Last week, the city officially began the public approval process for the Seward Park Development Project. A master plan for the nine parcels adjacent to the Williamsburg Bridge will be voted on by Community Board 3 next month. The massive document (known as the ULURP application) is 146 pages. There are also hundreds of pages of technical diagrams and other supporting materials. In the next few days we’re going to take a look at some of the important issues embedded in the application. Today, we tackle big box stores.
The mixed-use project includes 900 apartments, community facilities, a park and up to 600,000 square feet of commercial space. CB3 wanted to limit retail stores at Seward Park to 30,000 square feet. But last month, in outlining their proposal, city planners said they were placing no square footage limit on stores. In their view, a key to success in the project will be retail diversity — the existence of small stores as well as larger “big box” outlets.