Eric Adams Opposes Large Brooklyn Apartment Development

"[Brooklyn] Borough President Eric Adams gave the thumbs down to a proposed 18-story residential building on the site of a drive-thru McDonalds at Atlantic and Vanderbilt avenues, citing the project’s height and density," reports Ben Verde.

Adams is also the heavy favorite to be the next mayor of New York City, having just been announced as the winner of the Democratic primary election.

The project was planned for 300 apartments, with about 95 of those designated as below-market-rate units. The project encountered strong opposition from residents of the neighborhood as well as adjacent neighborhoods. The controversy also sparked renewed interest in the "long-debated" M-Crown Rezoning, according to Verde.

"While representatives for the developer behind the project, Simon Duschinsky of the Rabsky Group, has argued for a higher density in order to create more housing, members of Community Board 8 have been reluctant to work outside of their vision for the M-Crown rezoning, which seeks to up-zone the industrial swath of Crown Heights and Prospect Heights while preserving jobs in the area."

Adams's recommendations for the sites include a 145-foot building height and deeper commitments to affordability. While Adams only has an advisory role in the fate of this particular development project, getting elected "would give him significant authority over decisions on rezonings across the Five Boroughs," explains Verde.