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April 1, 2008
City Looks to Supersize the House of D
As Curbed noted yesterday and the Post picked up on today, the city is once again trying to get developers interested in expanding the House of Detention on Atlantic Ave. and adding ground-floor retail to the building. The consortium known as the Brooklyn House of Detention Community Stakeholders Group, which formed after the the Dept. of Corrections declined to consider the one proposal submitted for the jail last year, reprinted a section of the RFP on its site: "The purpose of this project is to create additional housing for 720 inmates in twelve dormitories of sixty beds each; create space within the new addition and within the first three floors of the existing structure providing programmatic support and ancillary accommodations for the increased capacity; improve the existing structure's deteriorating facade; create continuous ground floor retail space within the existing jail space along Atlantic Avenue and relocate displaced jail functions elsewhere on site; and explore the prospect of incorporating parking within the confines of the site." One wonders how much developer interest there'll be in this sort of deal, though the city says it wants to pick a firm to helm the project by July.
Brooklyn's Jail with Retail is Back with a Lot More Jail [Curbed]
Brooklyn Jail Eyes Cell-Out [NY Post]
Locals Put Heat On City For Ignoring House of D Plan [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by JayeClaire.
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Comments
I think of these units as "edgy" and "estate ready".
The Broker
Someday this joke's gonna end.
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 11:04 AM
which will be finished first? The Second Avenue Subway, Brooklyn Bridge Park, or the New and Improved HOD?
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 11:16 AM
"Supersize the House of D"?
Would you like some tasers with your order?
Posted by: Biff Champion at April 1, 2008 11:26 AM
They should turn that SOM barcode building into the new HOD. Or would that be considered cruel and unusual punishment?
Posted by: sam at April 1, 2008 11:35 AM
Sam, I was thinking exactly the same thing yesterday - Flatbush/Myrtle is a much better place for the HOD; convenient to the Manhattan Bridge and the BQE - and Atlantic Avenue has or is near shops, restaurants, and lots of other people who live there.
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 12:00 PM
I live in the neighborhood and would rather see something else there, but a jail makes sense in this location because of the proximity to the courts. I'd like to see them turn the door of the jail to the State Street and Boerum Place sides of the building and have only retail and other public non-jail things facing Smith and Atlantic. That way, the jail stuff is focused towards the courts and the retail faces the neighborhood, elimiating the dead zone on Atlantic.
Posted by: trudylou at April 1, 2008 12:50 PM
Can we just all go back a read the three other threads in which nimby's say move the jail and others say, but it needs to be near the courts?
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at April 1, 2008 2:07 PM
I like Trudylou's suggestions. If they're going to do the construction anyhow...
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 2:24 PM
I'm amused by the "additional housing for inmates" bit, like it's a home for battered women.
Posted by: Jeremy at April 1, 2008 6:17 PM
It is not all that debatable that without the jail there, this is one of the most promising blocks in all of brooklyn for development. I understand the original reasons for the HOD being there and that some of those reasons still exist, but I just have to think they are outweighed now. It is a real shame to walk down atlantic or smith and then hit the jail.
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 6:52 PM
That jail is HOT. People are going to start getting arrested just to end up there. And the beauty part? that's right, it's rent free! Those cells could go for $1000 a square foot, each cell is 800 square feet, alright really 67 square feet, but still a BIG VALUE. utilities and meals included. Free gym. steps to Smith Street and all subways.
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 7:38 PM
7:38 is on to something. Can I get work release?
Posted by: guest at April 2, 2008 9:18 AM
Clearly HOD needs to be torn down and rebuilt - how about studio apartments - The Brooklyn House of Good Intention?
Posted by: emilyposter at April 10, 2008 7:23 PM
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