The Failure of Metrotech, Eminent Domain and All
In the latest issue of urban-planning mag City Journal, writer Nicole Gelinas examines the role of eminent domain in the creation and destruction of cities. In the process, she looks back on the failed experiment known as Metrotech: Nearly two decades ago, Gotham decided to build a walled camp in the middle of a lower-class…
In the latest issue of urban-planning mag City Journal, writer Nicole Gelinas examines the role of eminent domain in the creation and destruction of cities. In the process, she looks back on the failed experiment known as Metrotech:
Nearly two decades ago, Gotham decided to build a walled camp in the middle of a lower-class area of Brooklyn to lock white-collar jobs in. This project would accomplish two goals, pols thought. In addition to keeping jobs in New York, Metrotech would spark further development in a slummy neighborhood that never had grown on its own, despite its proximity to lower Manhattan. City and state officials used eminent domain to displace 250 owners and tenants so that developer Bruce Ratner could build the suburban-style office campus.
Metrotech tenants have received about $270 million in state and city subsidies (of which more than $200 million went to JPMorgan Chase). But Metrotech hasn’t kept the nation’s financial-services jobs in New York…Nor has Metrotech, completely cut off from the surrounding streetscape, encouraged the growth of an unsubsidized business community in its neighborhood. Metrotech is what it was when it opened: a suburban-style office campus carved out of inner-city downtown Brooklyn.
We actually don’t know that much about Metrotech–does everyone agree that it is an unmitigated disaster?
Taking Away Your Property for What? [City Journal]
4 Metrotech Center Photo [Scott Murphy]
Restaurant jobs vs. Corporate jobs. hmm
You think those restaurant workers can afford to
live in Newswalk (I suppose Newswalk wouldn’t have a tax abatement by any chance?)
If Atlantic Yards were going to ruin the neighborhood why are people spending $1m to live in Newswalk?
Born and raised in Brooklyn.
am convinced that Metrotech deserves a lot of the credit for the upgrading and development of the surrounding areas, such as Smith Street, as well as increasing real estate values in adjacent areas such as Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. The area was a disaster before, much like the Atlantic Yards area — a huge, underused, desolate, dangerous area in the heart of downtown Brooklyn just across the bridge from Manhattan’s financial district. It may not be a perfect example of urban development, but it is far superior to what was there (or wasn’t there) before.
You must be drunk.
Puca,
Wow, some nerve criticizing David for not commenting on one of your points, as that’s exactly what you did to him the other day in the thread about Letitia James’s comments about how Ratner’s housing and stadium should be moved to the site of St. Mary’s Hospital. Maybe if you answer his question, he’ll answer yours.
But I’m not counting on it. Instead, I’m sure that parts of this thread will wind up on the “No Land Grab” web site, heavily edited and permitting no input.
I am a native Brooklynite. Born in Marine park and now living in Prospect Heights.
David , I noticed you didn’t comment about the unemployment in the housing projects next to Metrotech. What happened to all the jobs promised to the local people, especially the 750 jobs that were lost to eminent domain.Do you think it’s o.k. to use eminent domain to take private property from one person and give it to a private developer for his personal profit? What improvements are you exactly talking about in Downtown Brooklyn that were caused by Metrotech? For your information Brooklyn is booming.Look at all the new small restaurants and businesses that didn’t recive any tax abatements to invest in our neighborhoods.Why should we give billionaire developers and businesses tax abatements? Because they make false threats to leave? Give me a break.Who are we trying to stay competetive with? Big corporations don’t need incentives to come here.They know Brooklyn is the place to be.
Also, did you know that Ratner’s new Atlantic Terminal was built with the help of Liberty Bonds that were supposed to be used to develop Downtown Manhatten?
I’m not native but lived in the borough over 1/2 my life. I would guess that not a great % of people that live in Brooklyn were born there – just as true for rest of NYC -considering that a good percent weren’t even born in this country.
Just curious…how many of you are native Brooklynites? Doesn’t have anything to do with the Metrotech discussion per se, just curious…
Well considering that the unemployment rate in the city as a whole is lower today then when Metrotech was designed and built, none of the jobs were “taken” from other parts of the city. As to what good it brings the local community how can you assume all the improvements in the downtown area had nothing to do with the Metrotech development? Just like it would be ridiculous for Ratner to claim credit for all improvements in Downtown Brooklyn it is impossible for you to claim that Metrotech had no positive effect. As for subsidy – virtually all of it was in the form of tax abatements (i.e. you wont have to pay the “ordinary” tax) – which is a WHOLE lot different from giving tax money away; and ignores that tax abatements were and are used all over the country to attract biz and of course if Brooklyn is to remain competitve we would have to do the same ( or just lower the base rate)