Submitted by Amy Breedlove on October 15, 2020
347 Henry Street (between Pacific and Amity Streets)
Expected completion Spring 2021
Interiors being built out
Exteriors being finalized and scaffold expected removal in the next few weeks (by October 30)
Pool, fencing and exterior landscaping to be finalized in early 2021
Henry Street III – Sitting park at Pacific Street
Demolition to commence at the end of October (when scaffold from 347 Henry is removed)
Build-out to commence in November
Completion end of 2020 (Custom items and furnishings ordered and delivered awaiting installment)
Plantings and finalizing Spring 2021
Polhemus – 350 Henry Street and Townhouses on Amity Street
Construction complete and occupied
Awaiting street parking to be returned to the community (from hospital designation) – approved by DOT and installed by 10/30/20.
The H building (at Henry and Amity Streets)
Closing (between Fortis (FPG) and the State of NY) will take place once the new NYU medical facility at 70 Atlantic Street is complete, licensed and occupied
This building will be an interior Rehab and no new construction on the roof or additions. Minor alterations to the exterior are expected – means of egress primarily.
Current NYU emergency room (at Hicks and Amity Streets)
Closing (between Fortis (FPG) and the State of NY) will take place once the new NYU medical facility at 70 Atlantic Street is complete, licensed and occupied
This building will be demolished and a new mixed-use building will go up in its place. It is expected that a private school (upper levels) will occupy the lower 6-8 stories and residential will be built over the school. Air rights from other lots including the H building are expected to be used on this site.
Both of these buildings will share a motor court on the interior. It is expected that entrance and exits will be from both Pacific and Amity Streets. Anticipated commencement of work is 3 years out.
A request to change the parking from medical/hospital use to street parking must be submitted once these buildings are complete and occupied.
Upper Van Voorhees Park
DOT continues to access the pedestrian access to the park during construction. The surrounding area will be under construction for the next 5-7 years. A request for a crosswalk or crossing signal at Amity Street has been requested. CM Lander has spoken to DOT Commissioner Trottenberg. Future of this park expects a redesign. Many community members want to have it officially made a dog park.
355 Hicks Street (at Atlantic Avenue and the former LICH parking garage)
Submitted to the DOB as two buildings. Lower building or base is the Community Use facility and is expected to be the lower school of the private school signing a lease with Fortis and putting the upper school across the street at Amity Street – see above. The residential tower will sit on this base.
Finalization of the foundation by the end of 2020
Erection of the superstructure and cement slab floors completion spring 2021
Completion end of 2021 (experience points to late spring/summer 2022)
70 Atlantic Avenue – NYU Emergency and Medical Facility
Construction commenced summer 2020
Excavation and supportive work complete October 2020
Tower crane erection November 2020
Steel and building erection (5 stories)
Anticipated completion and occupancy Spring/Summer 2023
91 Pacific Street – the interior of the private portion of Pacific Street between Henry and Hicks Streets
30 story residential tower on 6 story stilts and cantilever over the NYU facility at 70 Atlantic Ave.
Foundation and dewatering completed in 2019
Anticipated re-start of construction November 2020
Super-structure erection commences Feb 2021
Anticipated completion Summer 2023 (experience points to winter 2023/24)
Henry Street I – Blue and Gold playground
Anticipated closure February 2021 due to construction of 91 Pacific Street
Redesign with public input to commence early 2021
Contention over a permanent means of egress along the western border of the playground. Is this egress necessary and where should it go?
Henry Street II – Toddler playground
No known closure date – dependent on the work to the H building
Redesign to commence with the public process of Henry Street I. Consistency in materials and a comprehensive design has been requested from the community in the public process for Henry Street III – the sitting park.
Reminder to the community – no use change to the playgrounds will be made. They will be redesigned but remain playgrounds for young children.
Pacific Street pedestrian easement –
Closed since 2015.
Multiple attempts to open the easement have gone unanswered.
Redesign should commence with the public process for the playgrounds.
The CHA Future Parks Committee exists to facilitate the redesign and public process of the Henry Street parks and playgrounds as well as the Pacific Street easement.
The CHA has a zoning expert on retainer for all building sites on the former LICH campus. The Urban Planning Committee oversees this work.
The CHA has a land-use attorney on a small retainer. Point person is Bennette Kramer.
The CHA pushed for many corrections in zoning approved by the DOB but found to be out of compliance by our zoning expert. The pool at 347 Henry Street was found to be outside of the zoning laws although approved by DOB and Fortis was faced with losing the pool and instead found a complicated redesign which satisfied zoning law.
The CHA met with several high-profile land-use attorneys (2016-2018) and no legal action with any viability was found.
Over the last four years the board has worked hard to build up the reserves of the CHA and the Cobble Hill Community Fund. Thank you to all the members and community members who donated over this period. The board maintained a strict philosophy to not spend the community’s money on anything that did not have a high margin of success. Money was spent to protect, defend and promote the community while building up the reserves.
A private foundation and community member donated $25,000 to the Cobble Hill Community Fund to be used for the betterment and maintenance of Cobble Hill Park. The money has been used and or earmarked for projects over the last 2 years. The board works with the CHA Cobble Hill Park Committee to determine projects and execute funding from this donation. The treasurer gives an update at each meeting as to the spending and finances. The treasurer also reports annually in writing to the foundation.
The CHA and the community have used vigilance and questioning to keep the development of the former LICH campus safe, legal and with the least amount of negative community impact.
No After Hours Variances (AHV) are granted without the approval of the Council Member who submits a letter of approval to the commissioner of the DOB. The CHA works with the CM and Fortis to limit the use of AHV’s and agree to terms that mitigate the negative impacts to the community. This was the work of our elected officials after many community members remained vigilant and documented (calling 311) the many negative impacts to the community from the demolition of several buildings on the campus.