June 19, 2003 --
The city yesterday unveiled a sweeping plan to beautify parts of Brooklyn's East River waterfront, create thousands of housing units and provide a venue for the much-coveted 2012 Olympic Games.
The project - presented by Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff and City Planning Director Amanda Burden - calls for improvements to both the waterfront and areas of Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
"We think this is one of the most extraordinary planning efforts under way in the city, and one that will ultimately effect the course of this city for decades," Doctoroff said.
The enhancements would include a two-mile continuous waterfront walkway, 7,500 units of new housing - 20 percent of which would likely be low-income - and 49 acres of public space.
Burden believes Williamsburg-Greenpoint - a community filled with offbeat characters and characteristics - can be revitalized without losing its "distinctive character."
While residential buildings near the waterfront would be built high into the sky, buildings put up farther inland would be limited to 65 feet, to keep them consistent with current housing.
Under the proposal, large manufacturing facilities on the waterfront - like Domino Sugar and the Brooklyn Brewery - would be able to stay in their current locations.
One of the centerpieces of the plan is the building of an archery/beach volleyball center - one of nine venues being pitched by the city to lure the 2012 Olympic Games.
If New York isn't picked to host the 2012 Games, the area - located on the water between North 7th and North 14th streets - could still be used as a waterfront park, according to city officials.
The proposed building of the archery/beach volleyball venue doesn't sit well with at least one corporation.