City Reveals Start Date For Gowanus Rezoning Plan

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — The city will officially begin the public review process for its controversial plan to rezone Gowanus on Jan. 19, officials announced this week.

The Department of City Planning revealed Monday that the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan — which has been in the works for a decade — will begin the city's Uniform Land Use Review Process on that date, starting the clock on a year-long timeline to be approved or rejected by city officials.

"With permanently affordable housing, arts and culture, maker, industrial and office space, brownfield remediation, new parks, waterfront access and more, the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan is anticipated to begin public review on Jan. 19," the department Tweeted on Monday.

The specific date comes two months after city officials first announced they planned to start the public review process in January. Once it starts the review process, the proposal will face the Community Board, the Borough President's Office, the City Planning Commission and finally the City Council and mayor.

The Gowanus Rezoning proposes a series of city-led zoning changes to a portion of the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal that officials hope will bring more affordable housing, climate-change protections and varied development to the once-industrial neighborhood.

The timeframe ended months of speculation about the rezoning's future given a coronavirus pause on most land use applications.

Since that announcement, planning officials have been leading a series of meetings to give more details about certain parts of the plan, including a recent update on infrastructure measures and confirmation that a massive city-led development known as Gowanus Green will be 100 percent affordable.

The meetings have not yet addressed what City Council Member Brad Lander has said will be a sticking point for his support: a commitment to investing in New York City Housing Authority developments in the neighborhood.

NYCHA residents and locals have urged for the plan to include investments in their buildings as a means of promoting racial justice in the neighborhood. City Planning officials said in October that they are working on a plan for NYCHA but have given little updates since.

Opponents of the rezoning have continued to protest against the proposal as it heads toward certification.

Read More:

• Here's The City's Infrastructure Plan For The Gowanus Rezoning
• Gowanus Rezoning Process Resumes This Week: What To Expect
• City Commits To 100-Percent Affordable 'Gowanus Green' Project
• Gowanus Pushes For More Details As Rezoning Process Resumes
• Gowanus Rezoning Opponents Gear Up For End Of Coronavirus Delay