Introduction to Monitor Point

A proposed development just north of Bushwick Inlet Park is stirring controversy among locals before the official rezoning process has even begun. Developers are hoping to build a mixed-use high-rise building at 40 Quay St., an MTA-owned lot that currently houses a truck wash station, as well as a smaller building at the adjacent 56 Quay St. Dubbed Monitor Point, the development would include 1,150 apartments, retail, a physical space for the Greenpoint Monitor Museum, and publicly-accessible outdoor space.

Proposed Development Details

The “west building,” closest to the inlet, would comprise two glass towers rising 600 and 450 feet tall, respectively; the “east building” at 56 Quay would stand 230 feet tall. The project, which is expected to begin the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process this fall, came out of the MTA’s efforts to generate revenue for its capital program by leasing the waterfront property for 99 years. As part of the deal, the Gotham Organization — the developer chosen by the MTA in 2021 — will also relocate the existing wash facility and a separate MTA emergency response facility to an industrial lot in Williamsburg.

A rendering of the buildings at 40 Quay St. and 56 Quay St.Image courtesy of Gotham Organization/Monitor Point The MTA facility (at left) currently in place at 40 Quay St. Photo by Kirstyn Brendlen

Community Reaction

Local opinion on the project is strong and split. Dozens of people testified at a virtual City Planning Commission scoping hearing in April, and a Community Board 1 meeting where Gotham presented in June reached capacity so quickly that people had to be turned away and submit their feedback virtually. Supporters say the community desperately needs more housing, especially affordable housing – Monitor Point would include about 288 affordable units — and both temporary and permanent union jobs. Developers say the project would also help gird the vulnerable waterfront community against climate change and flooding.

Development Raises Environmental Concerns

The MTA-owned lot at 40 Quay St. is currently zoned to allow buildings of up to 14 stories, including residential ones. The height limit was intentional, said Katherine Conkling Thompson, president of Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park. “They understood that it is only 50 feet from the water’s edge, adjacent to Bushwick Inlet Park, and they wanted to make sure the structures wouldn’t impose upon the public park, wouldn’t impose upon the ecology, and would make a graceful transition from the historic Greenpoint neighborhood and the historic waterfront to the Bushwick inlet,” she said.

A bird’s eye view of the site, including the potential future home of the Greenpoint Monitor Museum. Image courtesy of Gotham Organization/Monitor Point

The city promised to build the 1.5-mile Bushwick Inlet Park as part of the 2005 Greenpoint-Williamsburg rezoning, which upzoned the neighborhood significantly and paved the way for dozens of new buildings and tens of thousands of new residents. Since 2010, more than 26,000 new units have been built in CB1, and the neighborhood has become one of the most desirable in the city. But, 20 years after the rezoning was approved, the park still isn’t done, thanks to a series of setbacks and delays as the city struggled to buy up and develop all the parkland.

The City Planning Commission’s Environmental Assessment & Review Division determined that Monitor Point could have significant environmental impacts on the surrounding area, documents show, and may cast new shadows on “sunlight sensitive” areas like Bushwick Inlet Park and the East River, and could have a “significant adverse impact to natural resources” including the inlet and the river. A full Draft Environmental Impact Statement is underway.

Conkling Thompson worried the buildings could harm migratory birds who take advantage of the park during their long flights — window strikes kill up to 230,000 migratory birds in New York City each year — though Gotham has said Monitor Point will use all bird-safe glass. The Bushwick inlet itself is a delicate ecosystem, she said, where fish, eels, and other sea creatures breed and feed.

The MTA building at 40 Quay Street (lower right) as seen from Franklin Avenue, behind an in-development parcel of Bushwick Inlet Park. Photo by Kirstyn Brendlen

Affordability and Access

Steve Chesler, vice president of Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park, worried that the scale of Monitor Point would make the park feel like “part of the private property’s front yard,” making it most accessible to residents who are largely paying market-rate waterfront rents. CB1 offers only .6 acres of park space for every 1,000 residents, well below the city’s goal of 2.5 acres per 1,000.

A completed section of Bushwick Inlet Park on Kent Avenue. Photo by Kirstyn Brendlen

Monitor Point would bring about 1,105 new units, about 288 of which — or 25% — would be made affordable under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirements. Those units would be offered at around 60% of the Area Median Income, according to documents filed with the city, or $87,480 per year for a family of three. At 60% affordability, a two-bedroom unit would run about $2,187 per month. Average market-rate rent in Greenpoint is about $3,659, according to RentHop, and the going rate for a two-bedroom in the nabe was $5,704 as of June 2025.

“300 lower-income homes on the waterfront of Brooklyn without any public subsidy capital is an astounding number,” said Bryan Kelly, Gotham’s President of Development. “And what we heard from the community board, and we’re happy to hear and work with them on, is creating or making a commitment to certain family-sized homes for those lower-income homes.” Giving families an affordable opportunity to live in a desirable waterfront neighborhood with good amenities, Kelly said, is a “public equity discussion.”

A rendering of the proposed public greenspace at Monitor Point. Image courtesy of Monitor Point

Next Steps for Monitor Point

The Monitor Point ULURP application is expected to be certified before the end of the year, and the official ULURP process could begin as soon as this fall. That would bring more meetings with the community board, the borough president, and the CPC before the proposal was voted on by the City Council. If the project is approved, Kelly said, Gotham would start constructing the new MTA facility in Williamsburg in 2026, and could start work on Monitor Point in 2028.

Conclusion

The proposed Monitor Point development has sparked intense debate among locals, with some supporting the project for its potential to bring much-needed housing and jobs, while others oppose it due to environmental concerns and fears of gentrification. As the project moves forward, it will be important to balance the needs of the community with the demands of development and the requirements of environmental sustainability.

FAQs

Q: What is the proposed Monitor Point development?
A: Monitor Point is a proposed mixed-use development at 40 Quay St. and 56 Quay St., which would include 1,150 apartments, retail, a physical space for the Greenpoint Monitor Museum, and publicly-accessible outdoor space.
Q: How many affordable units would be included in the development?
A: About 288 units, or 25% of the total, would be made affordable under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirements.
Q: What are the environmental concerns surrounding the project?
A: The development could have significant environmental impacts, including casting new shadows on “sunlight sensitive” areas, harming migratory birds, and affecting the delicate ecosystem of the Bushwick inlet.
Q: What is the next step in the approval process for Monitor Point?
A: The Monitor Point ULURP application is expected to be certified before the end of the year, and the official ULURP process could begin as soon as this fall.