Slopers Talk About How They'd Like to Spend $1M

We missed the Brooklyn Paper’s article yesterday about a meeting Councilman Brad Lander held in Park Slope to hear what projects his constituents would like to spend $1 million on via the councilman’s participatory budgeting initiative. The paper’s account makes the meeting sounds very Slope-y: One resident was pushing for “a physical soapbox in Prospect Park where Brooklynites could practice democracy on a regular basis,” while others called for additional bike lanes in the neighborhood. There were also requests for things like a better traffic circle at Bartel-Pritchard Square and more community gardens. What stands out, though, is a request from the owner of our longtime obsession, the dilapidated building at 187 7th Avenue, who “wants the city to give her money to renovate the building into an art gallery.” Will it take participatory budgeting to get this eyesore fixed up? Seems unlikely, but you never know. There will be other meetings inviting proposals before a short list is compiled and a district-wide vote on them is held in March.
Slopers Present Wish Lists for Lander’s ‘Participatory Budgeting’ [BK Paper]