City Council’s zoning committee expected to move forward on long-disputed Franklin Ave. site

November 12, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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CROWN HEIGHTS — A CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO BUILD A 10-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING ON FRANKLIN AVE. may finally get approval when the City Council’s zoning committee convenes on Tuesday, Nov. 12, reports Crain’s New York Business. The zoning committee is expected to green-light the Continuum Company’s 285,000-square-foot project at 962-972 Franklin Ave., even though the plan met fierce resistance from the City Councilmember representing the district and Community Board 9 over potential harm that shadows from the high-rise would cause the neighboring Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a world-renowned organization with many rare species of plants.

The fight between the BBG’s supporters and developers has lasted seven years, but Councilmember Crystal Hudson (D-35) appears to be firming up a deal with the developer. After the previous proposal was defeated in 2017, and the developer was forced to scrap a smaller plan that was not economically viable, the AFL-CIO put forward its support pledging union labor for the project. Hudson encountered pressure from both sides: those fighting to protect the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s sunlight and those who push for union jobs. Hudson, who is running for re-election in 2025, expressed concerns for the new development during a hearing last month.

Meanwhile, developers are working on the environmental cleanup of this site, which was a brewery established in 1900 and later a spice factory before the building became vacant, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.

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