Desperately Proposing Alternative Uses for Jail
November 28, 2005, NY Daily News — A jail located smack in downtown Brooklyn is set to house inmates once again – but now housing and retail may be included on the Atlantic Ave. site. Despite protest from groups who want the Brooklyn House of Detention closed forever, the city can reopen the 11-story facility…
November 28, 2005, NY Daily News — A jail located smack in downtown Brooklyn is set to house inmates once again – but now housing and retail may be included on the Atlantic Ave. site. Despite protest from groups who want the Brooklyn House of Detention closed forever, the city can reopen the 11-story facility at any time. The jail – shuttered two years ago because of the declining population behind bars – will likely reopen in 2007 when an East River jail barge is closed for repairs. Faced with the prospect of an 815-bed jail reopening near hundreds of new luxury condo apartments and two trendy shopping and restaurant streets, residents and Borough President Marty Markowitz suggested the facility be integrated into a larger mixed-use development. “The idea was raised by the community if it was possible for some mixed-use design on an existing part of the facility we don’t need or on space that could be built on,” Antenen said. “We didn’t close the door on it.” Markowitz asked Pratt Institute architecture students to come up with possible designs for the jail/housing/shopping complex by next month.
Mixed Use Proposal for Jail [NY Daily News]
Target was an EXAMPLE used to demonstrate that NYC is underserved in terms of retail options.
But considering that you frequent and praise the AT Pathmark maybe you ought not be so fast in decrying more stores Babs
The proliferation of chain stores like Target, endlessly repeating themselves along ugliness like Jericho Turnpike in Western Suffolk, is precisely the reason that I (and many others) moved here in the first place. One Target store in our midst is plenty.
Everything in Manhattan and gentrified (or gentrifying) Brooklyn is so bland and boorrrring. I hate living here. I wish it were really cool like the old days. 😉
The affordability data is from the 1996, 1999 and 2002 Housing and Vacancy Surveys
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/research/hvsresearch.html#2002hvs
The 2002 HVS data show that 25.5% of renters spent more than 50% of their income on rent. If indeed, a more up to date figure is 19.9%, it would appear that there has been phenomenal progress.
I just think it’s time to start questioning the gospel that ever more residential/retail development in close-in Brooklyn is wise.
In relation to your statistics you might find this article interesting:
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/demographics/20051004/5/1608
Summary 36.7% of Renters spend more than 30% of income on rent (accepted definition of affordable); 19.9% spend more than 50%
For low income people the numbers are closer to 50% at greater than 30 percent of income and 70% at 50% or more.
Virtually every study I’ve seen puts Ny as the 1st or 2nd most expensive place to live for housing costs.
BkBorn, most – including myself agree with you re: the jail – its the rest of what you said:
“The area surrounding the House of Detention in particular has quite enough apartment buildings, restaurants and retail for the moment. That area has always been, and continues to be a pretty bland and flavorless area with a decidely Manhattan-like lack of residential or commercial identity. ”
That I have a problem with.
As for your affordability statisics please cite the source.
OK:
Let’s circle back to the topic of the thread ie. redevelopment of the House of Detention and general redevelopment of city-owned properties into residential buildings. I contend that more high-rise residential development at Atlantic and Adams would add little to the character or substance of the area and should not be pursued by the city. I called the area bland based on a lifetime (35 years) in boerum hill and park slope where I’ve witnessed many changes; some for the better and some for the worse. People who work 14-hour days are great people, just not great neighbors in my experience. Still just my opinion.
But I take issue with the generic proposition that all redevelopment is good because there is a housing crisis. This just seems to be an excuse not to plan.
Rent as a percentage of per capita median income in NYC has fallen from 30% in 1996 to 29.2% in 1999 to 28.6% in 2002. This is a decent summary of housing affordability and shows a moderate downward trend in recent years (data are not yet available for 2005). As mentioned in my earlier post, development rates (permits and completions of non-conversion units) are as high as they were in the 1970s.
There should be a comprehensive development plan with special care to city-owned property. Prisoners do not ride subways, send their kids to local schools or paralell park. The facility itself is in good repair and there are plans to re-open should the inmate population grow from its historically low current level. The city is operating at a surplus. And, as mentioned above, there is ample residential and commercial development in the immediate area. I don’t see the case.
I understand your point that it is less of an interactive neighborhood than it would be if people are working together to fix up burnt out buildings and prevent crime, but I don’t really see it as a reason to protest against development of run down buildings, lots or neighborhoods. Brownstone Brooklyn is not “bland” anyway. Just because some new condo buyer is not your best buddy and works 14 hour days doesn’t mean they are a bad person or are not worthy neighbors. I don’t think you are saying that, but your complaint doesn’t really offer any alternative other than to let prime real estate either decay or lie fallow because there is enough ‘bland’ development. That sort of comment reminds me of some Art student complaining about how a certain activity or neighborhood is “boring”, i.e. not hip or interesting enough for his taste.
You called Atlantic and Boreum Bland – not PS – your explanation does not fit
As for you naming all the developments and stores it really has no bearing; their is clearly a housing shortage in NYC as demonstrated by the astronomical rents and purchase prices (btw – even if you compensate for recent inflation) as for retail – by conventional metrics NYC is woefully underserved. By Way of example take Target – If you assume that the AT Target serves only the residents of 88,84,76,76 and 77 precincts (clearly it serves much more) you are talking about 1 store for 300,000+ residents – yet in Nassua County (and extreme Western Suffolk) there are 9 Targets serving probably 1.5M people (not to mention many more similar stores like WallMarts, KMarts, Sears, JC Penny, Macys etc…)