NEW YORK, NY June 27, 2006 —The first residential tower on the Williamsburg waterfront resulting from that neighborhood's recent rezoning is on its way up. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein has more.

REPORTER: It was once a sugar refinery. But now this plot of land with a head-on view of the Empire State Buidling across the East River will house three mid-rise towers and a 6-story building with 113 units of affordable housing. Mayor Bloomberg says the development is part of the reclamation of the waterfront for housing and recreational uses.

BLOOMBERG: If we can leave office with a building every so many yards going all the way up the river then I think you're going to see the marketplace just fill it in and history will look back and say we did do the right thing.

REPORTER: When built, the three towers will house some 900 units, most of them market rate condos selling for $400,000 to $2 million dollars. The buildings are expected to be ready for occupants in two years time. The city housing department says by the end of the decade there will be some 5000 new housing units on the Williamsburg waterfront. For WNYC, I'm Andrea Bernstein.