Early December Digest and Workshop Preview
Bigger buildings, more open space proposed. Design changes aimed to speed construction. Doubts about affordability. What public resources sought? Tonight, public input on streetscape, retail, etc.
This digest offers a way to keep up with my coverage in this newsletter, my Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report blog, and elsewhere.
My last digest was Nov. 18, so instead of proceeding purely chronologically, I’ll go thematically.
A lot has emerged since Nov. 18, when the new project developers Cirrus Workforce Housing (an arm of Cirrus Real Estate Partners) and LCOR presented their vision to complete the project: a major increase in scale, adding 1.6 million square feet and some 2,570 apartments, while eliminating one parcel to add open space.
As detailed below, I have questions about the value of the open space; the willingness of the developers to pay for additional bulk; and even the portrayal—however preliminary—of the proposed project scale.
Also, the developers’ stated focus on moderate- and middle-income housing has generated significant pushback, given that low-income housing was promised from the start.
As rents now considered “low-income” are vastly higher than they were 20 years ago, that makes the potential absence of low-income units more glaring.
Tonight, a public workshop
The second of four public workshops, seeking input—or is it validation?—regarding the future contours of the plan will be held tonight from 6-8 pm, sponsored by Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project.
The topics include streetscape, sustainability, resiliency, and community retail/facilities. An ongoing online survey, excerpted below, gets at some of the questions to be ventilated.
BrooklynSpeaks’ concerns
The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, a member of the Brooklyn Speaks coalition, sent a message encouraging people to make their concerns known regarding:
Restoration of promised indoor public gathering space in the new plan
Completion of promised Times Plaza improvements
Enforcement of traffic and parking regulations (including NYPD and FDNY sidewalk parking) near Barclays Center
Creating a residential permit parking program
Mitigating effects of the Site 5 tower on Pacific Street neighbors
Representation from the public and its elected officials in negotiating the new plan
How to hold developers accountable for public commitments
The height and density workshop
Below is coverage of the Nov. 18 meeting.
Nov. 19: New Developers Seek to Supersize Project: Total 9,000 Units, Instead of 6,430. Taller Towers (and One Subtraction) Allow More Open Space.
This was big news, since they apparently seek 1.6 million more square feet, which could be worth $320 million. Changes to building designs could mean a faster buildout. So the presenters were met with both warmth and wariness at the workshop, which also included a good number of union workers allied with Cirrus.
Still, skepticism is in order. Would the bulk increase be just 20%, as claimed? Not at all.
Nov. 22: New Developers Apparently Expect 1.6M Square Feet in Additional Air Rights for Free.
“Today’s context,” they say, justifies bigger buildings. But the 2005 appraisal and bid for MTA development rights, in a different context, envisioned less bulk. Will there be no additional payment for this new “land”?
Nov. 24: Does More Open Space Mean Better Open Space? Maybe Not, If Population Outpaces It.
More acreage would come with a larger percentage increase in apartments. Still, a better layout would make the open space look more contiguous, avoiding the appearance of serving as private courtyards.
Nov. 26: Developers’ Affordable Housing Rhetoric Suggests Low-Income Units Not a Priority.
The promised faster buildout would dampen increases in base rents, but skyrocketing Area Median Income (AMI) has taken its toll. Lowest 1-BR rent: $2,430? Most “affordable” households earning $100K+?
Consider the potential rents for one-bedroom units, if delivered in 2025 (which is impossible), at various AMI levels, as shown in the graphic above. So 130% of AMI would be pretty high.
Nov. 29: Who Owns What In the Project? What Are the Project’s Real Variables?
When I asked about ownership, I got the runaround. Previously, a risky structure undermined the project. Plus: doesn’t public investment require more financial transparency?
Dec. 2: As Developers Propose Much Larger Buildings, Their Renderings Distort Reality.
Images downplay proposed changes while inflating what’s been approved. The claimed 20% increase in bulk translates to 46% at the railyard but 71% at five sites. Yes, the images are preliminary, but the public is owed more candor.
The AY CDC meeting
Nov. 25: After new project details revealed and “community engagement” begun, advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC) set for public meeting Dec. 2 in Brooklyn.
Nov. 26: AY CDC agenda: update on community engagement and a presentation from the development team. This time, questions for them? (There had been no questions at the Nov. 18 workshop.)
Dec. 1: My pre-meeting questions. Was the “Feasible Alternative” depicted feasibly? (Not quite.) Do new developers seek just a 20% increase in bulk, & should they get it for free? Why no plans for lower-income units?
Dec. 4: At Advisory Board Meeting, New Focus on Affordable Housing. Negotiator of original ACORN housing deal points to unmet promises regarding level of affordability and family-sized units. What are the costs to make it work?
Expect more of a push for more affordability. That may mean more pressure on public resources to ensure that affordability.
Nov. 28: Relevant to all this is a panel discussion on Dec. 15 on the topic: Can public-private development (Atlantic Yards, BMT) be fixed? I’ll have my own preview before that date.
Ownership questions
I’m still trying to understand the complex ownership structure, with the Cirrus/LCOR joint venture designated as permitted developer and three subordinate financial partners (Greenland, Fortress Investment Group, and an affiliate of the U.S. Immigration Fund), so the following articles serve as a start.
Dec. 4: Brooklyn Ascending everywhere? In complex Atlantic Yards ownership structure, at least ten LLCs have “Brooklyn Ascending” in their name.
Dec. 7: Looking at ownership transfers for Vanderbilt Yard parcels that now involve “Brooklyn Ascending” entities. Plus: a key role for Fortress?
Yes, it’s complex.
And Barclays
Nov. 30: Barclays Center releases December 2025 event calendar: 13 ticketed events, including six concerts, plus women’s college hoops tourney. No NYE ticketed show, but a private event of unspecified size.
Norman, can we see an up-to-date site plan proposal, please? "Open space" is a meaningless phrase. If they call the spaces "public parks," we can see if they are proposing good public parks.
We know they are proposing a towers-in-parks model, which usually produces what urban designers calls "density without urbanism." For examples, see Long Island City and nearby downtown Brooklyn. As they use to say about the Gehry plan and the tower he called "Miss Brooklyn," we'll miss Brooklyn when it's gone.