| |  | | Top Stories |  |  | Jehovah's Witnesses Seek To Expand Presence In Brooklyn
 | AUGUST 05TH, 2004
They're known for their Watchtower literature and their towering buildings at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Now, Jehovah's Witnesses want to expand their religious headquarters beyond the Manhattan Bridge, transforming a three-acre parking lot into a large residential complex that would house nearly 2,000 members.
?Our current plans call for buildings of 20, 18, 16 and 14 stories with the dining hall and assembly hall and being about three stories,? said Richard Devine of the Watchtower Society, an organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Their dream is to build this on property. But the Watchtower Society still has to go through the city's land-use review process to get the proper approvals and a zoning change that would turn a manufacturing district into a residential one. There are already about 2,000 people living in the area, which is on the edge of DUMBO and Vinegar Hill.
?This project would double the population of DUMBO-Vinegar Hill, which is a huge impact on a neighborhood,? said City Councilman David Yassky. ?My concern is whether the infrastructure of the neighborhood can handle that.?
Yassky and the local community board have asked the Watchtower Society to make improvements to the neighborhood, like fixing up a public park. The organization says that although that is a reasonable request, it is not interested in Yassky's recommendation to upgrade the York Street train station as well.
Some residents say Jehovah?s Witnesses should be doing more to accommodate the community, like adding retail space and scaling down the project.
?The height is an issue, because it's out of the context with the neighborhood,? said Christy Nyberg of the DUMBO Neighborhood Association. ?This is a really large project to put down in a relatively small neighborhood.?
The Watchtower Society says that it's considering reducing the height of one of its buildings but that retail is out of the question because it conflicts with its standing as a religious non-profit. However, the society says the main building would have a well-lit, large, open lobby to add to the vibrancy of the community, as well as green open space. Plans also call for underground parking for more than 1,000 cars.
?Ten years ago you couldn't have imagined it as a place to live, and so we never bought it with the idea that that would be a future use,? Devine said. ?But obviously the area has changed quite a bit. We've seen a real resurgence there.?
The next step for the Watchtower Society is a public hearing held by the Brooklyn borough president, expected to happen early next month. Then, the plan goes before the city Planning Commission and the City Council.
- Jeanine Ramirez |
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