What you see above are before and after shots of a view from the Brooklyn Bridge. On Sunday, January 11, there will be a rally to stop Two Trees Development from building a high-rise tower that will destroy the historic views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. This event is of concern to all New Yorkers.

What: “Save the Brooklyn Bridge Rally”
When: Sunday, January 11, 2009 from 10.30 to 11.30 a.m.
Where: Prospect Street & Washington Street, the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge

From the talking points distributed by the rally’s organizers:

Two Trees Management Company’s proposed Dock Street High-Rise Tower and the Impact on the Brooklyn Bridge: The Community Perspective

The DUMBO Neighborhood Association, Fulton Ferry Landing Association, Vinegar Hill Neighborhood Association and the Brooklyn Heights Association are united in opposition to the proposed rezoning of the Dock Street development site to R8.

We are opposed to the project in its current form because:

• The project is too tall. Community Board 2 unanimously opposed a similar high-rise building planned for this site in 2004 because it was out of scale in height and density for this location. The tower presently proposed is even taller! The highest portion of the proposed development is projected to be 212 feet high (187 feet plus 25 feet for mechanicals).

• The Dock Street building, if built, will block out the views to and from the Brooklyn Bridge. The developer may say this is a different building than the previous proposal, but its potential impact on the Brooklyn Bridge is very much the same as it was in 2004. It would permanently diminish and detract from the grandeur of the Brooklyn Bridge and compromise the viewshed from the walkway.

• The project is out of scale with its surroundings. The site is in a transition area and abuts two historic districts, Fulton Ferry Landing and DUMBO. The buildings in Fulton Ferry Landing are primarily low-rise 19th century rowhouses and warehouses which create a “bowl” around the Brooklyn Bridge. They gradually increase in height and density to the north and rise to the early 20th century former industrial buildings of DUMBO closer to the Manhattan Bridge. This proposed large-scale R8 project will abruptly interrupt this progression and is completely out of context.

• We strongly believe that no building higher than the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge should be permitted on Dock Street.

Yes, this is the same developer who is trying to get away with the penthouses at 194 Atlantic Avenue.