An 11-story mixed-use building proposed to be built on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge was deemed too big by residents, as despondent Brooklynites said the project would change the character of the neighborhood.
During Community Board 10's Zoning and Land Use Committee meeting on Wednesday, area residents got a first look at the planned building at 9305 5th Avenue, which currently houses a Staples and parking lot. The project currently includes 292 units, of which 88 will be affordable. A supermarket may go in the ground-floor commercial space, while 75 parking spots will be placed underground, according to Daniel Grinshteyn, the managing principal of developer BWH Group.
If approved, Grinshteyn said the building and its residents would bring more vitality to the area. "This location is under-built," he said. "This is an opportunity to do something more."
But those in attendance were not sold. CB 10 members and residents expressed concern about flooding, traffic, deliveries to the supermarket, a firehouse right next door, and overcrowded schools as reasons as to why a large residential project should not be approved. Many referred to recent torrential downpours, including Hurricane Earl in 2022, flooding homes and businesses as a good reason not to support this proposal.
Residents also said 5th Avevnue is often backed up with traffic, especially when there's work being done on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. A few attendees also pointed out that the street was already narrow, and having cars coming in and out of the garage would increase traffic.
"There's a bus route there," said area resident Doris Cruz. "There's a firehouse that needs room. Fourth and Fifth Avenues merge at the Fort Hamilton Triangle. The increased traffic will be devastating."
Diane Corrigan said firetrucks from Engine 242 may have trouble getting out if deliveries are being made at 4:00am to the supermarket. Some wondered why another supermarket was being considered, when a Super Fresh is planned to be constructed on 87th street, just eight blocks away.
When asked about Bay Ridge's overcrowded schools, Nicole Campo, the vice president of Land Use at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, said the School Construction Authority annually monitors how many school-age children live in each district and doesn't expect a huge increase in students for area schools.
When asked about traffic studies, Campo said there wasn't one considered, which elicited a sense of dismay from the crowd.
Former City Council Member Vincent Gentile, who voiced his opposition via Zoom, said the community board had worked for many years to keep Bay Ridge as it is. "We can improve the vibrancy on our own. This threatens the character of Bay Ridge," he said.
"You're really hurting us and you don't care," said Mary Jo Tobin, 63. "Bay Ridge is a really special community. You've started something ugly and it's all just a profit for you. This is the beginning of the end of Bay Ridge."
As the meeting ended, Grinshteyn said he grew up in south Brooklyn and still visits Bay Ridge. He assured the neighborhood will not change.
"No one will decamp from Manhattan to Bay Ridge. It will never be like Williamsburg. Just one area being rezoned. It's going to work," he said.
City Council Member Kayla Santosuosso said this project is situated on a block where she used to live and own a business, so she cares deeply about what happens.
"My office wants to hear feedback from constituents so that we can focus negotiations with the developer around the concerns that matter to the community most," she said in a statement. "I echo the community's concerns around the size of the project, and the need for traffic studies and environmental review. I am committed to shaping this and other proposals into the most beneficial and least disruptive versions possible while recognizing that change is inevitable for this lot."
The next CB 10 meeting about the project will be on May 7, while a public hearing will take place on May 18 at the Bay Ridge Center, at 15 Bay Ridge Ave.
