Community Board 6 held a meeting on landmarks and land use on Nov. 30, which included an application for rezoning 41 Richards St. in Red Hook, between Sebring St. and Commerce St.
“The Proposed Action would facilitate the development of a seven-story plus cellar, 113,557 gross square foot mixed-use building with 41 parking spaces,” said the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC.) “The New York City Department of City Planning, as lead agency, has determined that the proposed 41 Richards Street Rezoning will not have a significant adverse environmental impact.”
“I’ve been a business owner in Red Hook and my family has been down in Red Hook for over 50 years,” said Jim Tampakis of Tamco Mechanical (54 Richards St.) All of our work and ship repairs were done in Red Hook and we never had to go further than Hamilton Ave. I grew up in manufacturing and it upsets me because I’m still in manufacturing and everything that I want to buy, I have to wait for because there are components that are coming from the Far East. Why can’t we make them here like we used to? The concept with this building is to put up a new structure and make it resilient.”
The building would be a space for entrepreneurs with the goal of bringing back manufacturing in Red Hook.
Ultimately, everybody in Community Board 6 voted in favor of the motion for the rezoning of 41 Richards St., with the exception of two members who abstained (in order to remain unbiased due to their friendship with Tampakis.)
