City Fishing for Jail Block Developers
Trying to soften the blow of sticking the newly revitalized community with another 700 to 800 inmates, the city is testing the waters with developers to gauge interest in erecting two 10-15 story residential buildings with ground floor retail on the back side of the jail along Boerum Place and State Street. (Boerum Place runs…
Trying to soften the blow of sticking the newly revitalized community with another 700 to 800 inmates, the city is testing the waters with developers to gauge interest in erecting two 10-15 story residential buildings with ground floor retail on the back side of the jail along Boerum Place and State Street. (Boerum Place runs along the foreground of this photo; State Street recedes back into the photo.) If the developers don’t bite, the city will just build something else. There’s no preference for residential, but we certainly wanted to test the market to see what the developers thought, said Jennifer K. Friedman, a vice president in the city’s Economic Development Corporation, which is soliciting the responses. “It’s absurd to take an obsolete building and sink more taxpayer money into it, said Sandy Balboza, president of the Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association. At this rate, Sandy may have to worry about a rival neighborhood group springing up: How does the Atlantic Avenue Detriment Association sound? Does anyone remember how much taxpayer money is going to be spent on this effort at making criminals’ lives more convenient? On the other hand, the neighborhood really could use some more places to get bail bonds. People are getting really tired of restaurants and clothing boutiques. They are so 2006.
City Tests Idea of Building Apartments by Brooklyn Jail [NY Times]
City Eyes Unlocking Brooklyn Jail [Metro]
Change in ‘Store’ at B’klyn Jail [NY Post]
I agree that I would much rather live next door to a jail than projects.
Yes, the jail is there and has been there. But losing one crappy building is not that much money compared to what Brooklyn could make by doing something else with this land. There has got to be some middle ground between Riker’s and this prime location. It just seems that the city doesn’t care about the potential consequences on the community enough to consider all the alternatives.
People could swallow this easier if the city explained to us why this is absolutely necessary. Trash the yuppies all you want, but they have a responsibility to those who live in the community as well as the people in their care in the jail.
Having a jail next door is better than having projects next door.
Anonymous 9:59
Orwell?
Hotels + Apartment on Brooklyn Waterfront = “Park”
Occupied Residences next to land held off market by the MTA = “Blight”
Opposing AY = “Racism”
I think it is kind of Orwellian.
David et al make a great point. Sometimes the best thing for the overall community good is to use land for the highest and best value. Clearly we can build a nice housing development here (including some affordable units) and have plenty of money to build a new jail in an approriate isloated area of the city. Why should good citizens have to bear the additional burden of having criminals in close proximity? Why continue the crime?
What makes sense would be to tear the existing facility down (including the polished granite base boondoggle that was never used) and start from scratch. the new building would accomodate parking, jail, residential, and retail. It’s a big lot. Combining these uses sounds outlandsih, but it could work. What will not work is the idea of building new “bookends” next to the existing monstrosity of a jail.
There is at least one precedent for a jail/apt.house combo in Manhattan. The two uses are not really all that incompatible. Think of the jail as a securety-minded co-op with very, very strict house rules.
why just sell the jail….why not the court building sites,, and borough hall
and while were at it city hall and gracie mansion. Put them all around JFK somewhere. The land is too valuable for such trivial pursuits.
This is simple economics. Sell the existing building, pocket big bucks, build better facility elsewhere with lots of money left over for buses. It’s just a bad use of government money to keep jail here and sink more into it.
I agree with Putnam-denizen. I’m a long-time reader and poster and this thread makes me ashamed to be a part of the whole Brownstoner thing. It makes me feel like I am an asshole in a community of assholes.
Let’s just give up and ship all the accused to Guantanamo! Then our Brownstone lives and Smith street restaurants will remain intact!
I think we may be forgetting what really makes this country a nice place to live– it ain’t just the architecture….
“The racism”…come off it. This is probably the third post in as many days where somebody tries to play the race card.
I agree with 10:31 if you’re willing to buy a condominium attached to a jail then something ain’t quite right.
Lived in the area (in fact right across the street) for two years. Barely even noticed the precense of the jail myself. I know the city spend a god awful amount of money to build that ugly red marble montrosity on the lower level though.