There is a new proposed project in and around Toys R Us on Flatbush Avenue called Four Sparrows Retail Center

A Public Scoping meeting for the Four Sparrows Retail Center Project will be held on January 11, 2011 at 7:00pm at the Kings Plaza Community Room.

The Project Planned:

The retail center (15 acres) will include the Toys ‘R’ Us currently there plus a building (two stories, 110k gross sq feet) to house the Kristal Auto Mall to the north of Toys ‘R’ Us and one or two buildings (one story if one building, and if two buildings then one of which would be one story and the other two stories) of multi-tenant retail space (127k to 138k gross sq feet, depending) to the south of Toys ‘R’ Us. There would be 820 accessory parking spaces.

The marsh parcel (46 acres), it seems, will mostly be left wild, although it will be mapped as parkland. They plan a nature trail, though the trail is both small (400 feet) and placed in only a corner of the marsh, on the far end of the retail center parking lot.

Project build year is 2014.

More information can be obtained at this site: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oec/html/ceqr/project_10dme005k.shtml

Some more detailed information:

The proposed project is comprised of two parts: a development parcel and lands to be preserved and mapped as City parkland. The development parcel totals about 15 acres and is proposed for a retail development that would total approximately 294,000 gross square feet (gsf). Adjacent to the development parcel, directly on the Mill Basin waterfront, is the existing Sea Travelers Marina. A relocated driveway and traffic signal would provide access to both the proposed development and the existing marina via a common access corridor. To the east and south of the development parcel is Four Sparrows Marsh. This is also Cityowned property. Containing large areas of tidal wetlands and coastal habitat, the marsh is an undeveloped natural area. However, it is not mapped parkland. Therefore, one of the proposed actions is to map this area as public parkland which would protect, in perpetuity, these tidal wetlands and coastal habitats as natural areas under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). The project area to be mapped as parkland totals about 46 acres. A public trail proposed as part of the development component of the project would provide waterfront access for passive recreation

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The proposed development parcel is approximately 15 acres of City-owned land. The site design principle for the proposed project is to create a functional, interconnected, and aesthetically appealing commercial retail center. There are three components to the retail center, which are:

• A proposed auto-related commercial use referred to as the Kristal Auto Mall. To be located at the northern end of the development area, this proposed use would provide automobile sales, showroom, and service space in a two-story building with about 104,000 zoning square feet, with about 110,000 gross square feet. Also provided would be accessory parking for about 206 cars. This includes at-grade parking and rooftop parking. In addition to the proposed main building there would be a small accessory structure on the north side of the site. There would also be stormwater runoff and infrastructure improvements, as well as landscaping.
• The existing Toys ‘R’ Us, which contains about 46,000 gross square feet, would remain on the site. No additions or expansions to this building are proposed, with the exception of facade refurbishing. Improvements on this parcel include landscaping and paving/circulation improvements to interconnect the three development parcels.
• The proposed commercial retail complex on the south side of the development area would be the Four Sparrows Marsh Retail Center. There are two site plans under consideration that will be analyzed in the DEIS. Under one scenario, the proposed development concept calls for two commercial structures with a combined total building area of 137,967 gsf . The proposed development would include a one-story commercial retail structure (with about 40,176 gsf) along the Flatbush Avenue side of the lot and a two-story commercial retail structure (with about 97,791 gsf) to the rear of the lot set back further from Flatbush Avenue. The layout of this site plan and building design would allow for multiple tenants. The building heights would be 24 and 45 feet above grade, respectively up to 29 and 50 feet above grade, including rooftop mechanical space. Parking would be provided for 460 vehicles. This development would include the required finishes and landscaping in accordance with City zoning, including the planting of about 74 trees and space for about 32 bicycles. Under the second scenario, the proposed development concept calls for a single commercial structure with a total building area of 127,340 zsf.
• This site plan and building design assume a single-tenant building. The building height would be 30 feet above grade up to 40 feet above grade, including rooftop mechanical space. Under this scenario, parking would be provided for 427 vehicles. This development would include the required finishes and landscaping in accordance with City zoning, including the planting of about 68 trees and space for about 24 bicycles. Under either development scenario, there would be a new curb cut and relocation of the existing signalized intersection at Flatbush Avenue (which provides access to the Toys ‘R’ Us site), The relocated intersection would provide controlled access to the main access corridor of the proposed development.