TESTIMONY
Brenda Lau, Assistant Project Manager at Greenpoint Manufacturing And Design Center, on Proposed Modifications to the Manufacturing District Tax Amendment
4:04:57
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116 sec
Brenda Lau advocates for modifications to the manufacturing district tax amendment to better support industrial businesses in NYC.
- Lau emphasizes the need for zoning rules in new manufacturing districts to prioritize the preservation and growth of industrial businesses by limiting non-industrial uses.
- She opposes including the Grove Districts in the amendment, arguing it lacks a focus on manufacturing.
- Lau calls for maintaining a clear separation between commercial housing, industrial land, and the prioritization of manufacturing in Industrial Business Zones (IBZs) and Manufacturing Zones (MZs).
- She urges the city council to approve a strengthened version of the tax amendment to ensure the manufacturing sector's longevity and equitable economic future.
Brenda Lau
4:04:57
Good afternoon.
4:04:57
Thank you for this opportunity to by public testimony.
4:05:01
My name is Brenda Lau.
4:05:02
I am the assistant project manager at Greenpoint Manufacturing And Design Center, also known as GMDC.
4:05:08
We are the city's premier nonprofit industrial real estate developer of affordable manufacturing space.
4:05:14
GMDC has developed over 700,000 square feet of industrial space in Brooklyn And Queens for occupancy by small manufacturing businesses.
4:05:23
We currently own and manage 6 buildings which are home to over 730 manufacturing wondering jobs among a 126 companies.
4:05:31
Our tenants include woodworkers, cabinet makers, display makers, metal workers, and a variety of artisanal trades and artists.
4:05:37
For the past few months, GMDC and fellow advocate members of the Industrial Jobs Coalition have been closely monitoring changes to the ZEO We commend the city council and the Department of City Planning for engaging in robust and thoughtful dialogue with industrial partners on crafting the tax amendment for new manufacturing districts.
4:05:56
However, we stress that the zoning rules for these districts should be structured to prioritize the preservation and growth of industrial businesses Specifically, we recommend the following modifications in the core districts to restrict all non industrial uses to 10,000 feet per zoning lot to protect as much industrial space as possible.
4:06:15
And we are not in favor of including the Grove Districts in the manufacturing tax amendment because the Grove District category is not a manufacturing district.
4:06:22
As it is currently written, it does not include a requirement or incentive to include manufacturing in a development It is imperative that the continued separation of commercial housing and industrial land remains in place so that IBZs and MZs prioritize manufacturing.
4:06:39
This is a critical moment to jump start and ensure the longevity of the manufacturing sector for years to come.
4:06:44
We urge the city council to vote an approval for a strengthened version of the manufacturing tax amendment for an equitable and economically just future.
4:06:52
Thank you.
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Emily Goldstein, Director of Organizing and Advocacy at the Association for Neighborhood And Housing Development (ANHD), on Proposing Adjustments to the Manufacturing District Text Amendment
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Paula Crespo, Senior Planner at the Pratt Center for Community Development, on Modifications to the City of Yes Economic Opportunity Text Amendment for New Manufacturing Districts
