Zoning requests denied for ambitious Williamsburg tech campus

A behemoth of a tech campus that would take up 14 city blocks by the river on Kent Avenue had a zoning variance mandatory to is creation denied yesterday, according to an article in DNAinfo by Gwynne Hogan.

25 Kent, a “technology and maker hub” that would sit eight stories above the river is now sidelined, as the community board felt the special zoning changes necessary to make the project happen would create a slippery slope for future developers to have carte blanche with their projects.

But the project might not be dead yet.

The proposed entrance to 25 Kent. (Courtesy image)

“The proposal would allow developers to apply for special permits to double the size of their buildings and have most of the increased area be commercial uses,” according to the article. “Current zoning requires the increased area be reserved for community facilities like medical offices. In exchange the extra commercial space, developers have to reserve a portion of their building for light manufacturing uses.”

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