$1 Billion Industry City Redevelopment Caught Up in Post-Amazon Political Drama

Large mixed-use projects aren't getting an automatic greenlight in New York City anymore.

1 minute read

March 30, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Catherine Curan reports on the ongoing controversy and contingencies surrounding the Industry City mega-development on the Brooklyn waterfront.

According to Curan, the plans to rezone the site to make way for a $1 billion investment in the 6 million-square-foot waterfront complex has been caught up in the post-Amazon headquarters controversy in Long Island City. The questions troubling the Industry City development now, according to Curan: "What should the template be for a massive commercial development that could transform a working-class residential neighborhood? And who gets to decide?"

Industry City's developers, Jamestown Properties, Belvedere Capital, and Angelo Gordon & Co, recently submitted a rezoning application that would pave the way for an additional"1.3 million square feet of space, including retail, hotels and academic facilities," according to Curan. The new development would created double employment in Industry City, to 15,000.

City Councilmember Carlos Menchaca withdrew support for the project earlier this month, however, unless the development did more to address gentrification concerns. That kicked off a cascading effect of politicians expressing similar concerns, and the developers have now delayed their rezoning application. 

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in Crain's New York Business

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

April 22 - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

April 22 - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

April 22 - Urban Edge