The Sunset Park 197-a Plan focuses on the entire Sunset Park waterfront, bounded by the Gowanus Expressway/Third Avenue corridor to the east, the pierhead line to the west, 15th Street to the north, and the 65th Street Rail Yard to the south. (read more in PDF)
Community District 7 Context Area
Community District 7 (CD7), located in Southwest Brooklyn, is comprised of two neighborhoods, Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace. Sunset Park is roughly defined by 15th Street, 65th Street, Eighth Avenue and the waterfront. It consists of a strong residential community, active commercial strips along Fifth and Eighth Avenues, and a large industrial area. (read more in PDF)
Waterfront Study Area
Although it contains pockets of residential use, primarily between Second and Third Avenues, the waterfront study area is overwhelmingly industrial. The Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) encompasses much of the Sunset Park waterfront.2 Close to 1,200 firms are located in this area, employing approximately 19,000 workers. (read more in PDF)
Major Development Plans and Initiatives
The Sunset Park waterfront is expected to change considerably in the next ten to twenty years as a result of development that is currently being proposed by the City and the State, including revitalization of the SBMT; improvements to the First Avenue Rail Line; a comprehensive port improvement plan for the Port of New York and New Jersey; improved rail freight connections between Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey; and reconstruction or tunneling of the Gowanus Expressway. The City is also planning the development of public parkland on the waterfront that will finally reconnect Sunset Park’s upland communities to the water’s edge. (read more in PDF)
Including:
- Comprehensive Port Improvement Plan
- South Brooklyn Marine Terminal
- Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project
- Rail Infrastructure Improvements
- Bush Terminal Piers Waterfront Park
- Federal Building #2
- Gowanus Expressway Project
The Sunset Park 197-a Plan is built upon a vision of the Sunset Park waterfront as a sustainable mixed use neighborhood that promotes regional and local economic development, fosters a healthy living and working environment, and reconnects upland residential communities to the water’s edge.
Goals:
- To promote industrial redevelopment and job creation in Sunset Park while retaining existing industrial jobs.
- To maximize waterfront access and open space opportunities in combination with industrial and waterfront redevelopment.
- To preserve existing industrial, commercial and residential uses and fabric in the area east of First Avenue.
- To encourage development that places a minimal environmental burden on adjacent residential communities.
- To preserve and celebrate Sunset Park’s rich maritime and industrial heritage.
The recommendations listed below primarily address land use issues and needs. They are drawn from a comprehensive list of recommendations beginning on page 168 - identified by reference and page number - that also cover service delivery, funding and programs.
Topics on the 197-a recommendations include:
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- TRANSPORTATION
- ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH
- OPEN SPACE AND WATERFRONT ACCESS
- HOUSING
- COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES / QUALITY OF LIFE
- HISTORIC PRESERVATION
To download a PDF of the Brooklyn CB7 197-a Executive Summary, click here (section 2-8.5MB)
To download a PDF of the Brooklyn CB7 197-a full plan, click here (full-53MB)
