From parking lot to park: Long-delayed green space to finally replace MTA car lot

May 9, 2013 Heather Chin
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The long-delayed open expanse of green parkland promised during the 2005 Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront rezoning process is finally in the works, as part of the ongoing Greenpoint Landing Project development plans.

After years of back-and-forth between residents and area politicians, the city has finally chosen developers to transform the three-acre parking lot currently owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) into a waterfront expanse of greenery accessible to the public along Commercial Street near the Newtown Barge Park.

More good news for the community is that developers David Bistricer and Joseph Chetrit will not only be in charge of making the waterfront parking-lot-to-park a reality, but also will be purchasing the rights to the adjacent 65 Commercial Street parking lot in order to make it easier to move forward on the stalled Box Street Park, as well.

The MTA will relocate their Access-A-Ride buses to another parking location, to an as-yet-determined site.

Image courtesy of the Mayor's Office.

The progress on creating this added green space comes at the same time that commercial development continues on the larger Greenpoint Landing Project, which calls for 10 residential towers of 30-40 stories each along the 22-acre stretch of the Greenpoint waterfront.

The larger Greenpoint Landing Project is being developed by the Park Tower Group.

As described in Crain’s New YorkBistricer and Chetrit are paying $8 million to the city toward the construction at Box Street and $2.5 million for the rights to develop at Newtown Barge Park.

Their plans include residential developments that will reserve 200 of the planned 700 units for affordable housing.

Designs for both park projects are expected to enter the ULURP public review process this summer.

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