Earlier this week we reported that there was confusion in the Two Bridges neighborhood over the fate of a development site at 247 Cherry St. Today there’s more clarity about the situation.
JDS Development Group agreed to purchase the parcel and development rights this past spring from Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Settlement Housing Fund. The developer plans a 77-story tower with about 600 rental apartments. JDS and the not-for-profit groups are being sued by another firm, Little Cherry LLC, which signed a 2012 deal to build on a neighboring parcel.
Back in July, a spokesperson for the Department of City Planning told us the city would not move forward with any applications for the site until the legal dispute was resolved. At the same time, Crain’s cited a letter from agency’s Manhattan director, advising the developers the the applications were on hold.
But a source familiar with the project told The Lo-Down recently that the JDS application is now moving forward with City Planning. We attempted, unsuccessfully, to confirm this information with DCP’s press office. Now the agency has provided City Council member Margaret Chin’s office with guidance about what’s happening. The Council member, in turn, shared that information with us.
On July 8, City Planning received written notice from the not-for profit organizations that they were withdrawing as co-applicants with Little Cherry. On August 23, Edith Hsu-Chen, director of DCP’s Manhattan office, confirmed in a letter that the city would “recommence a review” of the application filed by JDS. [You can read the full letter below].
Next month, city planning staff will brief Community Board 3’s land use committee about an environmental review in the Two Bridges area. The agency denied a request from Council member Chin for a full land use review. In addition to the project at 247 Cherry St., two other large-scale towers are planned in the immediate vicinity.
Meanwhile, Little Cherry’s lawsuits are still pending.
