Nearly a half-century after a swath of the once-blighted Lower East Side was cleared for redevelopment, the city yesterday finally approved plans for construction on the long-vacant lots.
The City Council yesterday approved a plan to bring a blend of housing and retail space to the 1.65-million-square-foot space along Delancey and Essex streets, near the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge.
The plan to renovate nine lots of Seward Park includes a mix of commercial space, community facilities and about 1,000 apartment units. About half of them will be set aside for affordable housing.
The city will also reserve 15,000 square feet for a new public school and 10,000 square feet of open space.
Mayor Bloomberg boasted that the plan would create 1,000 permanent jobs and 5,000 construction jobs.
“After nearly half a century of sitting dormant, this piece of real estate — some of the most valuable underdeveloped land anywhere — will finally be transformed,” he said.
The councilwoman behind the plan, Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan), wants small-business incubators and space for tech start-ups on the site, her spokeswoman said.
“It is truly a historic moment today,” Chin said.
“After a thorough, open and fair process, a true consensus was reached for the future of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area,” said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose district includes the six-acre development.
The city has not yet put a price tag on the project.