The City Planning Commission yesterday approved Lightstone Group’s plan to build a 700-unit rental development at 363-365 Bond Street on the Gowanus Canal, the developer said. The agency granted Lightstone permission to build on an as-of-right basis, finding the project complied with a 2009 rezoning of the area. Lightstone had previously proposed a modification to the plan, prompting several groups to question whether a more stringent review process was necessary.
One of them was the Brooklyn Law School Community Development Clinic, which argued that the modifications were sufficient to warrant a seven-month city review under the Uniform Land Use Review Process, citing changes to the number of units, parking entrance locations and building heights.
Due to the community concerns, Lightstone said it decided to pursue an as-of-right development, keeping floor area and uses, number of units, and number of parking spaces consistent with the previous design. However, the project will have an additional 2,955 square feet of open public space.
The plan also includes measures to address flooding concerns: the lowest occupied floors will be 11 feet off the ground, and electrical and mechanical equipment will be elevated as well.
“We view this development as an enormous opportunity to transform a neglected waterfront resource into a lively component of a thriving residential community with an abundant cultural and recreational life,” Lightstone CEO and Chairman David Lichtenstein said in the release.
Construction is slated to begin later this year. —Zachary Kussin