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As we post this, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is about to begin briefing to the media about the five-year vision for the downtown area, loosely defined as the Flatbush corridor leading from the Manhattan Bridge to what the proposed Atlantic Yards project. The briefing may be a little anti-climactic though, since DBP gave The Post the scoop a day early. What you see above are the envisioned transformations of two spots—the Metrotech area and the BAM Cultural District—that ran in the paper this morning. The article also trots out a lot of big numbers:
   • $9.5 billion
   • 56 projects
   • 14,300 new residential units
   • 35,000 new residents
   • 1,800 hotel rooms
   • 3.2 million s.f. of commercial
The thing we were most interested to see, however, was the glimpse of the Flatiron-shaped BFC tower currently rising at the southeast corner of Myrtle and Flatbush; we’ve been trying to get a look for a while but the developer has been closely guarding the finished product. You can check out two not particularly close-up views on the jump.
B’klyn Reaches for The Skies [NY Post]
Downtown Brooklyn Renderings [NY Post]
Downtown Brooklyn Video [NY Post]

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  1. “Those buidlings are just to out of scale with everything else in Brooklyn.”

    So what? Where does it say that every building in the VAST borough of Brooklyn should be the same size?

  2. Yes re-development of Downtown Brooklyn will be favroable to Brooklyn. But why does it have to be high rise? Those buidlings are just to out of scale with everything else in Brooklyn.

  3. 12:09
    Yes, they ARE razing historic buildings for “downtown” Brooklyn building. Duffield St. is in the news. FCR messed up a wonderfully convertible factory–it had a terrific glazed terracotta exterior (and it probably could have been built on top of or at least the facades saved). FCR has ripped down a number of buildings and would like to keep going, and going, and going.

    Does anyone every discuss the vacancy issue Metrotech has been plagued with over the years?!

    Now that we’ve approached the top of the hill and are looking over the summit into the chasm, what will happen if all this proposed space is built and fails to sell or rent as residences or office space?

    Are the buildings being designed, spec’d and construction managed to be highly efficient, not just “LEEDS” compliant? Me thinks not.

    Plus, as I have raised before on Brownstoner, have appropriate assessments been made that show there will be no problem with either the existing or even upgraded infrastructure to handle all the water and electricity needs as well as the waste water produced? What about the subways? I take the Q at Atlantic and it can be PACKED to the gills at 8:30AM.

    FG/TGL

  4. re comparison to JC and LIC, i was referring to high-end resi and commercial development … and the high-end retail that goes with it. let me put it to you this way. if development of this nature off the island of manhattan makes sense anywhere in the nyc metro area, it’s in downtown bk. all the infrastructure is already in place – we just need developers to tap into it. no brainer in my opinion, and it’s going to happen – whether it take 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 15 yrs, credit crisis, meteorite, whatever. enjoy it instead of fighting it. smart development (i.e. vetting urban planning and asthetic design) is one thing, but outright resistance is just plain retarded in this situation.

  5. I was so inspired by this video that I now think we should raze all the landmark neighborhoods surrounding Downtown Brooklyn. Perhaps Kenneth Branagh will be available for the video for that plan. Maybe Borat.

  6. Atlantic Ave, Flatbush Ext, 4th Ave, Boerum Pl, Tillary Pl are all at least 6 lanes wide – how does this significantly differ from most places in Manhattan? And unlike Manhattan virtually EVERY single subway line crosses through this area.

    Housing is expensive, new people are coming and hopefully economic development is happening – so you have a choice – you can do nothing and prices will increase even more until NY is economically unfeasible for living and working(and then the city starts to reverse hurting millions) or you can build. (Despite what many here seem to believe economies/societies dont stay static – either you grow and develop or you shrink and suffer – as much as some would like you can’t ‘freeze’ Brooklyn in 2003)

    Seems to me the only real choice is to build (housing, offices and retail) to allow the city to continue to grow. So that only leaves 1 question =WHERE – and it is clear to anyone who cares about the environment, sustainable development and urban living that building at or near the city ‘core’ is the best place.

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