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]
I live near MetroTech (for 20+ years)and have worked at two companies there for the last 5 years. It is virtually all back-office, with private tenants like KSE and Chase scaling back and FCR looking for more city agencies to take up the space.
While there is no doubt the area needed development, the result of a single owner managing a large section of the city is demoralizing at best. This is a failed space — a poor example of urban planning. There is nothing there on Staurday or after 5pm. If different owners had devloped the properties there could be a variety of groundfloor retail and true public use of the commons on weekends and the evening. And the demapping of streets — what Ratner will do on a massive scale with Atlantic Yards, makes traffic for both auto and pedestraians more of a challnge.
And do not give Metrotech credit for BAM and other developments.
Come to think of it, you’re right about the skankiness of Smith St at night…I was thinking of daytime. I totally forgot about the guy who was dead-drunk/unconscious on someone’s doorstep at 8:00 am on a Sunday morning when I took my dog out for a walk. Now I walk her on Court Street. And never mind the rat problem, lest we descend into the third ring of hell and stray from the Metrotech issue if we keep up this thread!! I’m done on this one 🙂
Anonymous 11:24 – Brooklyn isn’t a city – Its a part of NYC – comprising almost 1/3 of it.
I think Smith Street is skanky and disgusting now. Try walking down on way to work in morning.
Overflowing litter baskets, spilled garbage on sidewalk and street and very greasy curbs from restaurants (and Met Food), flyers posted on every surface (phones, street lights) the dirty junky free newspaper paper boxes on seemingly every corner, etc.
Maybe at night time and after a few martinis from the bars it looks good.
Maybe was eerie at night years back but was much cleaner. (I’ve lived there 20 years).
The real test of Metrotech will be to see if they alter the streetscape to blend it in with the coming development or if it will always be a suburban style office fortress.
I used to work at JPMorgan Chase (in Manhattan) and knew some of the people at Metrotech. Lots of them live in Brooklyn but lots live on Long Island too. A few even make the long slog from Jersey and Westchester. Like any place, people live all over.
Babs, can you point to any stats that verify your claim that most Metrotech employees reside in Long Island? I’d be interested in seeing them (no sarcasm here, just curious).
Shahn – I think you are being a bit utopian
“some development and some decay”? The post-war suburban growth resulted in virtually ZERO development and decay on a scale NEVER seen in the history of cities (except in the case of war or natural disaster).
and
“supplant the organic development that will happen eventually”
Dont be so confident in “organic development”, the North East is littered with cities that have not and most likely will not experience any real develoment in our lifetimes. And “organic development” generally cannot create the economies of scale to create the jobs, housing and infrestructure to support a city the size of Brooklyn.
But I wouldnt de-link Smith Street and Metrotech either – there is of course no way to quantify it, but it is all a factor….You can BE SURE that some of the Smith St biz comes from Metrotech people going to dinner after work. Sure when Smith St restaurant scene started, it wasnt the IT guy who lives in Bay Ridge (or Deer Park), but as it got press and people heard about these great restaurants a few block away – some people went, and it helps. Just like alot of restaurants in Brooklyn Hgts were helped by Metrotech Office parties.
Change is what happens with time. Are you old enough to remember the beautiful Brooklyn of the 30’s that my grandmother always told me about? At all points in Brooklyn’s history there has been some development and some decay. I think it’s less beneficial when you let a huge project like Metroteach supplant the organic development that will happen eventually on its own in a city of limited space.