Here’s an interesting solution for the House of Detention on Atlantic that doesn’t involve supersizing the facility: Comptroller Bill Thompson says the city should sell the property, according to an article in today’s Daily News. Thompson wrote a letter to Mayor Bloomberg that says selling the facility, which has been closed since ’03, will bring cash to the city and prevent a reopened jail from damaging Downtown Brooklyn’s economy. “Because our City has already begun to experience economic weakness, communities such as Downtown Brooklyn remain at risk of reversing their economic gains,” wrote Thompson, saying that reopening the jail “would … directly impact the revitalization of the surrounding area.” Right now community members who oppose the Department of Corrections’ plan to double the House of Detention’s size are considering suing the city. We wonder how much a property like this might fetch, and what sort of developer would be interested in taking it on. Guesses?
Sell Shut Downtown Brooklyn Jail to Raise Cash, Bloomberg Urged [NY Daily News]
City Looks to Supersize the House of D [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by Funtime Ben.