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]
4:48,
I’m not sure what your point it, but I’m not planning to live in that neighborhood. And as much as I’d like to see the Ingersoll Houses go away, there’s no chance of that happening. I was just point out that the residents of Ingersoll were in no way displaced to make room for the new condo developments.
4:22 I understand now. So if you you’re black and you don’t feel that the man is keeping down but that you can do whatever you put your mind to you are an assimilationist.
I can’t believe it. I was thinking of voting for an assimilationist for president. Imagine that.
4:35,
Whoa. That’s deep. You’re trashing women you don’t even know by name with some typical classist, racist AND sexist b.s. in an astounding triple play of privilege and prejudice. You clearly have no concept of decency.
4:39 i know what used to be where the new condos are going. You say thats the biggest complaint of people. boohoo. If you dont like whats there, then you dont like the neighborhood, if you dont like the neighborhood, dont live there. its that easy.
But just so you know, they will be gone. it will happen and I will come back and say i told you so. just cause im nice like that!! 🙂
I love when people talk about “market forces” as if there is no ideological weight behind it. As if “market forces” just neutrally push and pull, without the intervention of the government, without the influence of history.
These “market forces” do not drive toward economic parity because that would mean less profit. Would you still hire your cleaning lady if she demanded to be paid enough to afford a college education so she wouldn’t have to be a cleaning lady?
4:09,
Bullshit. No one in the projects is getting kicked out of the Ingersoll Houses to make way for condos.
Oro, Avalon, and Toren replaced a few businesses (a gas station, for example), but no residential buildings were destroyed to make way for those projects. In fact, one of the biggest complaints people have about the condos you mentioned is that they are right next to THE INGERSOLL HOUSES.
Boricua Jack,
“Wow, that’s some classic classism right there. Can’t you come up with something more original than blaming low-income folks for their plight or making it seem like they’re less deserving than people with more money?”
Most people decide their own fate.
I absolutely blame many low-income folks for their plight. Take Nitza Nieves, for example. Chair of the board of FUREE. On welfare, lives in public housing–did I mention she HAS 6 KIDS? Maybe she wouldn’t have to rely on handouts if she had a little self control.
Or maybe Marvell Cruickshank, another FUREE member. Lives in public housing, had her first child at 17. Instead of having 3 kids, maybe she could’ve gone to college and gotten a decent paying job instead of collecting welfare.
“I bet that many of the people who you’re slandering right there are just as “hardworking” as those folks you mention from Brooklyn Heights or Boerum Hill, if not more so.”
Who knows? I’m sure some are, but I bet most of the people aren’t really that hardworking. It’s all speculation. I will say, however, that I see an awful lot of healthy young men and women in the projects that don’t seem to do anything except loiter. Oh, and hang out at the Fulton Mall.
“Also willing to bet that most of them are more decent than you.”
If by decent you mean “on welfare, sucking up my tax dollars”, then yes, you’re absolutely right.
This shouldnt be about race and I dont know why it has come down to that. It is about having a mix of places for people to shop. Places that cater to all types of people. The great thing about downtown is that you can get things that you cant find anywhere else in most of brooklyn and the city. People that dont shop there because its not their type dont realize that though.
and 4:09, look at Ingersoll Houses, people are going to be kicked out for Oro, Avalon, Toren and everything else thats going up over there. Where do they go?
Boricua: One part of my response is that you’re now asking to reverse economic forces. When an area becomes in demand and starts to redevelop rents and housing prices will inevitably begin to skyrocket. Are you requesting that the city find a way to decrease demand for Downtown Brooklyn? The second answer is, the goal should not be to surpress economic development, the goal should be to increase the standing of minorities so more of them can afford to live in these nice neighborhoods. Do you really think most minorities wouldn’t want to live in one of these expensive condos and eat at these nice restuarants and shop at these nice clothing stores? People should focus their energies on figuring out ways to achieve economic parity, not on keeping out private investment and white people. It’s probably easier to achieve economic parity between the races than to supress market forces and keep white people from moving to certain neighborhoods. Activists’ time and energy are limited. Which would you rather focus your time and energy on, the latter or the former? Seems to me that more progress has already been made on the latter, and it also seems to me that minorities, if given the choice, would rather be part of economic advancement rather than just keeping it out of their neighborhoods. But instead, people for some reason find it easier to focus on boogyman rhetoric, which is totally counter productive.