City unveils Brooklyn waterfront proposals.

Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Amanda M. Burden has announced the beginning of the formal public review process for the Bloomberg Administration's comprehensive plan for Greenpoint and Williamsburg, that will reclaim the waterfront and create 8,250 units of housing.

The proposal encompasses approximately 184 blocks, including a two-mile stretch of Brooklyn's East River water front and adjoining neighborhoods.

The proposed rezoning provides opportunities for the development of housing and neighborhood retail, the creation of public parks and waterfront open space, and reconnecting a derelict and inaccessible waterfront to the adjacent inland communities.

The detailed urban design plan proposed by the Bloomberg Administration envisions 49 acres of publicly accessible open space along the waterfront, including a continuous esplanade along two miles of East River waterfront, and a new, 27.8-acre park between North 9th Street and the Bushwick Inlet.

The park would encompass the Bayside Fuel site, the location of a proposed TransGas power plant. The City continues to vigorously oppose the plant proposal, which is before the State Siting Board, in favor of a waterfront park that would complement adjacent residential development.

The rezoning breaks new ground by establishing a Waterfront Access Plan (WAP) for the Greenpoint Williamsburg waterfront, developed in consultation with the Brooklyn Community Board 1 zoning task force.

Under the WAP, new development would be required to provide links in a continuous waterfront walkway, sidewalks and streets connecting the waterfront to existing neighborhoods, and additional public spaces to complement existing parks on the waterfront. The plan also embraces NYC2012's Olympic bid plans for beach volleyball and aquatics venues between North 7th and North 14th Streets on the Williamsburg waterfront.