With a unanimous vote, Community Board 18 approved the sale of city-owned land in Canarsie to a business with long Brooklyn roots.
The site, a 19,508-square-foot parcel bordered by Rockaway Parkway, Avenue D and the Long Island Rail Road tracks, is expected to be sold to East New York-based Rolling Steel Industries, a manufacturer of rolling steel doors and gates.
The family-owned company, formed in 1990, will be expanding its operations once it is able to build on the site, said Paul Brancato, Rolling Steel’s attorney.
In June, the company responded to a request for proposals issued by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to develop the land. The sale of the city-owned land triggers a public review, and the application is being led by the Department of Administrative Services, which handles such matters for the city. The next step of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), as the public review is called, will be a hearing convened by the borough president. Ultimately, the City Council must approve the sale before the site will be developed.
Brancato said the company will pay a “fair market value” for the land, once it is appraised. It’s last appraisal had the large site valued at $600,000, according to Connor Wilson, a project manager with the EDC. Wilson gave a brief presentation on the project to the community board at its Dec. 17 meeting.
“As far as soon as we get the approvals, nothing holding it up on our end all,” Brancato said. “The financing is in place and we’ll have plans in place as soon as possible and commence construction as soon as permits are issues.”
“Our commitment was strong enough to stay in Brooklyn,” said Brancato, whose family has an interest in the company. “We’re in it for the long haul.”
The company expects to create 15 new jobs, and currently have 15 employees.
Board members praised the company for retaining and creating jobs at two local sites, rather than relocating to one massive site in New Jersey, for example.
“I welcome you, and thank you,” said CB 18 District Manager Dorothy Turano.
