Industry City Might Pull Its Controversial Rezoning: Report

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — The owners of Industry City might pull their controversial plan to rezone the Sunset Park complex, according to a report from POLITICO.

Sources told POLITICO that owners — a partnership between Jamestown, Angelo Gordon and Belvedere Capital — are considering scrapping the transformation of the city's largest industrial complex before it faces a vote with the City Planning Commission later this year.

“A number of convergent factors are causing Industry City to question whether or not it should pursue the rezoning,” Lee Silberstein, a spokesman for the development team, said in a statement to POLITICO.

“First, the price of conditions set by elected officials in their attempt to appease even the most unreasonable constituents is very high. That, combined with the fact that companies allowed under current zoning continue to show interest in the campus, raises the question as to whether the application should be pulled."

Scrapping the project would put an end to what has been a years-long battle between the 35-acre property, elected officials and neighbors who have clashed over whether it would bring growth or displacement to the largely working class, immigrant community.

The rezoning, which would bring more than 1 million square feet of new development, officially began its review process with the city in October.

It had been on hold for months after Council Member Carlos Menchaca and other local leaders threatened to squash the plan if the developers didn't come to a compromise with the neighborhood.

Industry City eventually agreed to Menchaca's conditions, including not allowing two planned hotels, limiting the 900,000 square feet of new retail and requiring city investments in affordable housing and a new technical high school.

Doubt among owners seems to be surrounding recent political developments, including this year's budget process and victories of staunch opponents to the plans in recent state legislature elections, according to POLITICO.

The prospect was met renewed calls to stop the rezoning from advocates who have been at the forefront of opposing it, and who have accused Menchaca of not doing enough to do so.

"The plan to replace Brooklyn’s largest industrial waterfront with inessential luxury retail and expanded corporate office space has been rejected many times," said Jorge Muñiz, an organizer with Protect Sunset Park. "Now it’s time for Council Member Menchaca to start prioritizing the public waterfront plan due later this year and to commit to canceling this plan outright."

Read the full report from POLITICO here.

Update: On Tuesday morning, Council Member Carlos Menchaca announced on Instagram that he will vote against the Industry City rezoning should it reach City Council, saying the conditions he laid out in negotiations with the complex have not been met. Menchaca asked the developers to remove their application in his message.