The Willowtown Association Response to Brooklyn Bridge Park Announcement of Pier 6 Developer

July 1, 2015 | The Willowtown Association, as one of the original coalition members supporting the need for green space in Brooklyn, continues to disagree with BBPDC’s misguided plan for out of context high-rise towers on what should be the grand entrance to BBP at Atlantic Avenue. Our opposition to these towers is not based on the recently added affordable housing component, but on the Park’s General Project Plan approved in 2006, permitting only as much housing as necessary to support Park finances. If BBP can forgo millions of dollars in revenue by including affordable housing to the Pier 6 site, it is clear that the scope of the development can and should be reduced. We hoped that the BBPDC would be committed to the mutually agreed upon public hearing process before making a decision of this magnitude, a decision that relies on 2005 environmental information in a 2015 world. In light of the unanticipated growth of Brooklyn, the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) must be updated before any responsible decisions can be made. We are extremely disappointed that ESD and BBPDC have refused to step up and do the necessary analysis needed before proceeding with the announcement of a developer for Pier 6.The time to understand the seismic environmental impact this development will have is now.