Daniella Rodriguez

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Sep 18, 2025, 10:57 PM

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Updated

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A long-disputed lot near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been sold for $54.3 million, reigniting debate over its future.

The site at 970 Franklin Ave. has been at the center of a legal and political battle dating back to 2017.

Community members and garden advocates fought plans for high-rise buildings, warning they could block sunlight and harm plant life at the nearby Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

After lawsuits, protests and court appeals, the property was rezoned to allow a 10-story building with 355 apartments.

The Continuum Company sold the 289,957-square-foot parcel to developer Isaac Schwartz on Wednesday, according to JLL Capital Markets, which brokered the deal.

Alicia Boyd, of Movement to Protect the People, said she fears community promises will go unfulfilled.

“This is how development and attorneys and the city work,” Boyd said. “They make promises to the community about protecting the community, giving community benefits. But at the end of the day, we don’t get anything.”

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden declined to comment on the sale.

News 12 also reached out to Schwartz but has not heard back.

The future of the lot remains unclear.