Second Development-Related Rally in May Expects Hundreds
Brooklyn is expected to see its second massive development-related rally this month on May 17, when hundreds are expected to march to Albee Square protesting the “lack of community involvement in upcoming development plans,” according to a press release from Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE). Last Saturday, hundreds of Brooklynites clashed in…
Brooklyn is expected to see its second massive development-related rally this month on May 17, when hundreds are expected to march to Albee Square protesting the “lack of community involvement in upcoming development plans,” according to a press release from Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE). Last Saturday, hundreds of Brooklynites clashed in a protest and counter-protest over Atlantic Yards. This rally addresses a myriad of other, less publicized effects of Downtown Brooklyn’s development boom that have perhaps been overshadowed (pun intended) by the massive arena and high-rise project, or at least its opponents’ more forceful media efforts. A few of the more noted past events expected to be addressed at this coming rally: Albee Square Mall was emptied to make way for City Point; dozens of small business owners on Bridge and Willoughby streets were evicted so new towers could be built; large apartment building for low-income families and a handful of smaller buildings were taken through eminent domain for Willoughby Square Park, a planned public plaza and underground parking garage (a home many believe was involved in the Underground Railroad was spared from the wrecking ball, but may still be lost to foreclosure). And nearly all of Myrtle Avenue’s neighborhood services between Flatbush Avenue and Fort Greene Park were cleared for construction of luxury high-rises, leaving residents of the nearby public housing complexes with nowhere to shop for groceries. Do you think the end result will put Brooklyn better or worse off in 10 years?
DoBro’s Household Income to Double? [Brownstoner]
Atlantic Yards or Atlantic Lots [Brownstoner]
Much of Downtown Brooklyn Going Out of Business [Brooklyn Eagle]
Albee Square Mall Clears Out [Brooklyn Eagle]
Ice Cube was right.
“Us…will always sing the blues
‘Cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes.”
It’s Allison Dean again here. I am a journalist and posted earlier about wanting to talk to people on this stream. I am looking for people with different points of view to talk to precisely because I am interested in getting a range of viewpoints. I have co-produced projects for non-profits to use in their advocacy work, it’s true. The project I’m interested in interviewing people who are posting here for is separate from that work. So again, I would really appreciate the opportunity to speak with people posting here, especially if you have a positive view of what is going on around Fulton Mall and in downtown Brooklyn, because I have not been able to talk to many people who are coming from that perspective. People posting here are obviously extremely passionate about the issues, and I believe it’s important for these different voices to be heard, in my project and in the media in general. So, again, if anyone on this stream would be willing to speak with me I’d be grateful and happy to answer any questions people may have about my work. Thanks, Allison Dean, msaldean@gmail.com 917-586-6543
“…expressed in assertions perhaps made by overly defensive residents (new to NY?)..”
How does being “overly defensive” (if, indeed, that is what these posts are) equate with being new to NYC? This sounds like the perennial counterinsult hurled at people from the “midwest”. Many native New Yorkers of all colors and creeds take issue with issues outlined in this thread, which are hardly the domain of alleged newbies.
Trust me, the NYC of the future contains people of color. In my Prospect Heights building the # of African-Americans has increased with gentrification, only the recent arrivals are all college-educated professionals. The area is gradually diversifying, changing from predominantly African-American and Caribbean to a population containing both of those groups, plus whites and Asians.
There seems to be a sentiment running through some of these posts complaining about the current state of downtown Brooklyn, Fulton Mall, etc. It’s appalling to me how a dialogue about Brooklyn and NYC’s future development and growth turns into an opportunity to bash working-class housing project residents (by name, no less!) some of whom receive welfare as well as more generally the poor and working poor of this neighborhood, many of whom are Latino immigrants and African Americans. This kind of sentiment that the area’s necessarily better off without certain populations (and the state should plan it that way) is expressed in assertions perhaps made by overly defensive residents (new to NY?) taking refuge from their neighbors, without realizing or thinking it’s a problem that in downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene, for instance, where homes can sell regularly for $1 million+, the poverty rate is 31% (something more like 46% in the projects).
Whatever your vision of Brooklyn, which may or may not include people of color and existing communities that the City (and pro-development interests) deem “blighted,” shouldn’t it be troubling that the City, in fact, plans to use eminent domain seizures in these and other development projects in Brooklyn, that businesses and residents are being harassed, priced out, or displaced?
And, in terms of what Brooklyn “is,” it’s historically been defined against and in opposition to what’s been perceived as Manhattan real estate interests. Manhattan is generally where the money is, where luxury condos have been, where skyscrapers are built. Brooklyn has generally not been all those things. If the current craze in condo building and development-at-all-stakes is allowed to continue, then there will be textures, cultures, and long-term residents displaced. It will be a very different New York City from the one that a lot of us grew up with, a place that yes (famously) had crime and safety, depopulation, capital flight, and white flight issues, but also a lot of good stuff that didn’t (and doesn’t) make it into mainstream media.
“Although it’s true that upper and middle income teenagers have lower pregnancy rates, they also have much higher abortion rates. Are you saying that these mothers discussed above should have chosen an abortion?”
No, I never said that (you can even re-check my post and, sure enough, that statement will not appear). Still, it’s true that men and women who postpone parenthood until they are financially stable (yes, even if said postponement involves abortion) do better in life.
“Also, single parents and young mothers can be successful, too.”
I agree, and I never said that they couldn’t. But it’s common sense that people who earn a college or advanced degree, form long-term partnerships, postpone parenthood, save money, buy property, and sacrifice today for tomorrow by and large do much better in life than those who drop out of school, have children in their teens, go on public assistance, and become single parents. Most research indicates that the latter suffer immeasurably more than the former.
“Forming long-term partnerships…” tell that to the guys on Wall Street who consider hiring escorts a hobby, or to the fifty percent of the couples who get divorced, rich and poor.
Wow, for someone who is so offended by stereotyping, you sure are eager to lump Wall Street employees into broad-based categories. If anything, you prove the point that I made above. Wall Street guys generally have advanced degrees and lucrative jobs obtained through diligence and long hours at work. They also save money, buy property and stocks, and plan ahead. Yes, the divorce rate is high in the US, but if a divorcee has an education, significant work experience, and an ability to sacrifice and see the bigger picture, then he/she will still fare better than those who are uneducated, on public assistance, and unemployed/or not seeking work.
“Some of this stuff is very offensive to me…”
Welcome to the internet, where anonymity breeds honesty. I, too, read things on this board that offend me, but that goes with the territory. If you can’t take it, then cease logging on to brownstoner. Also, the above is NOT racist. Every point made pertains to BEHAVIOR, not race. White people constitute the majority of welfare recipients and display every behavior that I’ve outlined here.
i think it’s really amazing that people think an unregulated free market is the answer to everything. many places in this country (and certainly outside) have much more democratic processes for approving zoning changes than NYC. the public hearing process is a joke — people take their time to go to a hearing and make heartfelt statements and the project goes forward anyway. the only reason people didn’t protest the downtown brooklyn plan when it happened was that nobody knew it was happening. what would it be like to live in a place where people were actually notified adequately about proposed changes, and then were able to have some real impact in a public process? there are places in this country where you need to engage the community by law, or the development doesn’t happen.
the point isn’t to keep fulton mall black and poor, it’s about not allowing money to control the agenda to the exclusion of everything else. there are other ways to measure what a good community is besides who has most money.
we need more informed analysis and less rhetoric, especially racist and stupid comments, on this blog. and as for shopping districts not being part of community, why do you have to live somewhere to have a stake in it? what about the more than 20 small business-owners who just got evicted with 30-days notice because of some small print in their leases? don’t they have a stake in what happens? and does anybody really think a bunch of big retail chains you would find on 34th street are better than the mix that’s at fulton mall now?
6:58 – “MUTUALLY RACIST scapegoating garbage”
You mean reverse racism?
No such thing. Sorry.
7:15 PM – OMG AMAZING DETECTIVE SKILLZ. i.e. way to Google someone who posted her full name, which seems to indicate that she isn’t trying to hide anything. And who said anything about “unbiased?” Plenty of excellent documentary work is “biased.”
so basically you are looking for souless people?