Development Investments Quickly Follow Gowanus Rezoning

The controversial rezoning of the Gowanus neighborhood in Brooklyn, approved by the city at the end of 2021, is already having a noticeable effect on the real estate market.

1 minute read

February 9, 2022, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Brooklyn, New York City

Full Prime Raw / Shutterstock

The New York City Council approved the Gowanus Neighborhood Planning Study, a rezoning that created space for as many as 8,000 new apartments in this corner of Brooklyn, at the end of 2021. At the beginning of 2022, developer interest is pouring into the spaces made available by the rezoning, according to an article by Eddie Small for Crain's New York Business.

Developer Marino Mazzei provides the latest example, filing plans for a project totaling about 385,000 square feet, at 135 feet tall, with 291 residential units. The proposal also calls for retail and light manufacturing uses, reports Small.

"The Sackett Street project is just the latest major residential development headed to Gowanus in the wake of the neighborhood’s controversial rezoning, a lengthy effort that the City Council passed in late 2021," writes Small. "Real estate firms including the Vorea Group, Orange Management and Quinlan Development began filing plans for large projects in the Brooklyn neighborhood even before the rezoning passed, and these types of projects have continued in the wake of its successful approval."

More examples are included in the source article below, along with more details about the most recent development proposal.

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

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.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight