House of Detention Back on Radar, Bigtime
While the possibility has been floated a few times over the past year or so, today’s NY Times article on the likely reopening of the Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue in downtown Brooklyn takes the situation from Def Con 1 to Def Con 3 in a single day. Evidently, the inmate population has…
While the possibility has been floated a few times over the past year or so, today’s NY Times article on the likely reopening of the Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue in downtown Brooklyn takes the situation from Def Con 1 to Def Con 3 in a single day. Evidently, the inmate population has been swelling much faster than anticipated and, if current trends persist, could reach a tipping point by Summer that would necessitate reopening the 760-bed jail. Not surprisingly, some residents ain’t thrilled by the idea. “We really would prefer it not to open,” said Sue Wolfe, president of the Boerum Hill Association, adding, “It hurts the merchants; it hurts the people that live and work here.” How much of The Smith is already sold and what kind of impact will this news have? It’s our sense that everyone knew this was a possibility but that most didn’t think the city would really throw such a wrench into the gentrification boom.
Brooklyn Jail May Reopen [NY Times]
It actually does have 1 big negative to the area – it acts as a real cut-off to the retail activity between Atlantic – West of Court and Atlantic – East of Hoyt. Both have really developed a decent mix of stores, restaurants and bars and between the jail, boreum place (6 lanes) and the parking lot on the north side and the 2 gas stations on the south side it does form a real gap. Had the BHofD been developed with good ground floor retail it would have helped fill in this gap.
Anon 10:34 – could you please explain what “the wannabes” means
I also lived about 2 blocks away from the Jail for over 20 years-except for visually, it was never really an issue. The whole area is filled with courts and the accompanying services and only once or twice has there been a real problem there. Plus the area is so filled with police it is actually safer than one would think. The area offers far more positives than negatives so it won’t stop anyone from buying a co-op in the neighborhood. If anything I worried more about the Supreme Court building getting blown up when they held controversial trials there.
Half those new condos look like jails, I don’t know if I could pick it out of the crowd.
I agree wholeheartedly with annoyed brooklyner. I guess I’m kind of a neighb snob: may this “unseemly” sight deter the wannabes and retain the character and variety of this awesome awesome awesome area and the DIFFERENT kinds of people who live here (some by force!).
plus, we’ll need extra space for all those crooked real estate brokers hehehe.
The posters above are correct. The jail has never really had a negative impact on the surrounding areas for as long as I can remember (I grew up nearby). The only thing that will change when the building reopens is that inmate traffic in DOC vehicles will resume and a DOC police presence will return, but that’s about it. This is a bustling downtown district, and regardless of how many new hi-rise condos are built, it will never be truly “residential” except for those existing b’stone blocks in the area. The house of detention has always been there and probably always will be, and I think this is much ado about nothing much.
I would think it would be better if the criminals were in the jail, rather than walking around in the street, due to lack of jail space. I’ve seen more people in cuffs walking into central booking than anywhere near the actual jailhouse.
I’ve worked in the area, have a good friend who lived a block away, and never thought of it as a danger to anything other than my tax paying pocketbook, watching them take eons to finish it. Those involved in stretching the reno out for years, while they lined their bank accounts – THOSE are the criminals we need to be afraid of.
There is nothing alarming about the jail (not prison), but I always found it a doleful place. I could see the outlines of the inmates through the glass bricks and it always filled me with sadness. I wouldn’t want to look at that through my floor-to-ceiling condo windows on Thanksgiving.
Jails are not lovely.
Not that I care but those people who bought nearby condos are going to be affected big time….Its one thing to look out your window and see a big ugly CLOSED jail, its another thing to look out your window and see a big ugly jail and know that some inmate is staring back at you (boy thats going to be uncomfortable)
You knew this was going to happen when the City kept pouring money into the site – which frankly 40 year history or not seemed like bad fiscal planning in the sense that it might have made more sense to build an ‘overflow’ jail in a less valuable area (like near the Federal Detention Center by the BQE) and sell the jail which is in a valuable and prime spot. Of course I have no idea what a new faicility would cost and I am sure after the city has sunk millions into the Brooklyn House it is moot now anyway.
Zero negative impact. Maybe even a positive as my parents used to warn me that if I wasnt good I might end up there someday.