Council member Steve Levin says in a statement that he's proud that the communities he represents "stood up" to demand a project that would benefit the area. With 144 family-sized apartments as well, "We are now guaranteed a development that will accommodate the needs of the greater Williamsburg community." According to the New York Post, Levin had taken the developer to task at a hearing of the council's land use committee last week, at which time the affordable-housing quotient was still less than 30% and the number of family-sized apartments was 60.

Along with three residential towers, the 800,000-square-foot Rose Plaza will include approximately 30,000 square feet of commercial and community facility space and about 500 parking spaces. This is in addition to the 30,000 square feet of public waterfront space, from Division Avenue and Schaeffer Landing along the East River, that will be developed into a public walkway and a circulation path.

According to City Planning documents, Rose Plaza on River LLC had filed its application for rezoning 3.7 acres of waterfront property to build the project in early 2008. In January of this year, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz tied his recommendation of council approval for the project to the condition that the developer add more affordable units as well as family-sized apartments, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.