Monday, May 30, 2011

How Sweet It Will Be: Judge Gives Domino Go-Ahead | The New York Observer

How Sweet It Will Be: Judge Gives Domino Go-Ahead The New York Observer

By Matt Chaban 5/25 6:12pm


photo ©Eric P. Laverty

The transformation of the massive Domino sugar refinery into an even bigger condo development has passed its last hurdle–besides finding financing, of course–as a New York Supreme Court judge dismissed a suit seeking to stop the project.

Even with 30 percent of the 2,200 units set aside as affordable housing, the project came under stiff political opposition from some local politicos and neighbors. They felt the project should have had more affordable units and was so large it would overwhelm the community. After some wriggling, the project was approved unanimously by the City Council last summer. That did not stop a group of still-smarting locals from suing over what they felt was their disenfranchisement in the city’s land-use review process.

CPC Resources, the developer of the project, plans to break ground on the first phase of the project, an apartment complex on the one non-waterfront parcel east of Kent Avenue next summer. “We remain on track to commence construction of the New Domino,” project director Susan Pollack said in a release. Local council rep Diana Reyna also expressed her support for the court’s decision.

And with that we seem to be running out of boom-time development battles to chronicle. Bring on the next cycle before everybody gets bored and leaves town.