See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Vanessa Ogle
Brooklyn Daily
The rumors that Trump Village Shopping Center will be demolished to make way for a massive residential tower were finally confirmed this week by a source who has seen a rendering of the development.
“There are definitely plans — there’s no question about that,” said the source, who said he saw the plans last month and asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to discuss the development. “I’ve seen a drawing — a rendering. It is a tall, sleek high-rise. From looking at the picture, it is over 40 stories.”
Talk of the shopping center’s closing began last spring when businesses started telling customers that they weren’t able to renew their leases. As word spread among residents of Trump Village — especially senior citizens with limited mobility who depend on the local shops — locals started to take action. By early October, residents and storefronts started circulating petitions to save the center from its rumored closing.
Confirmation of the plans to replace the shopping center with a residential tower has only intensifies locals’ fears that they will not only lose their neighborhood staples but their independence when the storefronts are destroyed.
“There are so many people dependent on the stores in the shopping center,” said Brian Gotlieb, who has lived in Trump Village for 29 years. “There are a lot of people who are very much afraid.”
The owner of the Sheepshead Bay site, real estate mogul Rubin Schron, has not yet filed paperwork with the city about redeveloping the property, but there is no requirement for him to submit any plans to the community for approval — even for a 40-story building — before starting work. The tower can be built as-of-right, because the area is residentially zoned with a commercial overlay for businesses.
Building a tower in an area that is recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy two years ago also raises concerns for locals. One resident said if the developer wants to change the area, he should revamp existing buildings that were destroyed by the storm.
“The last thing we need is 40-story building,” said Samantha Mandelbaum. “If Mr. Schron wanted to build, he could build up the area.”