CB14 Approves Rezoning For New Caton Flats; Pols Support Affordable Housing

Last night, members of Community Board 14 passed a rezoning proposal for the Caton Flats Development, paving the way for the 166-unit mixed affordable housing building at the Caribbean commercial epicenter, the Flatbush Caton Market.

[Update] CB14 Chairman Alvin Berk told us that the New York City Economic Development Corporation presented an updated plan to CB14 during a recent public hearing, proposing 251 affordable housing units, instead of the 166, and another rendering showing a 14 story building.

The proposal, which passes with unanimous support, included a rezoning plan to expand the height limit for buildings, changing from an R7A district (with C2-4 commercial overlay) typified by seven- and eight-story apartment buildings, to an R8A which allows for 10- to 12-story buildings.

The proposal also included a provision to expand the mandatory inclusionary housing zone to cover the new development. Mandatory inclusionary housing is part of Mayor de Blasio’s housing initiative, requiring  a percentage of permanently affordable housing units in new buildings.

Last October, officials unveiled plans to demolish the brightly-colored, city-owned warehouse and build the mixed income apartment building known as Caton Flats. Of the 166 residential units, 20 percent were assigned for low-income residents, 30 percent for moderate-income residents, and 50 percent for middle-income residents.

The building plans include an expanded and renovated market, commercial kitchen for vendors, and classrooms for the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI). Construction is supposed to be completed by 2020.

The Flatbush Caton Market opened in 2001, and there are currently almost 50 vendors at the Flatbush Avenue market, including CaribBEING House, a beautiful, multipurpose art and cultural space located in the plaza of the market.

At Monday night’s Community Board 14 meeting, City Council Member Mathieu Eugene told attendees that he supports the project with a few conditions — current vendors must get a viable transition location during construction and a guaranteed spot for current vendors in the new development.  “I will fight to protect those businesses,” Eugene vowed. In addition, Eugene insists that developers must hire residents of District 40.

“Community Board 14 endorsed the creation of the vendor market on this site,” said Community Board 14 Chairman Alvin M. Berk in a press release. “Today, the board looks forward to our role in preserving the vendor market and expanding the use of the property to include affordable housing.”

Though the decision passed in Community Board 14 unanimously, there has been some anxiety among vendors regarding whether they can stay in the dramatically upgraded space. Brooklyn Magazine documented some of the vendor’s fears on the market’s transformation in their March profile of the Caribbean marketplace.