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Agency Testimony

Applicant Stark details school seats, housing, and retail benefits

New York City Council · Sep 9, 2026 · starts 0:19:02 · 2 min 2 sec

Stark details the project benefits: over 2,500 school seats across four educational facilities, approximately 390 new dwelling units with 98-117 permanently affordable, and new ground floor retail along Park Avenue with commitment to retain existing tenants.

Benjamin Stark

If approved, this rezoning will deliver, as the council member mentioned, over 2,500 school seats across four educational facilities.

Benjamin Stark

Approximately 390 new dwelling units with between 98 and 117 permanently affordable pursuant to MIH, an expansive new ground floor retail presence along Park Avenue with commitment from the applicants to try and retain existing tenants.

Benjamin Stark

Next slide, please.

Benjamin Stark

So where are we?

Benjamin Stark

The project area straddles Park Avenue between Bedford Avenue generally to the west and Notion Avenue to the east, south of Flushing, north of Myrtle Avenue.

Benjamin Stark

This is a transition zone between South Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant, and we are within the inner transit zone.

Benjamin Stark

Next slide, please.

Benjamin Stark

Why are we here?

Benjamin Stark

The problem speaks for itself.

Benjamin Stark

This is a community, the project serves a community with a school-age population that is undergoing tremendous growth, especially amongst its youngest cohorts.

Benjamin Stark

In this community, a very large percentage of children attend private religious schools, and many families have...

Benjamin Stark

Many children, between six and ten children.

Benjamin Stark

The needs for schools is acute presently, but the real important message we need to deliver is that the problem will only grow as the years and decades go by.

Benjamin Stark

Next slide, please.

Benjamin Stark

Similarly, this problem is multifaceted.

Benjamin Stark

The issues with affordable housing in this city, in this borough, don't need any introduction, but the issues with affordable housing in particular within Community District 3 is also acute.

Benjamin Stark

This application serves in part to address that need.

Benjamin Stark

Next slide.

Benjamin Stark

What does the Park Avenue rezoning do in that regard?

Benjamin Stark

It will seek to legalize existing educational uses and allow for the development of new, sorely needed educational facilities with the development of new housing and affordable housing in this growing residential community

Benjamin Stark

where the legacy zoning just simply no longer reflects what is happening on the ground.