Is the Gowanus Canal cleanup affecting new buildings?

The EPA's Gowanus Canal Superfund remediation is running concurrent with new residential development. New buildings receive their certificates of occupancy independent of the canal cleanup, which is scheduled to continue into the late 2020s. Residents of canal-adjacent buildings should expect periodic remediation activity visible from upper floors.

Gowanus residences

Post-industrial canal-adjacent neighborhood in its most active rezoning cycle — new mid-rise residential between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens.

Represented buildings: 2
Residences: 16
Available now: 16
Price range: $3,257 – $8,250

§ 01 — About Gowanus

The neighborhood

Gowanus — named for the 1.8-mile canal that bisects it — has historically been Brooklyn's industrial spine, hosting manufacturing, warehousing, and auto-body businesses since the canal's completion in 1869. Following the 2021 Gowanus Rezoning, the neighborhood is in its most active construction cycle in a century, with new mid-rise residential buildings replacing former industrial sites along Third Avenue, Fourth Avenue, and the canal itself.

The neighborhood sits between Park Slope to the east, Carroll Gardens to the west, and Red Hook to the south. Its flat grid, low pre-rezoning built height, and canal frontage give Gowanus new buildings unusually generous light and sky exposure by Brooklyn standards.

Dining and retail cluster along Third Avenue (Lavender Lake, Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Threes Brewing) and Union Street (near the Union Street subway station, F/G). The Whole Foods on Third Avenue anchors everyday retail. The Gowanus Canal Superfund cleanup, led by the EPA, is active and ongoing.

Transit

F/G at 4th Av-9th St / Carroll / Smith-9th
R at Union St

Landmarks

Gowanus Canal
Whole Foods on 3rd Av
Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie shop
The Bell House music venue

Character

Post-rezoning new construction
Low-rise adjacent footprint
Canal-front light + sky
Active EPA remediation

Layouts represented

Studio · 1 bd · 2 bd

§ 02 — Represented

Buildings in Gowanus

2 buildings

§ 03 — FAQ

Gowanus questions

Is the Gowanus Canal cleanup affecting new buildings?: The EPA's Gowanus Canal Superfund remediation is running concurrent with new residential development. New buildings receive their certificates of occupancy independent of the canal cleanup, which is scheduled to continue into the late 2020s. Residents of canal-adjacent buildings should expect periodic remediation activity visible from upper floors.