Industry City is now a bustling compound on Brooklyn’s waterfront, consisting of more than 30 acres of retail, office, and public venue spaces. Still, as recently as 2020, many New Yorkers strongly opposed the area’s redevelopment. It required extensive rezoning in the Sunset Park neighborhood, which many believed would harm existing residents, and opinions are still divided regarding its impact.

Developers purchased the land in 2013 and announced their plans to renovate the existing industrial buildings to create hundreds of commercial, retail, and manufacturing spaces. Carlos Menchaca, a New York City Council Member at that time, was a vocal opponent of the redevelopment. He said that “Industry City has made an impossible pitch, claiming they will somehow restore the waterfront’s manufacturing by building a luxury retail mall,” and attracting an affluent clientele “will drive up rents.”

Industry City has created roughly 6,000 jobs in various sectors, and its developers have stated that it will create as many as 20,000 jobs by the year 2025. The Freelancers Union announced in April of 2022 that it was opening a new campus in Industry City to provide resources, including classes and dedicated meeting rooms. 

Critics of Industry City say that it will only lead to further gentrification in the area and drive out residents struggling to afford rent. A 2020 estimate stated that nearly 32% of households in Sunset Park were paying more than 50% of their income on rent. Supporters of Industry City say that it has already created thousands of jobs and will continue to create more. They also believe that various improvements, such as a 24-acre green space, have made the neighborhood much nicer.

The question up for debate: Should Industry City’s rezoning effort have been halted or allowed to move forward?