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July 30, 2008

DOE: It's Time to Examine Dock Street

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While parents of young children in The Heights must have been happy with yesterday's announcement of plans to build a new annex to PS 8, we doubt their grins matched those over at Two Trees headquarters in Dumbo yesterday. According to a tipster, during the Q&A portion of the PS 8 press conference, Department of Education officials gave the most encouraging words yet about the potential for a new public middle school in the proposed Dock Street development. According to the email we received, "Officials responded by saying that they recognize a need, have looked at a number of options and the thinking at this time is to examine placing a Middle School into the Two Trees Dock Street project." After withdrawing its first set of plans for the site in the face of public criticism over the size and proximity of the building to the Brooklyn Bridge in 2004, Two Trees floated a revised proposal last year for a 400-unit LEED-certified building with 20% affordable housing and space for a public middle school. There's still plenty of opposition to the project (including Councilmember David Yassky), but this public declaration by DOE has to be seen as a big step for Dock Street. "We are very pleased that the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority are interested in locating a much-needed middle school in our Dock Street building," Two Trees' Jed Walentas told us. "Our goal from day one was to have this be a public middle school – and it looks like we are a step closer to that reality." The project is far from a done deal, though, as it still needs to go through the ULURP process. You can check out a rendering of the project here.
Two Trees Plans Mixed Use Building Next to Bridge [Brownstoner] GMAP
Dock Street Plans (Marina and All) Go 3D [Brownstoner]
Dock Street Protesters: 20% There on Signatures [Brownstoner]




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:05 AM | Comments (11)
Categories: Dumbo, Schools

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Comments

I guess I get why some people are pissed about this, but I think it'll be good overall for the neighborhod. Now that DOE's getting on board, it's going to be tought to say no. Who can be against "the kids"?

Posted by: lowintheheights at July 30, 2008 9:39 AM

It's hard to not feel that one is making a deal with the devil by relying on developers to fill a neighborhood's need for a decent middle school. Unfortunately, that might be the only real option. Although I do wish the powers that be would heed Judy Stanton's advice to assess the feasibility of building a bigger annex to accomodate a K-8 facility in and around PS 8.

Posted by: Biff Champion at July 30, 2008 9:46 AM

I'm all for preserving neighborhoods and wasn't happy that Two Trees tore down a building on this site right before landmarking, but I have to admit that i thnk the building itseldf is fine. it'll certainly be better than j condo or the tall one on Adams stret.

Posted by: guestula at July 30, 2008 10:28 AM

Best option for a school. Buildng on PS 8 site would take 5-10 years, btw planning, bidding, construction, if even feasible.

Posted by: chrishavens at July 30, 2008 10:55 AM

Biff - what is your source for Judy Stanton's advice?

Posted by: ITM at July 30, 2008 2:10 PM

ITM, it was in the Brooklyn Eagle link posted in the PS 8 story immediately preceding this one. Here is the link:

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=22151

Here is the quote:

Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, which has long supported P.S. 8, applauded the annex and questioned whether the School Construction Authority was planning big enough.

“I would like the Department of Education to consider the feasibility of a bigger annex,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle on Tuesday after the announcement. “Why stop with 150 seats? Seth could fill 10 classrooms if he had them. They should scope out the maximum possible.”

Stanton said that P.S. 8 was once a K–8th-grade school, adding, “We now have children for K–8 moving into the district. The BHA “still has a vision for K–8,” she said.

“Parents who believe in the Renzulli model [a teaching method used at P.S. 8] support a K — 8 vision.

Posted by: Biff Champion at July 30, 2008 2:38 PM

guestula -

what's so bad about jcondo? the building has won several awards, it's set back and separated from the dumbo and fulton ferry enclave by the manhattan bridge, and has brought several decent new stores to the area along with some nice new residents and more business to the local merchants.

This constant I hate therefore I am mentality is getting so tiring.

Posted by: BrooklynLove at July 30, 2008 3:14 PM

I think that including the new school in the new Dock Street building is the way to go. A purpose-built environment for the kids in a decent, new structure.
The Ancients who argue that the new building may somehow overwhelm the poor little Brooklyn Bridge desreve to be stuffed and displayed in a diarama at the Museum of Natural History dated "Brooklyn, 1968".
Let's get on with it, the dock street proposal is a win-win.


Posted by: sam at July 30, 2008 3:16 PM

sam, it's not just the Bridge obstruction that's the issue here. It's also the fact there is a good chance that, even if Two Trees comes through on all their promises, which is a huge "if", the new middle school still won't have the space that will be required to accomodate all the children in the area (not to mention other issues with the proposal). Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely against the project - it might be the only solution at this point - but I'm just saying it's not even close to ideal and I would have preferred an annex or more space close to PS 8 if that was an option (which it doesn't appear to be right now).

Posted by: Biff Champion at July 30, 2008 3:23 PM

Thanks Biff, I missed that one. Building any size annex on the PS8 site would be one way to utilize existing tax payer resources. Building out the as-of-right envelope would be the highest and best use of tax payer resources. Putting a public school inside a private development is the least efficient use of tax payer resources and a subsidy in the form of additional profit for the developer of the project.

Posted by: ITM at July 30, 2008 3:33 PM

Even IF Two Trees comes through on their promise of building a Middle School, the building itself is too tall for the parcel.
There is no need for such a dense, tall building one block from the waterfront and right next to the Landmarked Brooklyn Bridge. Its just plain Wallentas hubris and greed.
Additionally , a huge underground several level parking lot is planned in a known flood plain and I hear the environmental impact report is sketchy - with the flooding problems we already have, is it wise to make such a huge underground space feet from the surging East River? Again - greed and arrogance.
There is a lot of neighborhood opposition for many reasons. But if they would just propose an appropriately designed, lower density building to sit on that massive lot, people would be more amenable to the idea. As of now, local residents simply see an unnecessarily big, ugly, light & view blocking eyesore, creating more traffic and more crowding in an area that is already congested and difficult to navigate vehicularly, masquerading as an altruistic gift to the people of DUMBO. Ugh.

The Wallentases feel so proprietary about the 'hood they already tried to bribe the State Park with something like 6 million bucks, for the Park (not sure through what official channel) to introduce legislation to allow them to develop the Tobacco Warehouse in addition to the Empire Stores (if they get the RFP). Luckily, Joan Millman caught the change in language, started reffering to the bill as the "Wallentas Bill" , made a big deal about how the Park had said the Tobacco Warehouse was not on the table for an RFP, and the State Park folks backed down.

The Wallentases really want that carousel in there and they really want to stick BAM/St Ann's in the (NOT THEIRS) Tobacco Warehouse. Why? Probably to build another giant eyesore on the current St Ann's site. You know what? This neighborhood is developing at a fine pace, we don't need or want more giant skyscrapers (J Condo IS too tall, non contextual and awful looking - even people who live there will bashfully admit - though they do love their views) we need CONTEXTUAL low density development - there can still be PLENTY of money made that way. Back down, Jed, David and Jane

PS - whoever said J Condo is separated from DUMBO by the Manhattan Bridge clearly doesn't know the layout of the hood. The majority of the newly designated historic district encompasses the part of DUMBO on the EAST Side of the anchorage - that is where the giant ugly thing sits - right on Jay & Front. It has brought us a drug store, a crap wine store, and a bank - big effing deal.

Posted by: dumbo parent at August 2, 2008 10:24 PM

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