Sugar Beat: Domino Rough Cut

Permanent Affordability, A Stunning View. But is it Enough?

Arguably the biggest draw of the plans for the New Domino, a four-tower residential development slated to be built on the site of the old Southside Williamsburg sugar refinery, is the sweeping waterfront view. From the vantage point of the pier in front of the decrepit factory that stretches along the water, onlookers can watch the river bend into the southern part of the borough and disappear underneath the arch of three bridges—Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn. For as long as any Greenpoint/Williamsburg resident can remember, this stretch of waterfront has been inaccessible; the street ends are met with thick fences lined in barbed wire, separating the old refinery from the street. However, if the New Domino plans are, in fact, approved—first by the community board, then by the city council and the mayor—the waterfront will be opened up to the public. The question is: At what cost?

The plan, put forth by Community Preservation Corporation, encompasses the rezoning of an 11.2 acre site on the Southside waterfront to include four 300-400 foot glass towers and 2,200 residential units—660 of which will be affordable—in addition to retail and commercial space, and more than four acres of open and green space. The plan includes a waterfront esplanade, a complete overhaul of the existing wharf and the preservation of the brick landmark Refinery complex, erected in 1882 and land-marked in 2007, as well as the famous Domino Sugar sign. In addition, the plan calls for a job-training program, and expects to create upwards of 1,000 jobs for community residents.

At last week’s three-hour long CB1 Land Use meeting, board members voiced a variety of concerns about the plan, including the density, the impact the influx of North Brooklyn residence would have on existing transit infrastructure and the non-permanence of affordable housing units. On Tuesday, CPC President and CEO Michael Lappin and CPC Senior Vice President Susan Pollack addressed these issues.

“Transit will be an issue for a long time to come. It’s going to be a problem for the whole community,” Lappin said. “But we will be involved in that conversation, and be involved in coming up with a remedy.” Lappin cited the possibility of revitalizing ferry service along the Williamsburg waterfront as a way to relieve commuter congestion, and the conversion of the M line to the V line, providing new residents with easy access to Manhattan. In addition, Lappin discussed the idea of implementing a shuttle service that would potentially usher New Domino residents to surrounding bus and subway stops.

“New York City continues to grow, and it absorbs its population,” Pollack added. “The infrastructure will follow. This is a very bad time to talk to the city about transportation, but eventually that will change.”

Pollack also addressed the quality of affordable units—which have been previously understood as having a 15-year affordability cap—by explaining that these units will, in fact, be permanently affordable.

After last week’s meeting, the ULURP committee submitted a list of modifications to CPC, and though the plan is essentially finished, Pollack and Lappin made a point of emphasizing CPC’s willingness to address the problems. The density, however, is essentially non-negotiable at this point: CPC is requesting a 5.6 Floor Area Ratio (FAR), though that approved in the 2005 Greenpoint/Williamsburg waterfront rezoning allows for a maximum of 4.7 FAR.

“The reason we are asking for this variance is because of the expense of the sugar refinery,” Pollack said. The refinery itself will be gutted and transformed. “No other waterfront development is preserving anything, and this is a landmark. This way, we are giving the community 40 per cent open space, and more affordable housing for lower income levels.

“This design isn’t quite written in stone,” Pollack continued. “But at this point it’s pretty close.”

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