Despite the opposition of the local city councilmember, the City Planning Commission today approved the controversial rezoning of Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, which is expected to generate several hundred thousand square feet of new commercial space.
Commissioner David Burney was the only member of the planning board to vote against the proposal, which local activists have criticized as a form of gentrification. Meanwhile City Planning Director Marisa Lago, who also chairs the commission, emphasized that immigrant-heavy neighborhoods like Sunset Park need jobs now more than ever as she cast her vote to approve the project.
The approval comes a few weeks after City Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, who represents the neighborhood and has the final say over the rezoning, announced that he would vote against the plan to redevelop the 35-acre industrial campus along the East River.
Photo: Industry City