Q&A
Impact of the 150 Mill Street project on the Industrial Business Zone
0:44:05
·
4 min
Council Member Avilés questions how the 150 Mill Street proposal enriches industrial manufacturing and addresses the reluctance of the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) regarding M1-5 zoning. The applicant team defends their proposal's impact on the Industrial Business Zone.
- Avilés notes that SBIDC never committed to signing a CBA and expresses concerns about the proposal's speculative nature
- The applicant team highlights their commitment to industrial space in the building
- 68,100 square feet are committed to light manufacturing uses
- The proposal includes job training space for local youth in light manufacturing
- The applicant argues that their proposal exceeds just providing light manufacturing space by offering training opportunities
- Avilés emphasizes her role in protecting the Industrial Business Zone from non-conforming uses
Alexa Avilés
0:44:05
Let's go back to let's go back to the SBIDC reluctance around the M15 zoning.
0:44:19
You noted you noted that they my understanding is they never committed to to signing any CBA that would have to go to their board.
0:44:28
However, they did have a good number of conversations, some of which I was privy to and some which you had independently.
0:44:36
I think it's important to note that there were never commitments there.
0:44:41
And the two examples that you noted earlier are quite distinct and very different.
0:44:49
And one thing that this proposal has often been described as is skeptical.
0:44:58
Not skeptical.
0:44:59
Excuse me.
0:45:02
Oh, I'm losing my words.
0:45:03
I'm gonna I'm gonna leave that point Okay.
0:45:05
And I will get back to it.
0:45:09
But if you would describe to me why how this proposal enriches the goal for industrial manufacturing.
Richard Lobel
0:45:31
The the current select uses industrial space agreement as was forwarded to the council has a binding commitment for 6800 square feet, that would be used in the in this building.
0:45:42
And so to the extent that, call it, you know, rounding to 7000 square feet, to the extent that not only that, which which is committed to light manufacturing uses.
0:45:54
By the way, we have an applicant here who who has a business which is considered under current zoning or under prior zoning use group 16, which itself is a light manufacturing use.
0:46:04
In a scaffolding establishment, but taking that aside.
0:46:08
There's 68100 square feet that are committed.
0:46:10
And by the way, that commitment is recorded against the property and basically is as we've discussed finding on the applicant.
0:46:20
So it's not just that.
0:46:23
It's also job training space.
0:46:25
And there was a lot of conversation at the community board where there's questions as to what the commitment has been in the area to providing that space.
0:46:34
So if that is an important part and parcel of the application to allow for local youth to be trained in these light manufacturing jobs, then this is an important aspect of their proposal, and it exceeds the opportunity just to provide light manufacturing space.
0:46:53
It exceeds it provides the opportunity to train people in that use so that you're sending them out into the workforce and they're better able to stay within Red Hawk to to work in manufacturing jobs and to be able to to prosper.
Alexa Avilés
0:47:10
So in terms of I I realized we're burning through time, and my brain is so slow today.
0:47:15
Thank you.
0:47:17
In terms of I think the word that I was trying to use earlier, which I I said skeptical, which it was not, was speculative, that this proposal, as described by DCP, was speculative.
0:47:37
And the reason why that word came up over and over again, and certainly this is not at all to suggest, Mister Pilco, I know you're in this, and you're fighting for the for this property to do an office based building that you imagined a long ago.
0:47:52
My role here is to protect and ensure accountability and guard an industrial business home that is being eaten at by uses that do not conform.
0:48:08
Right?
0:48:08
We are we are seeing this on a daily basis.
0:48:13
In terms of the it's clear that you have engaged and had conversations with many residents who are here today and others whom you have not.
0:48:27
Have you talked to all the adjacent properties about your plans and impacts?
0:48:33
Okay.