DCP, Council Member Crystal Hudson Release Community-Led Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan Engagement Report - DCP

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For Immediate Release

August 29, 2023

Contacts:

Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

Andrew Wright – anwright@council.nyc.gov (917) 565-2012

Department of City Planning, Council Member Crystal Hudson Release Community-Led Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan Engagement Report

Community Vision and Priorities Report, Produced by WXY Studio, Distills Eight Months of Engagement into Key Community Priorities and Next Steps

NEW YORK – Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick and Council Member Crystal Hudson today announced the release of the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan (AAMUP) Community Vision and Priorities Report, a summary of more than eight months of engagement and feedback from community stakeholders in Central Brooklyn. The report will inform the next phases of AAMUP, a community-driven planning process that seeks to transform the area roughly adjacent to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, between Vanderbilt Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, into a vibrant, mixed-use community.

Over the course of a dozen public meetings and nearly as many steering committee meetings, stakeholders identified six top community priorities: new, permanent, deeply affordable housing, and preservation of existing affordable housing; zoning for a mixed-use community with access to jobs and services; a comprehensive redesign of Atlantic Avenue; increased career pathways and prioritization for Black-owned and M/WBE businesses; new public green spaces and improved parks; and activation of the Bedford-Atlantic Armory with new community amenities. The report also offers a comprehensive overview of the area’s existing housing, jobs, transportation, open space, and other conditions, and opportunities for investment.

“We’re grateful to the hundreds of New Yorkers who made their voices heard throughout this process, and to Council Member Hudson, WXY, and our City partners who helped to collect wide-ranging input about the future potential of Atlantic Avenue,” said Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning. “This report is critical to our work as we craft the future of these Central Brooklyn neighborhoods.”

“The Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan (AAMUP) rezoning has been a long time in the making,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “For more than a decade, the community surrounding Atlantic Avenue has called for a new vision for this dangerous corridor that delivers more deeply affordable housing, increased investments in the area’s local economy, safer streets, and greater consideration of local infrastructure needs. With the release of the AAMUP Community Vision and Priorities Report, there is now a comprehensive and tangible path toward achieving these sorely needed goals. The scope of this project was exhaustive, ultimately delivering a framework that brings us closer toward pursuing comprehensive planning across the five boroughs. Community stakeholders shared local priorities and dozens of community-informed recommendations to ensure this vital section of Brooklyn can support its small businesses, its visitors, and, most importantly, protect and uplift its longtime residents. As the process continues, I will continue to fight for a final plan that realizes these priorities and delivers a more just, equitable, and vibrant Atlantic Avenue.”

“The AAMUP Community Vision and Priorities Report is the culmination of an extensive engagement process with local Central Brooklyn stakeholders, and it is an important step as the City begins to make plans for the Atlantic Avenue corridor. We have been pleased to work with community members, Councilmember Crystal Hudson and the Department of City Planning on this process and report,” said Adam Lubinsky, Principal, WXY.

The AAMUP engagement process builds on engagement work started by local leaders and Brooklyn Community Board 8 under the “M-CROWN” process beginning in 2013. Between January and June 2023, WXY Studio and the Department of City Planning collaborated with the Office of Council Member Hudson, the NYC Council Land Use Division, and agency partners to identify community-driven priorities that would inform the AAMUP plan.

Following the release of the Community Vision and Priorities Report, DCP will release a draft zoning framework to advance the environmental review process with a Scoping Meeting, an early step before undertaking a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), developing a land use application, and starting the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure for a neighborhood rezoning. The Engagement Report, and feedback gathered throughout the AAMUP process thus far, will inform all of these proposals and agreements.

DCP will share the draft zoning framework at a virtual Draft Zoning Discussion on September 6. That release will be followed by a Draft Scope of Work for environmental review and additional public review, including a formal scoping meeting. The proposal is expected to be certified to begin ULURP in spring 2024. New Yorkers can register for the Draft Zoning Discussion here.

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.