Brooklyn Friends Relocation Gains Support
As we first reported in September, Brooklyn Friends School, a pre-K through 12 private school based on Quaker principles, has been looking to relocate and one site on their list is the corner of State and Hoyt, currently owned by the IBEC Building Corporation. IBEC had originally bought the site promising to build townhouses, back…
As we first reported in September, Brooklyn Friends School, a pre-K through 12 private school based on Quaker principles, has been looking to relocate and one site on their list is the corner of State and Hoyt, currently owned by the IBEC Building Corporation. IBEC had originally bought the site promising to build townhouses, back in 2004, and some residents, calling themselves Keep State Street Residential, have opposed Brooklyn Friends’ possible schoolhouse (which would be five stories and 55,000 square feet), arguing that it could lower property values and increase traffic to their carefully planned neighborhood. Now, the Brooklyn Eagle reports, hundreds of residents and businesses have signed a petition to support the school, arguing that a well-regarded private school would only attract families, increase property values, and benefit overall quality of life. Brooklyn Friends has said that they are considering multiple sites, and for the school to take the State/Hoyt site, IBEC would have to nullify the contract it signed with the city in 2004 to build 29 residential townhouses.
Friends’ Expansion Making Enemies on State? [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn Friends on State Street? [Brooklyn Eagle]
I do have a dog in this fight, since I recently moved to State Street, very near this site. At first, I was completely supprotive of the school. I particularly could care less about property values. (I rent!) But after considering the issues, I think that the petitioners opposing the move are absolutely right. Here’s why.
State Street is a narrow residential enclave, surrounded by massive commercial districts to the North (Shermerhorn Street), South (Atlantic Avenue) and West (Boerum Pl/Brooklyn Bridge Pl). All you have to do is simply look at Shermerhorn and State Streets to see the difference–the former is significantly wider, has high-rise buildings, and is almost entirely commercial. It’s clearly a part of Downtown Brooklyn, which Wikipedia describes as the third largest commercial district in New York City.
State Street already has the Brooklyn Detention Center bleakening its Western edge. All it would take is a few more mixed-use buildings for the residential character of this small street to be completely overwhelmed. State Street could easily become just another Livingston or Fulton Street unless its residential character is actively preserved.
Bklynite,
Thanks. It is a situation that has clearly steered a lot of emotions. But I think that if you look through all the information we have provided, you will see that property value is clearly not our number 1 concern.
We have made it clear (in our blog) and through our various discussions with the school and the community that this has never been against Brooklyn Friends or any school in general. It has always been about the proposed location, the fact that most of the potentially affected residents had not been consulted and when they finally were made aware of the project massively decided against it.
Moreover, we know that other sites are available to BFS, including one our entire neighborhood would be in favor of (at the corner of Hoyt and Schermerhorn St). Now, those other sites might not work with BFS time line or budget but the local resident should not have to be affected irreversibly by those cost or time constraints.
SSR — I am a local resident, and no, not the developer of the property. I made my comment about property values because of some pretty explicit statements to that effect on the blog you reference (see link below), but I recognize that there are other possible reasons to oppose a school.
Personally, I feel that schools are compatible with a high-quality residential neighborhood, and can promote their best aspects — see Packer, St. Ann’s, and most if not all of the UES private schools.
http://keepstatestreetresidential.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/a-letter-of-concern/
Bklynite,
You almost starting to sound like the developer of the site who recently made a comment (passing as a resident) about us benefiting from the school presence when we would flip our houses…
As I replied to the developer last week on that comment: I am not and I know a lot of other local homeowners are not in this fight because we are worried about property values. We are simply not interested in flipping our properties. I personally bought on this street because I fell in love with this neighborhood. The Hoyt/Schermerhon task force had made recommendations in the past to keep State St residential specifically to ensure that this street would remain a buffer between Downtown Brooklyn and the rest of Boerum Hill.
So the way we, resident of State St, look at it is that we live here and want to preserve the residential aspect of this street. You bet I am hyped about it.
Again, either you are the developer and we all know where you stand on the subject or you are not a local resident, in which case, you should let local resident have a say in the matter.
State St. Resident — it may not serve your property values so well to call your street “very busy and very dangerous” — also it’s just not credible in downtown Brooklyn when you are surrounding by Atlantic Ave., Fulton St., Flatbush, Tillary, to name a few. Tone down the rhetoric a bit, your hype is showing.
here we go again …
Once again, too many people with too much time on their hands making comments on something
– they clearly know nothing about and
– does not concern them anyway.
The petition mentioned in the original blog is being filled mostly with people that do not live on the concerned blocks and have no idea what they are signing.
We actually talked to people that had just signed that petition under FALSE pretenses:
– they were never told this was for a private school (most people would like the idea of a public school)
– they were never told that BFS is being offered another site ONE BLOCK north on Hoyt and Schermerhorn that makes a lot more sense for the entire neighborhood.
There was a great community meeting yesterday where both IBEC and BFS presented their project. Most local residents raised some very valid questions and got almost no answers from neither the school nor the developers.
If you really want to know more about this issue, learn about it instead of passing a judgment on the “bad people against a school”. If you had done some research, you would have found that most local residents potentially affected by this are not against the school but against the location on this already very busy and very dangerous street.
Want to know what you are talking about for a change?: http://keepstatestreetresidential.wordpress.com/
Read, educate yourself. Then maybe you can pass judgment.
But at the end of the day, unless you live here and could potentially be affected by a school with 400 kids, as many parents/caregivers and 80 staff members on a one line residential street with absolutely no parking solutions, then stop making us local concerned residents pass as bad guys.
I have no disagreement with your opinion – only when you make uninformed incorrect statements that only serve to confuse the issue. BFS is not concerned about the subway nosie etc and Sch. St is much wider and more caopble of handling the increased traffic. If you feelings are hurt when your ignorance is exposed about the issues surrounding the concern of the residents in the community – I apologize.
“I wouldn’t want to see the school built over the subway. And I love the throwaway comment- “Its slightly more costly to build over the subway,”. I want to see how “slight” that cost will be. As for Schermerhorn being better able to handle traffic? I really need that one explained since both streets run right next to one another. And are both approximately the same width.”
the neighboods in the heart of brownstone brooklyn discussed on brownstoner, is going to need this school and many more schools to keep up with demand.
of course they should build here. no brainer….will absolutely increase property values.
also, i have lived kitty corner from a high school and a couple of blocks away from a grade school and from a middle school, and i haven’t had anything happen in 3 years.
there is no noise, there isn’t chaos, there’s no violence, no crime, etc…
I think if you read back a bit you’ll note you started the discussion between us. I’m entitled to my opinion, why you chose to make it a problem is – well- your problem. get as nasty as you like- people like you who can’t state their talking points usually resort to insult. It didn’t help your argument any and you won’t be missed.