« Is Atlantic Yards Funding in Jeopardy? Report: Subprime Foreclosures Rampant in Brooklyn »
January 28, 2008
Downtown Brooklyn in Transition
The Brooklyn Eagle has a series of stories about the massive changes under way in Downtown Brooklyn, chief among them the area’s shift from a primarily commercial district to a residential area. The paper figures that if all the buildings (not counting AY) now planned for Downtown are built, there will be more than 15,000 new residents in the area, and it could become a vibrant 24-7 community further bolstered by an influx of college students in the wake of NYU and Polytechnic’s merger. In the meantime, however, large swaths of Downtown are primed to become “miniature ghost towns” for a few years as businesses are forced out and construction projects commence. Reporter Sarah Ryley found that many business owners are angry about getting evicted, and current residents are frustrated about the dwindling number of amenities as shops shutter. Ryley noted that none of the business owners she interviewed on Bridge and Willoughby streets has received government assistance to relocate, though a spokesperson for the EDC said the city plans to give them relocation funding “when and if appropriate.”
Much of Downtown Brooklyn Is Going Out of Business [Brooklyn Eagle]
Downtown Residential Growth Ready To Take Off [Brooklyn Eagle]
Downtown Brooklyn: A College Town [Brooklyn Eagle]
Rendering of Downtown in 2012 from The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/3678
Comments
Re: The coming desolation, "temporary" ghost town following demolition and prior to construction and completion.
Sure hope none of these projects get suspended or hung up for a period of years in the midst of the current economic slowdown.
And in that circumstance, might crime increase in the "construction zone", with fewer pedestrians and workers and residents actually using the streetscape?
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 10:19 AM
all the following projects will be complete regardless of the financial situation in the country; 200 livingston, oro, belltel, 110 livingston, sheraton hotel, some form of the albee mall. this should give a critical mass for some vibrancy. keep in coming, bklyn!
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 10:25 AM
Downtown Brooklyn needs to become better.
This is overdue. Brooklyn is great thriving city but its downtown looks like a shrinking rustbelt burg.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 10:27 AM
15,000 new residents -- where are the schools in these plans? I'd figure this would require planning for at least one new elementary school, right?
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 10:49 AM
Thanks Nostradamis @ 10:25.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 11:49 AM
all those kids will be schooled on "the streets" 10:49.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 12:24 PM
If you look at what's actually being built, it's mostly studios and 1BR units. Not really the type of units that come with alot of kids. I was looking for a 3BR in one of the new developments in downtown Brooklyn a little while back, and let me tell you, they are few and far between. Even the samll number of 2BR's that are being built will not really generate demand for schools since that second bedroom is often used as an office or as an infant's room. By the time the kid is old enough for school, those people are off to brownstone brooklyn or the burbs.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 1:28 PM
Even if 80% of these are no kids, that means 3,000 residents of which some portion are kids. Even if all the remainders are two parents and only one kid, that would still mean 1,000 kids in downtown Brooklyn and no discussion of where to school them.
Rationally, it would seem that planners need to think about this, at least for the younger ages.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 1:40 PM
Although not labeled, the under construction Brooklyn "flatiron" building on Tillary and Flatbush is visibile in the picture to the left of the Oro #1.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 1:49 PM
It'll probably be more like 90-95% no kids. ANd there is plenty of space in nearby schools in Fort Greene, prospect heights and Boerum Hill.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 2:20 PM
2:20 makes a good point to all the naysayers. Many area schools are underpopulated and could absord what few children wind up in this building. Besides, it will likely be populated by a transitional yuppie crowd that leaves the city once their children reach school age. They will then be replaced by more transitional people, thus setting a permanent pattern of flux.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 3:03 PM
isn't the stadium on the wrong side of the street in that picture?
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 5:09 PM
This pic is looking north from Flatbush and DeKalb towards the Manhattan Bridge so the arena isn't in it at all. That's just an advertising billboard you're looking at bottom left.
Posted by: guest at January 28, 2008 5:19 PM
"a transitional yuppie crowd that leaves the city once their children reach school age"
Aren't those allegedly the people who are NOT leaving the city and thus driving up prices?
Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 1:30 AM
any news on the lawrence st development?
http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2008/01/development_wat_134.php
Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 10:06 AM
10:06: DOB rejected the building plans yesterday.
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobDetailsServlet?requestid=2&allisn=0001388443&allboroughname=&allnumbhous=&allstrt=
I'd imagine they'll come back with revised plans. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to see DOB's objections.
Posted by: zinka at January 29, 2008 1:08 PM
thanks zinka. looks like a screening room is part of the plans.
Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 8:18 PM
Also a whole lot of parking. I don't know why they're putting so much parking in.
Posted by: zinka at January 31, 2008 12:52 AM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.