A DUMBO developer finally expects to break ground next summer on a controversial rental tower in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood – along with a much-needed middle school it promised in order to gain city approval.
Hours after announcing its construction agreement with the city’s School Construction Authority, Two Trees Management officials today said they hope to complete the 17-story “Dock Street DUMBO” development and its 300-seat middle school by August 2014.
The announcement comes as many neighborhood parents are petitioning the Department of Education to extend PS 8, a popular K-5 school in nearby Brooklyn Heights, through eighth grade.
Currently, the only options in their district are abysmally rated middle schools in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.
Carlo Trigiani, a parent of two PS 8 students, said hailed the news, saying, “public school parents have waited far too long for a viable middle school location in Downtown Brooklyn.”
Dock Street DUMBO was approved by the City Council in 2009 despite opposition from preservationists who feel it would block scenic views of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Lawsuits by opponents have delayed construction.
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