By Rachel Holliday Smith – DNA Info
A complex of four residential towers between 20- and 30-stories tall may soon replace a spice factory complex in the neighborhood, bringing 800 affordable apartments to the area if the city approves the plan, the project’s developer said.
The $500 million 1.2 million-square-foot development by Bruce Eichner of the Continuum Company would be built under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program, which allows developers to build higher and denser if they include affordable units.
The planned buildings at the southwest corner of Franklin Avenue and Montgomery Street will include 50 percent below-market rental apartments — about 800 units — with the rest renting out at market rates, Eichner told DNAinfo New York Tuesday.
The complex will also have a “very small retail component” (about 10,000 square feet, he said), but the focus will be the rentals.
“Really, this is about affordable housing,” he said.
Eichner said his company is about 10 days away from closing on land now owned by the Golombeck family, which has operated a spice and herb importing operation on the Crown Heights site for years.
The developer said if the plan is approved, two of the complex’s towers will be built on empty lots and replace a vacant one-story building on the south end of the Golombeck property as early as 2019.
But the 20th century spice factory — which is famous in Crown Heights for sending smells of cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg wafting over the neighborhood — will remain for a little bit longer.
Eichner said a second phase of construction that includes two more towers will begin on the lot’s north side when the family finds another space to operate their importation business.
“They need a period of time to go make a new spice factory,” he said.
Yiddisher families and be designated specifically for a frum Jewish lifestyle?
is thinking that you have the right to live in someone else’s property and pay less than the fair market value, as if he were some kind of tzedokoh fund. An apartment is worth whatever someone is willing to pay; if there’s a rich hipster willing to pay $5000 then that’s what it’s worth, and every penny you pay less than that is coming out of the landlord’s pocket, who is just as much a yid as you are, and I’m sure gives plenty of tzedokoh, but has no chiyuv to subsidize your rent just because you happen to have… Read more »
for Shabbos & Yom Tov of a family that lives on the 10 floor & upwards? Is it possible?
flights of stairs several times to eat in a succah, as well as Shabbos and Yom Tov davening. How could that be managed. It’s probably just for everybody but young Jewish families. How can you schlep small children up & down the stairs with no eruv to carry in these towers for Shabbos & Yom Tov. Doesn’t seem feasible for us even if we could get the apartments. Hate to be negative, but is this going to be good for us??
Things will only change when we demand it from the landlords. Landlords in N.Y. get away with almost murder. They could care less that their rent is paid by our blood, sweat and tears. This, as the Rebbe said, is a S’dom mentality. Building highrises is NOT the solution!!! The city needs to crack down on landlords, even private homeowners need to have a moral obligation to their tennants. As long as we allow this predatory like behavior from the brokers and landlords this will continue.
how come that nothing is for young Jewish families …. what we will have around are only huge buildings , parks for dogs and 0 parking … when they build these buildings they have zero investment in childhood – means all apartments are for singles or roommates … ad mosai?
Don’t kid yourself, these aren’t being build to accommodate frum ppl, the apartments for “lower rental” will probably be 1 bedroom 1 bath with a kitchen the size of a small elevator. More hipster housing
I remember working as a secretary at the Golombeck Spice factory back in the early 70s and seeing the Rashag pay a visit to the owners.
Housing supply in ch is very short, this will go a long way in helping the crisis
Boro Park is pushing Frume Yidden to take advantage of these projects. What is the CH Council doing to make the most out of this?!
Most people in crown heights NEED affordable housing. Most people in crown heights don’t make much even though they work hard and long hours!!!!!
were doomed
It’s NY, so of course it will be poorly planned, poorly built, and have no parking. I don’t even blame the developers… land is so insanely expensive that you almost have to build huge, cheap buildings just to make your investment back. It’s a crazy situation and I don;t see how it is supposed to get fixed.
Possibly a ray of hope on an otherwise cloudy horizon!