Two Trees Presentation Video for Dock Street Building

June 2nd, 2008

Below is a video of the Two Trees presentation for the PS 8 parents given last Wednesday to explain more about the proposed project. Jed Walentas discussed the proposed plan and highlights the following:

  • The site is on the corner of Dock and Water Streets and occupies 45,000 square feet, consisting of three buildings, a 17 story building set back from Dock, an 8 story building facing Water and running 65 feet down Dock, and a 2 story building along with rest of Dock.
  • 3 levels of below grade parking to accommodate 450 parking spaces with the entrance facing Front Street. This replaces 200 parking spots currently on the site.
  • The plan calls for 400 rental units, 80 of which will be affordable.
  • 10,000 square feet of retail along Water Street
  • a 45,000 square foot middle school on one floor with a separate entrance on Dock Street for 300 students. Two Trees is effectively donating the space to the Department of Education with a 99 year lease.


Online Videos by Veoh.com

Previously:
{Two Trees to Present Plans To Address Lack of School in Dumbo, 28May2008}
{Joint Statement by BHA, DNA, FFL, on Dock St Dumbo Building, 01OCt2007}
{Dock Street Dumbo Building Opposed by Yassky, 06Aug2007}
{Dock Street Dumbo Plans Revealed, 27Jun2007}

Filed in Brooklyn Bridge, Dock Street, Dumbo Residents at 10:37 am
Comments
  • Laura
    Why does there need to be "affordable housing" in this building? There isn't any affordable housing anywhere in DUMBO (OR Brooklyn Heights). If you can't afford to live here, don't.
  • fratello
    I think we can all afford to ignore short-sighted, provincial comments.
  • Laura
    Nope, I don't think so. Seriously, why should other people get an "affordable apt" when we don't? I work my ass off to afford what I have. If I couldn't afford it I would live somewhere I COULD afford.
  • JD
    More retail space? And will 2 Trees fill it with the same years-long emptiness they've employed at Washington & Front Streets?

    Nope. Don't want any part of this bs.
  • jessmiss
    Laura - Affordable housing is for those of whom no matter how long or hard they "work their asses off" still aren't able to make more than, say, $40-50k (I think?) per year - people like public servants, cops, fireman, teachers, etc. Its purpose is to help these people to live within the areas near where they are employed, otherwise, some neighborhoods would be just for the wealthy and force essential area employees to commute prohibitively long distances to their much needed (perhaps by you) jobs. There is indeed some "affordable housing" around the areas you mentioned.
  • Laura
    I didn't say "around". I said "in".
  • duh
    'Under the so called "80/20" program, 20% of the units in certain newly constructed buildings are set aside for low and moderate income households. The rest (the 80%) of the units are rented at market (usually "luxury") rates. Developers of new housing are not required to participate in this program, but if a developer does, he receives low interest bond financing, tax credits and other benefits which make the 80/20 program worthwhile.'

    Developer incentives like the '80/20' program quoted above exist for the following reason:
    Most housing professionals agree that concentrating assisted-housing for low- and very low-income Americans in dense, urban areas is not an effective use of scarce affordable housing resources. Over the past decade, professionals in the affordable housing industry have turned increasingly to mixed-income housing as an alternative to traditional assisted-housing initiatives. Mixed-income housing is an attractive option because, in addition to creating housing units for occupancy by low-income households, it also contributes to the diversity and stability of American communities.
  • fratello
    True, it does seem unfair that some might enjoy subsidized apartments when the rest of us work our asses off. As someone who works for my money, I agree. But I don't think affordable housing means subsidized. It means something like "the monthly cost is no more than xx% of the avg. monthly income for the area." So maybe it's a studio without some of the de luxe accouterments.

    Basically, I'm asking: shouldn't we welcome all kinds of people to live here? Or do we only want Yale grads with family money and maybe a few from Harvard and Stanford to serve as our foils?

    The real question is whether the pain of an 18 storey building (and the likely to be empty retail space?) is worth the addition of a middle school. I don't think it is. Why not design a building that is no more than 10% taller than its neighbors?
  • loose stool
    Walentas does not need the financial incentives that the 80/20 program offers. He only throws that out there to get a reaction from all you guilty white kids. You're "suppose" to care about housing the poor so it weakens your resolve.
    Two things, the applicants for these apartments can make no more than 50% of the average income in this neighborhood (hardly below the poverty line) and that 20% will run out someday, then you can chase these people back to Farragut.
  • jessmiss
    I am sure there is affordable housing IN dumbo. A simple thank you would have sufficed.
  • BrooklynLove
    i can't get this video to play on my commodore 64 PoS computer. does it say how tall the building will be (in feet) at its highest elevation?
  • Tina
    i know laura and she is lying when she says she works her ass off to afford to live here in dumbo. she actually has a HUGE ass that isn't going no where no matter how hard she says she works.
  • laura
    I'm sorry but Tina's ASS is so big it has two time zones. One for each cheek.
  • L.E.
    I've seen a flyer that gives heights. It says:

    J Condo: 337' tall 31 stories
    Beacon: 297' tall 24 stories
    70 Wash.: 193' 9" tall
  • L.E.
    sorry I got cut off

    70 Wash.: 193' 9" tall 13 stories
    1 Main: 267' 6" tall 16 stories

    Dock St.: 183' 8" tall 17 stories

    45 Main: 174' 5" tall 12 stories
    30 Main: 160' 11" tall 11 stories

    Brooklyn Bridge: 276' 6" tall
  • BrooklynLove
    thanks L.E.
    any idea who produced the flyer - 2trees or opposition?
  • Beavis
    Got to love Jed's torn jeans. Nice presentation dude!
  • Peter Sunwoo
    This neighborhood is what it is because of the artists. Correction... this neighborhood was what it was because of the artists. Instead of having affordable housing, why not propose affordable live/work artist spaces? It's time to give back to the people that made DUMBO, DUMBO.
  • johnson
    the city says it does need the school:

    http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/23/31_2...
  • dumbostreets
    Why can't Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights get a proper school which they control outright? There simply is no need to cede this need to a private developer to capitalize on.
  • mod squad
    you obviously don't have kids or are grossly unfamiliar with the BD of ED and how the school districts work. You could live across the street from this spanking new school and your kid could wind up in some broken down school on the other side of the district.
  • dumbostreets
    ok. So, how will Dock Street change the regulatory process then ???
    ... other than add another layer of corruption.
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