On Mar. 30, 2009, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Carl Hum testified at a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) public hearing held by the Brooklyn Borough President's office regarding the City's proposed Coney Island Redevelopment Plan. Following is his testimony:
Good evening. My name is Carl Hum and I am the president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Entering our tenth decade of service to the Brooklyn business community, the Chamber is a community of Members that supports and advocates for its Member businesses, and promotes a healthy and robust business environment. Thank you for the opportunity to participate tonight and express our support for the application before you.
Coney Island is an invaluable piece of Brooklyn’s history and people, and we are happy that something is finally being done to ensure its positive future. The City’s plan for the redevelopment of Coney Island is about more than just the rejuvenation of the amusement area, it is about the future of Coney Island and its economic health.
From a business development perspective, the City’s proposed zoning framework has much to offer the neighborhood. The addition of 500,000 square feet of new retail in the northern and western portions of the neighborhood will be the first large scale retail area in Coney Island. This will create a large number of jobs in the neighborhood as well as provide the residents of Coney Island with local shopping options that have not existed there in the past.
As with many of New York City’s other neighborhoods, there is a housing crisis brewing as more and more people flee the neighborhoods they grew up in because of skyrocketing housing costs. The City’s plan calls for 1,000 units of new affordable housing, with a preference for local residents.
This plan presents the greatest employment and economic opportunities to the neighborhood. It is a well known fact that neighborhoods thrive and are successful when residents have access to economic opportunities within their own community.
There is more at stake here than just the amusement area, there is the potential to re-create Coney Island as a thriving neighborhood full of opportunity and economic promise. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is excited about what we can produce together, especially if it creates new business opportunities and jobs.
But we must act now. We have waited too long for something special to happen to Coney Island for this opportunity to pass. The business community and residents deserve it and Brooklyn needs it. The Chamber looks forward to making this wonderful vision a reality.