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The proposed zoning change to MX (mixed use) districts in Gowanus were discussed in community planning meetings as a way to bring redevelopment to the Gowanus--redevelopment that favored industrial and cultural industries and allowed for some housing in context of the industrial activities.

While City Planning has proposed MX zoning changes for Gowanus, the project that Toll Brothers has put forward is 99.9% resedential--the other use is a health club for the new residents. This sort of development of 14 story lux-housing has no relationship to the existing manufacturing district; it has no relationship to the mixed-use ideas that the community discused with City Planning in their community planning sessions.

With the Toll Brothers proposal, we can see how the proposed zoning changes are not capable of implementing the community's vision for Gowanus redevelopment. The proposed zoning changes to MX will instead, be used by developers, to drastically alter the nature of this neighborhood. There seems to be a complete disconnect between community planning for Gowanus redevelopment and the zoning tools being layed out to foster redevelopment.

Extrusion dies for Pasta??? Are you serious? There are thousands wire EDM shops all over the world that can bang out extrusion dies. A chunk of 420 stainless with a profile cut into it? It’s a no-brainer.

I spent twelve years designing injection molding tools. My job went overseas a long time ago. You can earn more money as an admin in an office than you can as an engineer in a tool & die shop.

One day, the macaroni makers are going to get a bootleg copy of AutoCad, and they’ll be able to e-mail their specs to China or India.

I am writing from inside one of the manufacturing buildings on the Gowanus right now, though I myself am a web developer and manufacture only pixels. This is a great area, and I look forward to more people discovering what is here. There is a great place to buy freshly made tofu that is manufactured right here. There is a fish wholesaler on Douglass street (between 3rd/4th Avenues) that sells retail if you get there in the morning before they close, usually around 11 am.