel and financial services industries, light manufacturing, some warehousing and government offices. There is also a childcare facility and bank on-site which are uses that meet important community needs. BAT Pier 4 at 58th Street, which is a large parking lot, is informally used for passive recreation at the waterfront by community members. Redevelopment of this area to allow for more direct access to the waterfront has been suggested in multiple community plans. The Pier is ideally located for public access as it is located along a MTA bus route and is one of the few places in the study area that the waterfront is accessible. Lutheran Medical Center and the adjacent Lutheran Augustana Center for extended care on 55th and 56th Streets is a major anchor in this mixed use neighborhood and the potential expansion of the facility on 57th Street would be a further boon to economic development in the study area. In the vicinity of this facility are major pockets of residential use and neighborhood retail. Businesses that rely on foot traffic, not truck traffic populate the area. The study area’s less than 1% of open space is located in this southern subzone near residential uses. Small auto related businesses, adult entertainment establishments and construction materials storage can be found dotting residential blocks as well as many small or oddly shaped vacant lots. There are several public facilities but very few large industrial uses outside of the BAT.
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Major Site Users Large lot land users dominate Sunset Park’s industrial waterfront
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Land Use Trends The Sunset Park BOA shares almost identical boundaries with the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ). Excluded from the IBZ are a few residential blocks between 55th and 65th Streets. The industrial waterfront of Red Hook, Sunset Park’s northern neighbor on the waterfront, is also part of the IBZ. Over the past two decades, Red Hook has seen something of a renaissance with an explosion of commercial and residential development as well as revitalization of sections of the waterfront where M class zoning was retained. Red Hook remains a major industrial neighborhood yet zoning changes and major economic development projects in the Red Hook community have encouraged a steady climb in property value and in the percentage of commercial and residential uses in a heavily industrialized neighborhood. Increasing real estate prices and real estate speculation in the five boroughs of New York City have combined to create pressures that threaten industrial neighborhoods. Higher real estate costs increase costs for industrial businesses, which require large spaces. This makes industrial real estate difficult to maintain in New York City as developers and property owners would rather convert property to its “highest and best use”. Although evidence of the trend toward as-of-right commercial and conversions to residential uses in areas zoned manufacturing or mixed use is perceptible, Sunset Park remains one of New York City’s largest and most vibrant industrial neighborhoods.
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Zoning in the study area (Existing Zoning map follows) The BOA study area is primarily industrial, zoned for a mix of light (M1) and heavy (M3) manufacturing, interspersed with medium and high density residential uses (R6, R6-A and R6-B) primarily between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Some mixed use zoning east of Second Avenue allows for new residential development on blocks that are already primarily residential. Much of the area zoned for industrial uses is a part of the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ). The Industrial Business Zone program, administered locally by the South Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC), is a program designed by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses. The goal of this special designation is to foster highperforming industrial business districts by creating competitive advantages over locations outside of New York City. IBZ designation also provides some real estate certainty to industrial business owners by protecting M zones from rezoning. According to SBIDC, close to 1,200 firms are located in Sunset Park IBZ area, employing approximately 19,000 workers. Businesses located in the IBZ are provided services to help them navigate city and state regulatory procedures and benefits through a tax credit program. Most of the industrial and waterfront area to the west of 3rd Avenue is zoned for industrial uses. A significant portion of the industrial area is zoned M3 for heavy industry. M3 districts allow for the most noxious industrial uses and generally include warehousing; retail uses are limited in M3 districts. The area between 37th and 45th Streets extending from 2nd Avenue along a rail cut to the east is zoned for light manufacturing (M1-2), as is the area around the 65th Street rail cut east of 5th Avenue. There are also two other small M1-2 districts in the study area. These light manufacturing districts were originally intended to serve as buffers between heavy manufacturing and the residential districts to the east. In M1 districts, industrial uses are required to meet performance standards outlined in the City’s Zoning Resolution. Two large strips of blocks, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, and 3rd and 4th Avenues, are zoned M1-2D, which is a light manufacturing district that permits limited infill residential development on mixed-use blocks under specified conditions. The only commercial zoning in the study area is a C8-1 zone on a single block at 64th Street and 3rd Avenue. C8 zoning permits automotive and other commercial uses at a maximum FAR of 1.0. Typical uses include auto repair, gas stations and car washes. Residences are not permitted. The majority of the residentially-zoned blocks are, zoned R6 and R6B, medium-density districts that permit low- and mid-rise development. The maximum floor area permitted in the R6 is 3.14 in a 13-story building. The study area’s designation as an Industrial Business Zone protects it from rezoning efforts, however, some asof-right development, whether medium density residential, big box commercial or small hotels, is a potential threat to the stability of industrial property values. In addition, New York City’s IBZ policy is just that; policy. The IBZ is not included in legislation nor does it have the strength of zoning laws supporting it. A change in city administration could mark a change in policy. Many organizations in the city are encouraging legislation that would make IBZ designation, and its benefits, more sustainable.
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Special Districts/Designations The Sunset Park BOA study area is the focus of multiple city and state initiatives meant to address adverse economic conditions or threats to growth and health of industry. The programs, plans and designations detailed below are available to support businesses and property owners willing to invest in the neighborhood and commit to using their properties for industrial/manufacturing uses. (For additional context refer to Community Resources Map page 29)
Industrial Business Zone Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (born of the Sunset Park In-Place Industrial Park IPIP) has been discussed throughout this document and is an important consideration while visioning for the future and making recommendations for future use on strategic sites. The IBZ leaders are a part of the Sunset Park Local Steering Committee and lend an important perspective to the group. Empire Zone New York City has ten New York State Empire Zones. Businesses that locate in an Empire Zone and increase their employment or make certain capital investments are eligible for certain State tax benefits and incentives. The NYC Office of Small Business Services retains a Director for the Empire Zones program who coordinates the work of local zone administrators. The New York State Empire Zone in Sunset Park will be of less import in the future as the New York State legislature recently redesigned the program and assigned a sunset date of June 11, 2011 after which other programs may be made available to businesses that want to stay and grow in New York. Significant Maritime and Industrial Area In 1992, the NYC Department of City Planning produced the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan which identified six Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas throughout the city. These six areas were chosen based upon criteria relating to the present and future needs of water dependent industries. The goal of this designation is to protect and encourage concentrated working waterfront uses. A number of actions were recommended for these areas to guide land use decisions, land disposition policy and public investment strategies, and to promote better interagency coordination to facilitate intermodal development. Maintaining the manufacturing zoning, disposition of publicly-owned property and municipal facilities proposed for locations within these areas should encourage the inclusion of water dependent elements and use of intermodal facilities and access improvements should be made to provide better connections to the region's highway network for the movement of goods. Federal Hub Zone The Hub Zone Empowerment Contracting program is administered by the United States Small Business Administration and provides federal contracting opportunities to small businesses located in distressed areas. The purpose of this federal program is to nurture the growth of viable businesses, for the long term, by assisting them in becoming government contractors and as a result supporting the communities these businesses call home.
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Sunset Park faces many development challenges but existing resources and special development districts and/or designations may be a boon to future development initiatives.
Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone Boundary
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CB7 Sunset Park 197-a Plan The Sunset Park community is expected to change considerably in coming decades as a result of new development promoted by the City and State: revitalization of the SBMT; improvements to the First Avenue Rail Line; a comprehensive port improvement plan for the Port of New York and New Jersey; improved rail freight connections between Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey; and reconstruction or tunneling of the Gowanus Expressway. The Sunset Park 197-a Plan serves as a framework for the BOA planning process. The BOA process should be consistent with and build upon the clearly expressed priority for economic development, a healthy living and working environment, and an environmentally just and sustainable neighborhood. The 197-a Plan recognizes and incorporates the following projects which are critical to planning and development within the BOA: the Comprehensive Port Improvement Plan, a new container facility for the New York/New Jersey Harbor; an auto port and break bulk cargo facility at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal; the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project; Rail Infrastructure Improvements for the First Avenue Rail Line and 65th Street Rail Yard; the 23.7 acre Bush Terminal Piers Waterfront Park at Bush Terminal Piers 1 through 5 that will include a multicultural pier and public access down 43rd and 51st Streets; redevelopment of Federal Building #2 as a manufacturing incubator; the Gowanus Expressway Project; and the redesign and reactivation of the Hamilton Avenue Marine Transfer facility for containerized waste transport. NYC Economic Development Corporation Sunset Park Vision Plan EDC owns and/or manages millions of square feet of industrial/manufacturing and commercial space in the Sunset Park BOA study area. The agency is also overseeing the construction of Bush Terminal Park. EDC recently completed developing a vision plan for Sunset Park, the boundaries of the study area considered by EDC match those of the BOA. The major goals of the vision plan are to preserve industry, generate jobs and increase efficient movement of goods, maintain and grow a job base that can employ the local community, minimize conflict between industrial truck traffic and community residents, promote Green business practices and build waterfront open space amenities. Brownfield, Abandoned, and Vacant Sites As part of the BOA pre-nomination study process, a survey of the tax lots located within the study area was conducted. Early in the study process, Youth Justice advocates and staff from UPROSE canvassed the entire study area seeking to identify properties that were vacant, seemingly abandoned or underutilized. The resulting list was then used to inform additional field work and property research completed by planning consultants. Supplementary property research was conducted on all vacant and underutilized properties. In addition, properties that were located adjacent to known contamination or that had been identified as priorities for redevelopment through other community planning processes were also investigated. Property information was collected from New York City and State records and reports, interviews with local development corporation staff and other stakeholders. Site selection criteria was developed and used to vet each property in an effort to identify potential BOA strategic sites that were aligned with community priorities. After review of the sites and development of selection criteria, priority sites in the industrial area were selected to be studied in greater detail. The information collected through this survey and research process supported the identification of “sites of interest” within the study area. Further investigation on these sites, including microeconomic analysis, environmental investigation and development of reuse alternatives are all possible activities during the Step 2: BOA Nomination Study process.
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Site Selection Criteria Property is located within the target areas and is vacant or underutilized There is possible contamination on site and an environmental remediation is not complete or in progress Site redevelopment could stimulate or benefit from other development, infrastructure projects or public investment Site is publicly owned or tax lien exists on property There are historic preservation, environmental justice or affordable housing benefits of redevelopment Proximity to or ability to support development of community’s blueway-greenway plan or other long-range plans The following description of known and potential brownfields in the BOA study area includes active sites and redevelopment projects, vacant lots, vacant buildings and underutilized sites. Several of the major known brownfield sites are publicly owned and have been or are slated for redevelopment. It is possible that some of these sites have no environmental contamination, but because of their location and the likelihood of contamination given the history of uses in the area, they were identified in a first approximation. (A listing of underutilized sites and potential brownfields can be found on page 34)
Major Known Brownfield Sites (Underutilized Sites Location map follows) Bush Terminal The city-owned Bush Terminal Industrial Complex, administered by EDC and managed by Turner Construction, comprises a number of buildings between 41st and 50th Streets, First Avenue and the waterfront. They include: Units A, B, C and D between 41st and 43rd Streets; the Bush Terminal Office Building (administration building) and the former Bush Terminal Longshoremen’s Center (restaurant building) at the foot of 43rd Street; Building #45 at the foot of 47th Street; Building G at the foot of 48th Street; Building #57 at the foot of 49th Street; Building #58 at the foot of 50th Street; and a number of smaller buildings and lots along the Marginal Street between 44th and 47th Streets. This complex houses close to 100 firms with up to 950 employees engaged in manufacturing and warehouse/distribution operations. Bush Terminal Park In 2001 EDC contracted with Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture+Urban Design to develop a master plan for the park, including public access improvements and strategies for funding ongoing park maintenance. The conceptual design, completed in 2003, proposed recreational use on Piers 1-4, with more active uses such as playgrounds and athletic fields close to Marginal Street and more passive uses in the naturalized areas closer to the water. Pier 5 wais envisioned as an active pier supporting a range of uses including a boat launch, restaurant booths, miniature golf, historic ship moorage, and outdoor space for community events. Primary vehicular and pedestrian access is to be provided at 43rd Street and 1st Avenue with secondary access for cyclists, pedestrians, and maintenance vehicles located at 51st Street. Some environmental investigation has been completed on the site in preparation for the planned park construction. Contamination on site is primarily historic fill. Additional environmental investigation as well as a remedial action plan will be necessary during the next phase of development. South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) The 88-acre South Brooklyn Marine Terminal has been largely underutilized for a number of years. Its most recent operations include a cocoa port – at the southern edge of the terminal, a tow pound, and an auto storage and surface parking facility. Plans have been developed to reactivate SBMT as a multi-purpose maritime facility with Axis Group, Inc., Sims Inc. and General Stevedore, all water dependent tenants. The 1st Avenue rail line will eventually extend into the marine terminal and one of the rail float bridges from the 65th Street Rail Yard will be relocated to the terminal as part of this initiative. The construction related to this development and the jobs created by the coming tenants will create hundreds of living wage jobs. Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 2
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Federal Building #2 The eight-story 1.1 million square foot industrial loft building at 850 3rd Avenue, owned by the federal government and administered by the General Services Administration (GSA), has been vacant and unutilized for a number of years. An RFP for redevelopment of this site was released by EDC and the project was granted to Time Equities. The Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), with support from Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Congressman Jerrold Nadler as well as the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, led a broad community-based effort to acquire the building and redevelop it as a manufacturing incubator. A Phase I ESA has been prepared for the project site. That study completed in May 2007, includes a number of recommendations for further studies, including asbestos and lead paint surveys and soil tests for various compounds associated with various past on-site activities. Brooklyn Army Terminal Boiler and Administration Buildings The Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), located between 58th Street and the 65th Street Rail Yard, 2nd Avenue and the waterfront, covers approximately 97 acres of land and contains over 4 million square feet of industrial loft space in two buildings, Building A (1.8 million sq. ft.) and Building B (2.2 million sq. ft.). The facility has been operated by EDC since it was purchased from the U.S. Government in the early 1980s and has undergone extensive rehabilitation. Over the past 20 years EDC has renovated more than 3.1 million square feet of space in the two BAT buildings. Building B is completely occupied and Building A, which is still undergoing rehabilitation, is currently being leased. Brooklyn Army Terminal has become one of Brooklyn’s largest industrial parks. It houses approximately 70 firms ranging from light manufacturing, warehouse and distribution businesses to back-office operations, with more than 3,000 employees. The Boiler Room and Administrative buildings are located at the northeast corner of the BAT site. Both buildings are vacant and there are no current plans for their redevelopment. A Phase 1 environmental assessment has been conducted at the administration building resulting in the determination that further environmental study is warranted. E.W. Bliss Building The E.W. Bliss Building owned by 5200 Enterprises LTD, is located at the corner of 1st Avenue and 52nd Street along the waterfront, and is a NYS Superfund site. Known as the “Trolley Barn,” it originally housed the electrical equipment that powered the City’s trolley system. There is serious environmental contamination on site, primarily PCB’s identified during an initial environmental assessment. (A fuller description is provided later in the document with other identified “sites of interest” The above represents the major known brownfield sites in the study area but is not an exhaustive list. The redevelopment of these sites is a community wide priority and many are the focus of existing planning and/or development initiatives. Following is a broader enumeration of potential brownfield sites in the study area and where available, information detailing use and environmental conditions.
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Underutilized Sites Location Map (includes major known brownfields)
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Potential brownfields/underutilized sites warranting further study (highlighted are properties identified as having development potential) All sites included on Underutilized Sites Location map on previous page Address 103 20th Street 89 21st Street 70 20th Street
Block
Lot
124 20th Street 685 3rd Avenue 128 21st Street 131 22nd Street 738 - 744 3rd Avenue 704 3rd Avenue 703 3rd Avenue 134 22nd Street 186 24th Street 739 3rd Ave 128 25th Street 813 3rd Ave 830 3rd Ave 850 3rd Ave 113 31st Street 870 3rd Ave 882 3rd Avenue 889 3rd Avenue
635 638 638 638 639 639 642 642 644 644 645 645 651 651 653 664 667 671 672 675 679 680
1 1 10 77 12 60 13 65 1 80 12 14 5 11 68 3 1 1 69 1 1 70
116 39th Street 52 39th Street 253 40th Street 252 39th Street 4324 1st Avenue 1st Avenue 4564 2nd Ave 4501 2 Ave 201 47th Street 4717 1st Avenue 4901 2nd Avenue 5005 1st Ave 260 51st Street 5114 3rd Avenue 5114 3rd Avenue 5200 1 Ave 5200 1st Avenue 5201 1st Avenue 5302 2 Ave 5600 1 Ave 132 54st Street 5406 3rd Avenue 222 56th Street 228 56th Street 5724 3rd Avenue 267 58th Street 5914 3rd Ave
706 706 707 707 725 725 735 745 754 762 781 788 797 797 797 803 803 804 812 819 820 821 837 837 845 845 861
20 24 53 57 75 100 110 1 1 1 6 1 30 41 41 9 9 6 26 1 12 40 14 17 45 48 23
5914 3rd Ave 5914 3rd Ave 5914 3rd Ave 266 60th Street BAT Boiler Room Building 4014 1st Ave 650 2nd Avenue
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861 861 861 5780
Use? Unknown Vacant Various Industrial Junk yard Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Vacant Cinder Block Structure Junk yard Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Storage Unknown Unknown Food & Drug Administration Unknown Unknown US Govt - back of lot 1-10 Industry City Associates - back of lo Unknown Gureal Chema Unknown Owner Name Emanuel Calviello KAMCO 4 Square Realty KAMCO Cuonzo Anthony Arthur Zaks Salvatore Monaco Salvatore Monaco US General Services Larusso Mauro Zone Realty 22nd Street SI Inc. Elenbee Electric Sergio Lopez Pet Food Supply WW Grainger US Govt
Charm Realty of NY Industry City Associates Altom Realty, LLC Department of Busines Department of Busines
Rick Panasiello DEI Lombardi Realty Sophie Liberty Inc PS Realty 3rd Ave LLC 5114 3rd Avenue LLC Empire Electric Co/Dept of Business 152nd LLC SCF Realty II Riverside Machinery Co Leonard Schwartz
Group SB Realty MCSAM Tribeca LLC
29 MCSAM Tribeca LLC 37 MCSAM Tribeca LLC 43 MCSAM Tribeca LLC 34
EG Plastics/Magnolia Industries Industrial - Various Unknown Unknown Vacant Vacant Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Vacant Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Vacant Unknown Multiple industrial tenants Brooklyn Wholesale Meat Market Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Vacant Unknown Vacant Vacant Unknown Vacant Unknown Vacant
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Using the narrowed list of properties above as a starting point and applying the site selection criteria described earlier in this document, the following sites of interest were identified for further work in Step 2: E.W. Bliss Building The Bliss Building is owned by Empire Electric Company is located at the corner of 1st Avenue and 52nd Street along the waterfront, and is a NYS Superfund site. Known as the “Trolley Barn,” it originally housed the electrical equipment that powered the City’s trolley system. This site consists of a solid masonry brick building originally constructed in 1900 for the City of New York, as a powerhouse to provide electricity to the City-owned trolley system. After the trolley system was abandoned in the 1930s, all machinery, piping and apparatus in the power plant were dismantled. In 1950 the Empire Electric Company bought the property and the building, which was used to recondition electrical equipment (including transformers containing PCBs), and as a warehouse. Although the inside of the building has been cleaned, sampling at the site confirmed the floor and walls to be contaminated with PCBs. A Preliminary Site Assessment was completed during the summer of 1999 to further evaluate the contamination and sampling results indicated that soil beneath the building contains hazardous levels of PCBs; the groundwater down gradient of the site contains elevated levels of PCBs. New York City constructed cement block walls to close off all access to the building in 2001. The site has a highly distressed interior and roof but the shell and basic structural framework appear to be in sound condition. Across 1st Avenue from the Bliss building is a vacant lot that should be considered with the Bliss building in any future redevelopment efforts. Due to prior uses in the area and contamination on additional sites is probable. Further investigation is recommended during the next phase of study. Moore-McCormack Buildings The Moore-McCormack Lines shipping company was one of the nation’s largest global maritime corporations, having lines that transported passengers and goods from the United States to Europe, South America and the Caribbean. One of the piers the company operated was located in Sunset Park and the need for warehousing space in the area was met in part by the construction of the buildings at 3rd Avenue and 24th Street. The strategic site consists of four vacant, dilapidated industrial buildings ranging in height from one to four stories that will most likely have to be demolished due to severe structural deterioration. The buildings are located on a portion of a much larger tax lot. The buildings are currently owned by the City of New York. Running along the site at 24th street is an undeveloped right of way that stretches from 3rd Avenue to the Sunset Park waterfront. This right of way may be a future point of public access to the waterfront and a possible connector to the planned Brooklyn Greenway. There is no public record of contamination on site. The location of the site adjacent to a power generation facility, the age of the buildings, and the history of use in the area however support further environmental investigation on site. Federal Building #2 The 1.1 million square foot industrial building at 850 3rd Avenue, owned by the federal government and administered by the General Services Administration (GSA), has been vacant and unutilized for a number of years. An RFP for redevelopment of this site was released by EDC and the project was granted to Time Equities. The vision for the site is the development of a light manufacturing incubator, with the possibility of limited retail uses on the ground floor of the building or as part of development on the adjoining block. The project is broadly supported by Sunset Park residents, their political representatives and local community organizations. In addition to the Federal Building, the vacant lot, now used as a tow yard, and an oddly shaped smoke stack building, known as the Motor Pool Building, adjacent to the Federal Building, between 31st and 32nd Streets is also owned by the GSA and potentially part of the property disposition and future project development at the Federal Building site. Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 2
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Unfortunately, in April 2009, Time Equities pulled out of the deal being negotiated with EDC and the fate of the project is in jeopardy. If New York City government and community organizations are not able to move forward with plans for the site, the GSA will transfer the property to another federal agency which would not lead to the type of catalytic redevelopment planned for the site currently and desired by the community. It is possible that bringing BOA resources to the project may support continued effort to see the plan to fruition. Brooklyn Army Terminal Boiler Room Building and adjacent administration building (Pier 4) As described previously, the EDC managed Brooklyn Army Terminal is home to various industrial, commercial and back office uses and is a gleaming example of what redevelopment of industrial properties can do to catalyze other development in the area. However, the two buildings at the northeast corner of the BAT property are the focus of the BOA study. These buildings were not part of NYC’s original remediation and redevelopment plans and are located in the path of pedestrian access to Pier 4, which has potential to be used for recreational activities due to the size of the pier and proximity to public transportation. An MTA bus line runs along 1st Avenue at the eastern boundary of the site, increasing the potential for public access to the waterfront. The BAT boiler room building and adjacent administration building are located on a known brownfield site and prior operations at the boiler room building make it likely that contamination is present. Previous uses included storing of munitions on site which may be an additional source of contamination. Redeveloping these sites would support existing redevelopment efforts and could provide new community resources in one of the few areas along the waterfront where public access is viable. C. Land Ownership (Land Ownership Patterns Map follows) The Sunset Park BOA study area includes privately-owned commercial and industrial sites, municipal utilities, mixed-use properties, multifamily housing, and commercial/industrial buildings. There are no schools in the area however there are playgrounds in residential districts. The area is characterized by extremes; considerably large lots and structures primarily along the waterfront and between 1st and 3rd Avenues north of 41st Street and much smaller and in some cases irregular parcels and miscellaneous structures. Most of the largest properties in the Sunset Park BOA study area are publicly owned. The major public landowners are the City of New York, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the federal General Services Administration (GSA). Most of these properties are actively used for maritime and industrial purposes. There are also major private landowners including the Sunset Industrial Park and Industry City Associates who own ten industrial buildings in the area representing more than five million square feet of real estate. Outside of these major landowners most properties are much smaller and owned by individual businesses or individuals. The area from the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, north of 21st Street to the BOA boundary at 17th Street and along the waterfront to 2nd Avenue is an area of mixed City and private ownership; most of this property will be used for the Hamilton Avenue waster transfer station expansion.
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D. Natural Resources (Natural Resources map follows) The proposed Sunset Park BOA is a dense, urbanized area. The area is almost completely paved and there is no unimproved land. The entire shoreline has been altered by either the construction of piers or the addition of land fill to create land for development purposes. The study area is a coastal community with all properties in the Coastal Storm Impact/Flood Hazard Zone. Sunset Park is underlain by glacial materials, consisting of till (clay, silt, sand, gravel and boulders). The groundwater in the study area is not suitable for drinking water. A long history of industrial use and the installation of the sanitary sewer system has lowered the water table and contaminated ground water making the aquifer unusable for drinking water. Potable water comes to the area from an extensive upstate New York reservoir system. Similar to many other waterways in New York City, Upper New York Bay, receives billions of gallons per year of raw or minimally treated sewage through combined sewer outfalls used during heavy rains. As a result of these discharges, elevated bacteria levels are found in waters around the city. However, according to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection 2007 Water Quality Survey, the Inner Harbor, which includes Upper New York Bay, water quality trends show improvement. Fecal coliform levels in the waterway have dramatically declined over the last few decades and are below bathing standards. This improvement has allowed the opening of the Inner Harbor, for most recreational activities. Plans to open up the Sunset Park waterfront to active recreational use on the water are supported by these findings. Although the proposed BOA in Sunset Park borders Prospect Park to the northeast, and Owl’s Head Park and Leif Ericson Park to the south, the densely populated Sunset Park neighborhood still lacks access to public open space because neither is within walking distance for Sunset Park residents and workers. Greenwood Cemetery and Sunset Park are the largest open spaces within the Sunset Park neighborhood; however, they are not within the proposed BOA. Greenwood Cemetery served as public parkland in the days before Prospect Park, but access is limited and it is no longer a recreational resource. The cemetery has many mature trees and significant plant life, most of it groomed and landscaped. The Sunset Park shoreline is completely bulkheaded except in areas where pier deterioration has led to “renaturalizing” or where open space has been constructed and a naturalized shoreline created or maintained. Owl’s Head Park is one such open space but is just outside of the study area to the south. While the two and a half miles of shoreline offer dramatic views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline, there is still very limited public access to the waterfront. As one moves west towards the waterfront, the topography slopes dramatically down to sea level in less than three-quarters of a mile. The waterfront is the largest natural resource in the BOA, emphasizing the need for the waterfront to be redeveloped so that residents and workers in the community can access this resource. Since many of the potential brownfield sites are adjacent to or near the East River waterfront, the revitalization of brownfields in Sunset Park is a vital step to reconnecting Sunset Park residents and workers to our most significant natural resource.
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E. Summary of Preliminary Analysis and Recommendations The large scale industrial development found today along the Sunset Park waterfront didn’t begin in earnest until 1832 when Irving T. Bush began construction on Bush Terminal. That development would eventually extend north and south for about 20 blocks along Sunset Park’s waterfront with numerous covered piers jutting out into Upper New York Bay. Bush Terminal became one of the largest warehousing complexes in the United States and handled goods that were shipped all over the world. The sheer size of the complex and its workforce impacted the future growth of both the residential and commercial/industrial areas of the neighborhood. Today, land use in the waterfront study area remains primarily manufacturing based. Other major land uses are warehousing, storage, auto maintenance and vehicle storage and wholesale distribution. A smaller percentage of uses include small retail outlets, adult entertainment establishments, public facilities and open space. Although Sunset Park experienced the same shrinkage in its industrial sector as the rest of New York City during the 1960’s and 1970’s, the neighborhood has been able to maintain its importance as a working waterfront due to important geographic and structural assets. Its location on Upper New York Bay places it in the center of the New York/New Jersey system of ports and makes open waters easily accessible. In addition, a deep water channel, existing industrial infrastructure, uncharacteristically large lots and millions of square feet of office and warehousing space mean that companies have the opportunity to expand their businesses. This bodes well for the future of industrial development in the area because lack of space for business growth is a problem in many of New York’s industrial neighborhoods. Access to local skilled labor and available connections to New York City and the wider region through major transportation networks combine to create an attractive neighborhood for manufacturers. New York City’s manufacturing sector policy initiatives and related tax incentives have also helped bolster the health of Sunset Park’s industrial core and enhance the potential for economic growth. The long history of heavy industrial and commercial uses along Sunset Park’s waterfront has also produced an environmentally distressed neighborhood. Heavy truck traffic, industrial operations and minimal open space negatively affect air quality and have had long-term detrimental health impacts on the large working class, minority and immigrant populations living in the area. Asthma rates in Sunset Park are especially high and the condition is aggravated by particulates and other contaminants resulting from traffic and industrial operations. The Sunset Park 197-a Plan, which has evolved over the last decade, provides a framework for revitalization of the Sunset Park waterfront as an economically viable and environmentally sustainable resource to serve the needs of the community. The 197-a plan indicates that brownfields redevelopment is a community priority. The Community Board is looking to the BOA process as a way to vet potential brownfield sites, create partnerships necessary for potential development and to “ensure that planned revitalization efforts improve health and the environment in the community, help residents navigate the multiple programs at the City and the State levels and ultimately take advantage of new amenities and employment offered by community revitalization.” The revitalization of brownfields in the BOA would be closely linked to the many projects cited in the 197-a plan and benefit from the years of community conversation and agency cooperation that was required to complete it. (A map of current and planned revitalization efforts follows)
Brooklyn Community Board 7. New Connections/New Opportunities: Sunset Park 197-a Plan. Brooklyn, NY. June 2007
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The Sunset Park waterfront has recently become the focus of multiple planning and economic development initiatives led by city and state agencies. These projects include the revitalization of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, major improvements to the First Avenue Rail Line, the coming reconstruction or tunneling of the Gowanus Expressway and other circulation improvements. Important planning efforts like EDC’s Sunset Vision Plan and the CB7 led 197-a Plan have successfully recorded both community and government priorities for the study area, though neither focus specifically on the remediation and redevelopment of brownfields as a path to revitalization and sustained growth. Sunset Park BOA Pre-Nomination Study Report Section 2
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Recent community planning efforts have also emphasized the need to attract green manufacturing and green collar worker opportunities for disconnected youth and the immigrant population. Major transportation and infrastructure projects planned by government promise to promote port redevelopment. Thus, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration, continues to move forward with the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project. This project will substantially improve the railway infrastructure east of the Hudson River, particularly in Brooklyn and provide new opportunities for economic development in Sunset Park. The project entails the establishment of a rail link between the end of the U.S. railway system in New Jersey and Brooklyn, providing a link to the rest of Long Island, by way of a tunnel under the Hudson River. The rail link would allow for the movement of goods via rail instead of truck, thereby reducing truck trips in the City. The tunnel is predicted to alleviate the burden of truck-based transport on the City and reduce the pollution emitted by diesel-burning trucks. After identifying community needs, the Sunset Park BOA Steering and Advisory Committees brainstormed potential revitalization projects and recommendations for the proposed BOA. The recommendations address land use concerns and community needs while prioritizing sustainable and environmentally-friendly job opportunities, low income/affordable housing, expansion of open green spaces, and community facilities and services to improve the quality of life for all residents. Since a good portion of the Sunset Park BOA includes the industrial waterfront area, the BOA Steering Committee recommends that potential brownfields identified in this area be remediated and redeveloped to provide job-intensive, high performance, state-of-the-art maritime and industrial uses. This will be done in consultation with the community. All new facilities need to adhere to environmentally acceptable standards and ensure a significant number of local job opportunities. The local industrial and community development organizations and institutions should also be at the table with the BOA Steering Committee and BOA goals, objectives and recommendations should be considered in all planning initiatives. Individual entrepreneurship opportunities that are culturally appropriate, especially to immigrant populations, are also highly encouraged. With the threat and reality of gentrification, the BOA Steering Committee emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive housing preservation program for long-standing residents in the community to ensure that they do not get displaced. Thus, redevelopment of the study area should also include rehabilitation and improvement of the existing housing stock, specifically on the west side of 3rd Avenue where new business development is currently threatening community residents. If the Gowanus Expressway is demolished and replaced with a tunnel, potential opportunities for affordable housing development on the east side of 3rd Avenue should be considered. There needs to be a detailed study of the identified brownfields along 3rd Avenue to examine which parcels can support additional affordable residential development. To address the need for more open space, implementation of the Sunset Park Greenway-Blueway Plan needs to be expedited. This community plan ensures a greenway along the Sunset Park waterfront to combat the current environmental burdens imposed on the residents who live sideby- side with active industry, a working waterfront, highways, power plants, and other infrastructure that serves the City and the region. These land uses burden Sunset Park with heavy truck traffic, noise, and air pollution, and isolate residents from the waterfront. Thus, the development of more open spaces and waterfront access is recommended. Other potential uses for redeveloped brownfields include schools at all levels, daycare centers, youth recreational space and facilities, affordable places for small business and artists, and performance spaces that are culturally appropriate. These suggestions seek to enhance the quality of life for all residents of Sunset Park and to ensure that the diversity and cultural practices that make this community unique are preserved and complimented by new development.
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Next Steps UPROSE intends to apply to the New York State Department of State for a grant to conduct a BOA Step 2: Nomination Study. The Nomination Study will support additional research and strategic site based planning and visioning. The true goal of completing a Nomination Study is to prepare community partners, city, state and federal agencies, and property and business owners for implementing recommended redevelopment initiatives. Important to include in the scope of work for Step 2 are the following activities: • • • • • • • • •
Conduct historic use research focused on properties of interest Website creation and development of marketing materials for work with intermediary agencies like the Southwest Brooklyn IDC and/or private property owners. Conduct due diligence activities on sites of interest where cooperation with owner is possible –can include zoning analysis, massing studies and title searches. Identify and apply for funding for remediation and redevelopment in cooperation with city and state agencies relevant to the project. Identify “soft sites” and conduct additional environmental research on properties of interest. Perform real estate market research and a fine grain microeconomic analysis of the waterfront industrial area. Add new members to the Local Steering Committee, rounding out areas of expertise and diversifying point of view by identifying and inviting business and property owners Conduct an infrastructure analysis and determine how planned infrastructure improvements may support redevelopment of strategic sites. Formalize identification of strategic sites.
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Name: EW Bliss Building
Address: 5200 1st Avenue (bet. 52nd & 53rd Streets) Block & Lot: 803 - 9 Owner:
5200 Enterprises Ltd 5200 1st Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: Existing Building: Vacant industrial building - Building dimensions 100 ft X 240 ft. Zoning: M3-1 - Heavy industrial/manufacturing. Typical uses include power plants, solid waste transfer facilities and recycling plants, and fuel supply depots. Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ
Use Status: Vacant (According to stakeholders in the study area, a portion of the property is currently in use as a film studio) Property Description: The EW Bliss building is a solid masonry brick building, 240 feet in length and 100 feet in width located at the southwest corner of 1st Avenue and 52nd Street. The majority of the building’s roof has collapsed, portions of the building show signs of a past fire and sections of the lot of the are walled or fenced. The building has a highly distressed interior and roof but the shell and basic structural framework appear to be in sound condition. The rear of the building may have been altered to accommodate cinematic filming. Use and Environmental History: The E.W. Bliss Building owned by Empire Electric Company is located at the corner of 1st Avenue and 52nd Street, and is a NYS Superfund site. Known as the “Trolley Barn,” it originally housed the electrical equipment that powered the City’s trolley system. The building was originally constructed in the year 1900 for the City of New York, as a powerhouse to provide electricity to the City-owned trolley system. After the trolley system was abandoned in the 1930s, all machinery, piping and apparatus in the power plant were dismantled. In 1950 the Empire Electric Company bought the property and the building, which was used to recondition electrical equipment (including transformers containing PCBs), and as a warehouse. Although the inside of the building has been cleaned, sampling at the site confirmed the floor and walls to be contaminated with PCBs. A Preliminary Site Assessment was completed during the summer of 1999 to further evaluate the contamination and sampling results indicated that soil beneath the building contains hazardous levels of PCBs; the groundwater down gradient of the site contains elevated levels of PCBs. The site is a NYS superfund site. Over $300,000 in property tax is due on this property. A lien was sold on the property in May 2009, foreclosure proceedings may be eminent. Land Assessment Value: $1.56M
Name: AM Cosmetics Building
Address: 4000 1st Avenue (alternate addresses – 3928 – 4002 1st Avenue) Block & Lot: 710 -1 Owner:
22-26 Bush Terminal/Industry City Associates 882 3rd Ave, 12th floor Brooklyn, NY 11232
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 230 ft x 284 ft Existing Building: 8 Story building, 374,240 sq ft Zoning: M3 – 1 - Heavy industrial/manufacturing. Typical uses include power plants, solid waste transfer facilities and recycling plants, and fuel supply depots. Zone and/or District Status NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone
Use Status: Partially vacant, storage/back office uses Property Description: Eight story industrial loft building, attached garage/storage area
Use and Environmental History: Past use details are scarce for this property. AM Cosmetics Company, a major cosmetics manufacturer, was located in the building between 1999 and 2004. Chemicals used during cosmetics production include volatile organic compounds which may have contaminated groundwater on site during waste disposal. In addition, there is a hazardous waste violation on the property. Additional environmental research is recommended. Land Assessment Value: $6.12M
Name: 2 52nd Street
Address: 2 52nd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232 Block & Lot: 803 - 6 Owner:
Jay Syrbnik Atlantic Properties 140 53RD St Brooklyn NY 11232-4319
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 144.5 ft X 100.17 ft Existing Building: One building on lot, industrial building, built early 19th century Zoning: M3-1 - Heavy industrial/manufacturing. Typical uses include power plants, solid waste transfer facilities and recycling plants, and fuel supply depots Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ
Use Status: Some storage, auto repair and office space. Second floor appears vacant and in need of renovation. Property Description: Dilapidated industrial building constructed directly west of the EW Bliss Building. A small portion of the site is undeveloped/vacant. Very little recorded property use history exists. Anecdotally the building was built as part of the Empire Electric Company holdings along with the Bliss building. The building’s unique architecture and location near one of the planned greenway connections has made it a priority for the community at large. The Sunset Park 197-a plan conducted by Community Board 7 also identifies the remediation and redevelopment of the Bliss building as a community priority. Use and Environmental History: The building at 2 52nd Street was constructed during the same period of the early 1900’s that the Bliss building was constructed and may have been used by the Empire Electric company. There is no public record of contamination on site. However, the high level of contamination already identified at the neighboring property (EW Bliss building) and the possibility of a related past use, indicates that further research at 2 52nd Street is warranted. Land Assessment Value: $1.56M
Name: Brooklyn Army Terminal Boiler Room and Administrative Building
Boiler Room Building
Administration Building
Address: Brooklyn Army Terminal 100 58th Street Brooklyn, NY 11220
Northwest section of Brooklyn Army Terminal complex
Block & Lot: 5778 – 1 (BAT Block and Lot) Owner: NYC Department of Business Services Publically Owned: Yes Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: Unknown, the building and any surrounding land must be surveyed as it is located on larger Brooklyn Army Terminal site Existing Building: Boiler Room building is a 2 – 3 story mechanical building, appears structurally sound, is enclosed by fencing. The Administration Building is a 4-5 story office structure in fair condition.
Zoning: M2 – 1 - M2 districts occupy the middle ground between light and heavy industrial areas. The four M-2 districts, with different floor area ratios and parking requirements, are found primarily in the city's older industrial areas along the waterfront. Required performance standards in all M2 districts are lower than in M1 districts. Except when M2 uses border on a residential district, more noise and vibration are allowed, smoke is permitted and industrial activities need not be entirely enclosed. Zone and/or District Status NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone Use Status: Vacant Property Description: The Brooklyn Army Terminal Complex is located between 58th Street and the 65th Street Rail Yard, Second Avenue and the waterfront. The boiler room building identified as a strategic brownfield redevelopment site, is in the northwest section of the Brooklyn Army Terminal complex at 58th Street off of 1st Avenue. The property is located along one of roadways within the complex that provides access for commuters to Pier 4. Both buildings are vacant and no redevelopment activities are planned for either. New York Water Taxi runs a ferry service to Manhattan from the pier. The pier provides almost 500 parking spaces for commuters and the potential for the development of pedestrian amenities and a connection to the planned greenway should be considered. Use and Environmental History: The Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) covers approximately 97 acres of land and contains over 4 million square feet of industrial space in two buildings. The facility is operated by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. EDC has renovated the majority of the complex and approximately 70 firms occupy most of the space. In addition to private companies, many city agencies have offices at Brooklyn Army Terminal. The past use of the Brooklyn Army Terminal was as the “New York Port of Embarkation and Army Supply Base” the terminal handled nearly 80% of all American supplies and troops and employed nearly 10,000 civilian workers during World War 2. The boiler room building was the mechanical building for the complex and due to this prior use contamination at the site is likely. The administration building has been used as office space and as storage. There is some contamination on site according to a Phase 1 Environmental Assessment conducted by EDC. Additional testing is recommended. Land Assessment Value: Undetermined
Name: Junicic Scrapyard
Address: 776 3rd Avenue Block & Lot: 656-71 Owner:
Junicic Anton 915 Ditmas Ave Brooklyn NY 11218
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 111.33 ft frontage x 80 ft depth Existing Building: Open air auto storage and scrapping, small temporary structure on site used as an office. Zoning: M3-1 - Heavy industrial/manufacturing. Typical uses include power plants, solid waste transfer facilities and recycling plants, and fuel supply depots.
Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: Active auto junk/scrap yard Property Description: Property is located on 3rd Avenue/Gowanus Expressway thoroughfare. The lot encompasses half of the block between 26th and 27th Streets. Use and Environmental History: There is no public record of contamination on site. However, the current auto junk/scrap yard use makes finding contamination on site probable. Land Assessment Value: $170,000
Name: Moore Mc-Cormack Buildings
Address: 730 3rd Avenue 3rd Avenue between 23rd and 25th Streets Block & Lot: 644 - 1 Owner: NYC Dept of General Services Publically Owned: Yes Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: Exact site dimensions must be determined by survey as the buildings under consideration here are located on one large tax lot along with other structures. The lot is shared with a power generation facility. Existing Building: Four buildings are in the strategic site area. All buildings are vacant and in severe disrepair, possibly in need of demolition. The buildings are considered strategic development sites by the NYC EDC. Zoning: M3-1 - Heavy industrial/manufacturing. Typical uses include power plants, solid waste transfer facilities and recycling plants, and fuel supply depots. Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: Vacant
Entire Lot Strategic Site Undeveloped ROW Current Greenway Route
Property Description: The strategic site consists of four dilapidated industrial buildings ranging in height from one to four stories at the southeast corner of the property located between 22nd and 25th Streets, 3rd Avenue and the waterfront. Buildings will most likely have to be demolished due to severe structural deterioration. The buildings are located on a portion of a much larger tax lot. The dimensions of tax lot 644-1 are 360 ft frontage and 2,017 ft depth. Running through the site at 24th street is an undeveloped right of way that stretches from 3rd Avenue to the Sunset Park waterfront. This right of way may be a future point of public access to the waterfront and a possible connector to the planned Brooklyn Greenway.
Use and Environmental History: There is no recorded contamination on site. Most of the properties in the area contain historic fill and the Moore-McCormack buildings are now located adjacent to a power generation facility. The Moore-McCormack Company was a global shipping company with offices and working piers in Sunset Park. Likely past uses include back office functions, storage and vehicle or machine maintenance. Further environmental research is recommended. Land Assessment Value: Unknown
Name: Federal Building #2
Federal Bldg #2 Block/Lot – 671 -1 509 2nd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232 Property Dimensions: 200 ft x 700 ft Existing Building: 8 story industrial loft building extending the full length of the lot Motor Pool Site Block/Lot - 675 – 1 835 3rd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232 Property Dimensions: 200 ft x 700 ft Existing Building: Former power plant building , additional one-story building and paved lot used for parking
Owner: General Services Administration (US Gov’t) Publically Owned: Yes Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Zoning: M3-1 Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: All buildings on property are vacant
Property Description: The project site is located between 30th and 32nd Streets, 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Both 30th and 31st Streets are closed to traffic, though the right of way is developed. Two large lots make up the strategic site. The northern lot is 671 – 1 or Federal Building #2, an 1M square foot plus, eight story industrial loft building encompassing the entire tax lot. The southern lot is 675 – 1 or the Motor Pool Site, primarily a paved lot with a former power plant and one story building at the western edge of the site along 2nd Avenue. Both properties are owned by the federal government and therefore must undergo a long and complicated property disposition process before remediation and redevelopment of the sits can occur. Advancing redevelopment plans for this site has for several years been the focus of efforts of NYCEDC, Brooklyn EDC and local elected officials, among other stakeholders. An RFP for redevelopment was released by NYCEDC in 2007 and awarded to Time Equities, who subsequently backed out of the deal. The return of the site to active use remains a priority for the community at large. Use and Environmental History: Federal Building #2 was originally built during the early 1900’s by the US Department of the Navy as a warehouse. The building was an active storage warehouse for the Navy through World Wars I and II. The building was used to warehouse various military supplies including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment. In the 1960s the building was decommissioned and GSA assumed ownership. Other past uses include trades and service, including laboratories, warehouses and government office space. The building has been vacant since 2000. The former power plant, which , as indicated earlier, is located on the southernmost parcel on site at 2nd Avenue and 31st Street. The power plant was constructed to provide heat and electrical power to some of the smaller buildings on site. In the past coal was stored on site and eventually oil used as well. Land Assessment Value: Estimated market value for both tax lots is $24M
Name: 212 52nd Street
Address:
212 52nd Street Brooklyn, NY 11232
Block & Lot:
805-6
Owner:
Yasar Tahmaz YNT Inc 5201 2ND Ave Brooklyn NY 11232-4310
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 100.17 ft x 100 ft Existing Building: 20 ft x 50 ft, two story commercial building and open air storage Zoning: M1-2D - The M1 district is often a buffer between M2 or M3 districts and adjacent residential or commercial districts. Light industries typically found in M1 areas include woodworking shops, auto storage and repair shops, and wholesale service and storage facilities.
Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ
Use Status: HVAC contractor storage and parking facility, second story vacant. Property Description: The property is located at 212 52nd Street at the southeast corner of 52nd Street and 2nd Avenue. On site there is a two story building constructed in 1931, measuring 20ft x 50 ft and a fenced open air storage area/parking lot. Use and Environmental History: The property is currently owned privately and used for storage/warehousing and utility vehicle parking by an heating and cooling contractor. Past uses on site included a restaurant and single family dwelling. An oil spill has been recorded on the property and legal action has been taken against the owner to force remedial action on site. Land Assessment Value: $308,000
Name: 4301 2nd Avenue
Address:
4301 2nd Avenue bet 43rd and 44th Sts. Brooklyn, NY 11232
Block & Lot:
727 - 7
Owner: Verizon Portfolio Management Cushman & Wakefield C#Flg1-300 8800 Adamo Dr Tampa FL 33619-3526
Tank Failure/Spill on site
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 83.08 ft x 350 ft Existing Building: One small single story building used as office space is on site. Building dimensions are 40 ft x 66 ft . Zoning: M1-2D - The M1 district is often a buffer between M2 or M3 districts and adjacent residential or commercial districts. Light industries typically found in M1 areas include woodworking shops, auto storage and repair shops, and wholesale service and storage facilities.
Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: Currently serves as open air parking facility for Verizon fleet . Some administrative functions also occur on site housed on site. Verizon has multiple properties in the BOA study area. Property Description: The property is located at 4301 2nd Avenue , at the southeast corner of 43rd Street and2nd Avenue. The site is primarily used as a parking lot used by Verizon to secure repair vehicles. Use and Environmental History: The property is currently owned privately and used for utility vehicle parking and related office functions. Records show that the property has been held by the telephone company for at least 40 years with similar uses on site during that time. A tank failure and spill over 25 gallons is publicly recorded and multiple storage tanks remain installed on site. Land Assessment Value: $892,000 (2010 projected value)
Name: 4913 2nd Avenue
Address:
4913 2nd Avenue bet 49th and 50th Sts. Brooklyn, NY 11232
Block & Lot:
781 - 1
Owner: 4913 2ND Ave Realty LLC Ralph Arbia Jr. 1083 60TH St Brooklyn NY 11219 Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 100.17 ft x 100 ft Existing Building: Single story commercial property with three distinct storefronts Zoning: M1-2D - The M1 district is often a buffer between M2 or M3 districts and adjacent residential or commercial districts.
Hazardous Waste Violation near site
Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: Auto repair, salvage and storage Property Description: Currently, three auto repair establishments and a small vehicle storage area are located at 4913 2nd Avenue on the northeast corner of 50th Street and 2nd Avenue. The auto repair shops are housed in dilapidated storefronts, one missing a roof. Entrances to vehicle service bays face 2nd Avenue. Use and Environmental History: The property is owned privately and used for auto repair and vehicle salvage and storage. Oil is removed from vehicles and disposed of on site. Underground storage tanks are likely in use and groundwater may be contaminated. Records show that the property has been used for auto repair/auto servicing for the past two decades. A hazardous waste spill has been publicly recorded near the site and due to the current and past use, contamination on site is likely. Land Assessment Value: $320,000 (2010 projected value)
Name: 244 39th Street
Address:
244 39th Street bet 2nd and 3rd Avenues Brooklyn, NY 11232
Block & Lot:
707 - 57
Owner:
Abraham Damast 3913 2ND Ave Brooklyn NY 11232
Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions: 100.25 ft x 200 ft Existing Building: None, Vacant lot Zoning: M1-2 - The M1 district is often a buffer between M2 or M3 districts and adjacent residential or commercial districts. Light industries typically found in M1 areas include woodworking shops, auto storage and repair shops, and wholesale service and storage facilities.
Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: None, vacant lot Property Description: The property is located at 244 39th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. The vacant lot is a thru lot facing both 39th and 40th Streets. In 1991 four individual lots were combined to create the current vacant lot. The four lots combined were Block 707 Lots 53, 227, 28 and 29. Past uses on these lots include light manufacturing. Illegal dumping has also been an issue on the lot. Use and Environmental History: Past uses related to the aforementioned combined lots include light manufacturing and storage. Illegal dumping has been an issue on the site. There is no public record of environmental contamination on site. The neighboring site has a reported tank test failure and possible spill. Like most land in New York City, historic fill may be found on site. In addition, the periodic dumping that has occurred on the site may have resulted in contamination. Additional environmental research on this property is warranted. Land Assessment Value: $1.01M (2010 projected value)
Name: 4213 2nd Avenue
Address:
4213 2nd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232
Block & Lot:
722 – 1 722 - 70
Owner: Lot 722-1 Zadrima Property Corp 4223 2 Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232 Lot 722-70 Dmt Rlty Corp 81 School Rd W Marlboro NJ 07746 Publically Owned: No Municipality: New York City, Brooklyn, CB7 Property Dimensions:
Lot 722 – 1 is 100.17 ft x 80 ft Lot 722 – 70 is 20 ft X 100 ft
Existing Building: One existing building on site
Zoning: M1-2 - The M1 district is often a buffer between M2 or M3 districts and adjacent residential or commercial districts. Light industries typically found in M1 areas include woodworking shops, auto storage and repair shops, and wholesale service and storage facilities. Zone and/or District Status: NYS Empire Zone NYS Environmental Zone Southwest Brooklyn IBZ Use Status: Cabinet making, woodworking, vehicle storage, dumping Property Description: The property is located at 4213 2nd Avenue (and 211 43rd Street) on northeast corner of 43rd Street and 2nd Avenue. The site consists of two distinct parcels, 722 -1 and 722-70. Lot 722-1 has 100 feet of frontage along second avenue and houses a small building and junk yard. The building is a small, two-story structure at the northeast corner of the site measuring 25 ft x 45 ft. One business is housed in the building, a cabinet maker /wholesaler with a retail outlet on the first floor. The remainder of the site contains junked automobiles and other indistinct refuse. Lot 722-70 is an extremely narrow site with only 20ft of frontage along 43rd Street. The site is used for vehicle storage. Use and Environmental History: Uses on the site include a vehicle dismantler and a construction company. White Rock construction is an owner/lessee of multiple properties in the study area. Many of their properties contain dumped or junked materials. In addition, Empire Dismantling, an auto salvage operation, is located on site. There is no public record of environmental contamination on site, however, due to past and current uses further environmental research on the site is warranted. Land Assessment Value: Assessed value for both tax lots is inconsistent bit lies between $400,00 and $500,000
