An offshoot of the DUMBO Neighborhood Association filed a lawsuit last week to stop the controversial Dock Street project.
The Two Trees Management proposal for the site calls for a 17-story building about 70 feet from the Brooklyn Bridge that includes a 300-seat middle school, 365 residential units including 20 percent for low-income families, ground-floor neighborhood retail and off-street parking.
Opponents have long fought the project because they say it obstructs the view of and from the nationally landmarked Brooklyn Bridge.
The lawsuit, filed in Supreme Court, charges that defects in the land review process, as well as a number of technical deficiencies in the rezoning of the project, should put the kibosh on it.
Defendants include the city, along with several of its departments and Two Trees.
The suit was filed by DNA offshoot the DUMBO Neighborhood Federation, which was created in 2007 to fight the Dock Street Project without taking away from other DNA civic work.
In particular, the suit alleges collusion between Two Trees and the School Construction Authority in citing the middle school for the project.
“The fix was in long before the public approval process commenced,” said DNF Director Barry Silverstein. “The Brooklyn Bridge should not be the pawn in this shameless arrangement between a developer and city agencies entrusted to protect the tax-paying public.”
A Two Trees spokesperson responded that the lawsuit was the work of a few luxury condo owners and is without merit.
“Two Trees complied with all of the legal and environmental requirements and properly obtained all necessary approvals from the city. We deeply regret the unwarranted effort by two luxury condominium owners to put their real estate interests ahead of those of the neighborhood,” the spokesperson said.
City Law Department Deputy Chief Robin Binder said, “We have just received the legal papers and are reviewing them thoroughly.”
