Marty DK's Fifth Avenue Housing Project
Since it was proposed earlier this year, the supported housing facility that the Fifth Avenue Committee wants to build on a municipal parking lot on 16th Street and 5th Avenue in Park Slope has been dividing the neighborhood. Of particular concern and debate among residents has been the composition of the potential residents. In an…
Since it was proposed earlier this year, the supported housing facility that the Fifth Avenue Committee wants to build on a municipal parking lot on 16th Street and 5th Avenue in Park Slope has been dividing the neighborhood. Of particular concern and debate among residents has been the composition of the potential residents. In an unexpected turn of events, Borough Prez Marty Markowitz has come out against the project in its current form. In order for the Beep to get on board with the project, the site’s zoning would have to be amended to accommodate families, including seniors, within the project; the role of the community advisory board would have to be restructured to his liking; the residential entrance to the building would have to be moved to Fifth Avenue; and parking garage would have to be incorporated into the building. We’re unclear on whether this is a death knell for the project or just a bump in the road. Can anyone comment on the ramifications?
FAC Development at 575 Fifth Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
Once you have kids and own property, you think about things a little differently. Doesn’t mean you are less of a person or a card-carrying Republican but it does mean you concerns change. No one with the 16th Street Action group is against the project per se, although we’re all sick and tired of construction. There’s more of it on 16th than anywhere else in Brooklyn and it isn’t good for the health of the residents. Assuming the project will go through, the question is whether it can be amended to better fit with the family-oriented atmosphere. We all would support low-income families or the elderly moving into the unit. The concern is the number of SR0s which doesn’t encourage any roots to be planted.
I live nearby –on prospect ave– and I find some of the arguments against this facility basically repugnant. Some of what I’ve heard is predjudice akin to racism, except for some reason its OK to say such things about mentally ill. These are disabled people that need help.
For those people fearful about safety, please check the facts, do not just give in to fear.
For those people concerned about property values, realize that living in a city means that for the greater good, some people have to sacrifice. This may sound callous, but think about it–all decisions cannot benefit all people. This is what city planning is all about. To wall off your neighborhood and say “this is ours, keep your problems out” (NIMBY) is completely anathema to what a city is for. That’s not to say you shouldn’t advocate for your interests, but just keep in mind this isn’t really that bad, and in my opinion sounds like a real nice facility actually.
Lost’n Bklyn is right on the money. I live on 16th going on 15 years.
First, saying that all residents are against this project is simply not true. I was at the public meeting where I recognized many familiar faces. After the presentation we, (my neighbors) all felt that FAC had put a great deal of time and energy into planning this project, and based on the presentation of the facts, their willingness to answer all questions, and their past reputation, we felt secure that they would do the right thing. That night, so many people had signed up to speak in favor of the proposal that the CB 7 Chairperson in the interest of fairness, specifically requested that if anyone wished to speak out now against the plan, to come forward… and that’s when things got painfully embarrasing… shouting, cursing-the level of ignorance was appalling to say the least.
Second issue-My property values will be affected in a negative way. Nope, not going to happen. The 8th Avenue Armory women’s shelter (with room for 90 persons) is a good example. It has not discouraged recent home sale prices to skyrocket, now soaring above $1.3 million dollar mark. These are women, who are homeless, who are just entering the system, just beginning to receive social services.
Finally, the “children are in danger” issue. Ask the teachers and parents at PS107 right across the street from the Armory how many children they have “lost” to the women at the shelter. The school is thriving. There is a waiting list. You can’t even get in any more unless you are in the zone.
We shouldn’t let a small group of hate filled bigots preying on others ignorance of the facts, to scare people into signing some inflammatory petition and hijacking our good will. They do not represent the majority of the 16th Street neighbors I know.
Being one of those supporters “who does not live on 16th St.,” I’d like to point out one factor that has not been covered here, nor in any article I have read…
This project affects ALL of South Park Slope, Greenwood Hts. even the northern part of Sunset Park.
WHY?
Well, if the proposed program works as well as the Warren St. facility, the residents of 575 5th Ave. will interact with ALL of these communities, not just the NIMBY folks on 16th St. around the corner from the proposed site (and I cannot believe I used the NIMBY term, crawford, door’s open here for you!).
I have spoken to wide range of folks from the 3 communities I mentioned, less than 10% oppose the project, 15% have more questions, but think it’s a good idea to use underutilized space (Mr. B’s photo is very telling, that lot is NEVER more than 1/2 full, except when Grand Prospect Hall uses it, hardly a normal neighborhood biz) and the rest of us, while we had questions and pressed FAC hard, we got answers!
And, the FAC folks spent the better part of this Sat. on the corner of 16th St. and 5th Ave (and neighboring blocks, going door to door)AGAIN reaching out to folks, I heard they were well received.
SO, BIG PICTURE: supportive and affordable housing to add to a vibrant & mixed community OR the BP and CPC killing the plan to support the NIMBYs and DOT selling to another “for profit” developer and more luxury condos and the further gentrification of the South Slope and it’s affect on the 2 other ‘nabes I mentioned?
Your call…
PS. funny we have not heard from the opposition after the BP’s recommendation. Perhaps not quite what you were looking for?
I just read the lengthy piece in the courier. Let me get this straight!
The City gives this under utilized piece of property to a reputable organization. The reputable organization, in an attempt put our tax dollars to good use, does everything that it is required to do. Out of no where, a bunch of local, hypocrites and everything-phobes join forces to drag this good organization through the street. All in the name of “Protecting our neighborhood”
Some interesting questions come to mind.
Who are these people and were have they been on other issues that may have affected the “neighborhood”?
Is any of them in anyway connected to Marty Markowitz or Bill Deblazio? Who of these “neighbors” stands to gain from the possible railroading of this project? And how? Any developers or mortgage or real estate brokers involved?
As Shakespeare once wrote “Me thinks they do protest too much.”
I think that the neighbors who want so much information, disclosure and outreach from the City, HPD, and the tenants, should put there cards on the table.
Who are you? Who do you work for? Who works for you? Who are your friends and associates and what skeletons are in your closet? Tell the world everything that you are so afraid to share with the few who you believe are obligated to do so much for you.
Until then this whole 16th st. organization smells to kingdom come.
An other anonymous who is afraid of the people who MIGHT move close by.
How telling! You are all afraid of the unknown or the boogie man while at the same time you want to hide your own dirty secrets.
The people who are going to be joining the Community are expected to have full disclosure of there past and ability to function in the community, while the closet pedophiles and Sociopaths sit around and pass judgment.
How f-ed up is that.
As a property owner in this neighborhood, I’ve been mulling over all of this info the last few days, (reading everything I can), have vacillated on my opinions, and I’d now have to say that I’d rather see new condos with or without retail in this location than an assisted living facility.
It’s just not fair to buy into a nabe that was pretty sad for a long time, put your kids in the public schools, see it become “hot” and then have an undesirable facility forced upon the hood with no real input. No one can honestly dispute the fact that this facility will have a negative impact on the value of surrounding properties.
Also, it is important to note that some of the supporters of this do not live in the immediate area, which i happen to know for a fact. I don’t live on 16th street, but I’m not far from there, and I’d have to believe that 16th street residents by and large do not want this.
Michelle de la Uz probably has a heart of gold and the best of intentions, but I think this is a place that should be moved elsewhere where it’s a better fit.
If the facility had been in place when I purchased, fine, that’s life, but it’s just an inappropriate location when so much money is at stake for the people who took a chance years ago and invested in this nabe with hard earned dollars.
The above photo currently shows how “necessary” the parking lot is to shoppers of that section of Fifth Avenue. That lot is always 50% empty, and the cars taking up the spaces belong to the car service across the street. I would be interested in a comparison of the weekly dollar figures between the meters in the lot and the same number on say 7th Avenue. But If the community decides that parking is more important than supportive housing, so be it. Lets then build a truly large state of the art parking facility on the site. Let’s allow the up-zoning that Marty recommends. I’m even for the city using it’s powers of eminent domain to expand the lot up 16th Street if necessary starting with that god awful faux-stone piece of crap that stands next door.
Right now businesses on 5th Avenue above 9th Street service a clientele who seem to enjoy shopping at the many .99 cent stores. These shoppers don’t even own cars! But that could all change.
If Fifth Avenue continues to attract more upscale businesses and especially restaurants like it has below 9th st. then you can bet that most of the under-built older single story commercial properties will be demo’ed for new more bulky buildings. Most likely 5 story condos with commercial spaces on the ground floors, just like what FAC proposed to build. I think a new parking facility will speed the gentrification process up and ultimately force these “junk stores” farther up the Avenue into Sunset Park.
These new stores will have shoppers who arrive by car… and they will need a safe place to park their Volvos… and we will be ready for them with our new 9 story parking facility!
Hey Anonymouse,
Why don’t you join me.
Or are you too busy trolling the internet. Looking for exactly what you claim to be afraid of.