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A group of parents advocating for more schools in Downtown Brooklyn has asked nine developers to build a school shell in their upcoming projects in exchange for more buildable capacity or tax breaks, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported. Downtown Brooklyn School Solutions projects another 8,000 or more residential units planned for downtown will bring an additional 2,600 children into the neighborhood by 2018, overwhelming the existing excess capacity of 400 for students.

An open letter posted Aug. 4 on the group’s website calls on owners of nine specific Downtown Brooklyn development sites to consider doing so. The list at the group website includes Forest City Ratner, which is demolishing 10 MetroTech to build housing. It also targets Tom and Fred Elghanayan of TF Cornerstone, who are tearing down the parking garage at 276-300 Livingston St. to build a huge apartment complex – and looking to buy Brooklyn Community Services’ building next door to enlarge their site, as Eye on Real Estate recently reported.

The article then goes on to detail all the construction happening in the area and where it stands now, focusing on six glassy tower projects. The rental-condo hybrid at 388 Bridge Street is expected to finish up early next year, the story said.

Downtown Construction Wave Resumes, Bringing New Residential Units to 13,000 [Brooklyn Eagle]
Checking in With the Downtown Brooklyn School Initiative [Brownstoner]
Tech Triangle to Remake Downtown, Navy Yard [Brownstoner]
Second Wave of Development to Transform Downtown [Brownstoner]


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  1. It’s probably just me, but any organization that touts itself as an advocate for schools makes me assume that they’re actually just another charter school shill–looking for a piece of DOE funding pie.

    So can we find out more about “Downtown Brooklyn School Solutions?” Like who started them? Like why they mention “school choice” so much?