B
orough Park is poised to become a model for innovative development in New York City. Developers David Tabak and Meyer Lebovits have secured approval from the City Council's zoning subcommittee to build Brooklyn Yards, a 14-building complex with 270 units on top of a freight rail line. The project will be constructed over four city blocks, with a unique design that curves around the active tracks.

    Tabak and Lebovits, who live in the neighborhood, saw an opportunity to build over the rail line after noticing its presence while walking through the area. They purchased the sites for $4.25 million in 2019 and worked with Studio V to create a design that blends classic Brooklyn row houses with modern architecture.

    The project will feature mostly four-story townhomes, along with a few six-story townhomes and a nine-story commercial building near the New Utrecht Avenue subway stop. Thirty percent of the units will be affordable housing. Despite some initial pushback from neighbors who feared the project would alter the community's character, Brooklyn Yards has received support from two community boards and local City Council members.

    The success of Brooklyn Yards could pave the way for similar developments over rail lines in other parts of the city. The MTA plans to use the rail line as a route for the Interborough Express, and other developers are exploring possibilities near the line. If Tabak and Lebovits can secure financing, their project will be the first to build directly above an active rail track.

    "This is absolutely the future of new housing in New York City," said Jay Valgora, the architect behind Brooklyn Yards. With a severe housing shortage in Borough Park, developers are looking for non-traditional places to build and innovative ways to construct. Brooklyn Yards may be just the beginning of a new era in urban development.