Brooklyn's Progress
October 2004

The NYC Department of Small Businesses Services awarded the Downtown Brooklyn Council a planning grant to create business improvement district (BID) services on Livingston St. and Court St. in Downtown Brooklyn.

The studies would conduct “needs assessments” of both corridors and look at the feasibility of establishing new BIDs or expanding existing BIDs in Downtown Brooklyn, specifically looking at the advantages and disadvantages of both scenarios. Steering committees have been created for both streets, comprised of the area’s major stakeholders. Paula Ingram of Ingram-Hebron Realty and Pamela Lehman of Heights 75 Owners Corporation will co-chair the Court Street committee, and Fran Schor of Tree Line Company will chair the Livingston Street committee.  Upon completion of the feasibility analyses, the Downtown Brooklyn Council and the BID Steering Committees will establish the appropriate BID structures, including garnering support for new BIDs or the expansion of existing BIDs.

Michael Burke, Director of Downtown Brooklyn Council said, “Court and Livingston Streets are vital corridors in Downtown Brooklyn, and these planning efforts will help both streets become cleaner, safer and more welcoming environments for workers, residents and visitors.”

The changes occurring on Court St. are emblematic of the dynamic nature of Downtown Brooklyn as a whole.  Historically, Court St. has served as a focal point for the legal and government communities, given the street’s proximity to numerous court and government functions.  Within the last decade, retail services along the strip broadened their appeal, becoming a destination point for employees of MetroTech Center and Renaissance Plaza.

In the past decade significant development has occurred on Court Street, with the opening of the Barnes & Noble/theater complex and the current construction of new retail and housing.  These changes have transformed Court St. into a dynamic retail main street, comparable to many downtown and midtown Manhattan destinations.  In an effort to enhance Court St. by providing a cleaner, more orderly environment, in 2000 the Downtown Brooklyn Council hired the Doe Fund to run a supplemental street-cleaning program--a service normally provided by a BID.

Paula Ingram, Court Street Steering Committee Co-chair said, “Court St. needs a collaborative effort of businesses and property owners to work on beautifying one of Brooklyn’s busiest streets and I am excited to be a part of this process.”

Intersecting Court St., and running through Downtown Brooklyn to Flatbush Ave., Livingston St. is a diverse commercial corridor.  It is home to numerous government social service agencies, non-profit organizations and small retailers, and is the back door to Macy’s department store and Fulton Mall.  Until recently, Livingston St. was busy primarily during the workweek, but this activity has expanded to the evenings and weekends with the opening of the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s Downtown Learning Center and with the Church’s weekend services.

Real estate development has also discovered this corridor.  Immediately south of the street is the Hoyt-Schermerhorn project, a mixed use development that will produce hundreds of units of housing, thousands of square feet of new retail and on-site parking.  On Livingston, near Court St., is the former Board of Education headquarters that will be renovated into market rate housing and a community theater.  Near Smith St. on Livingston, the Brooklyn Tabernacle is completing the construction of its church and headquarters.  And covering all of Livingston, between Smith and Flatbush, the Downtown Brooklyn Development Plan rezoned this area to allow for higher density apartment house and retail construction.

Like Court St., there is no business improvement district along Livingston St., yet with these significant changes more workers, residents and visitors are actively using this street.  Establishing a BID along Livingston St. will provide much needed services such as supplemental sanitation and security, streetscape and façade improvements, and marketing to promote Livingston St. as a viable opportunity for retail and residential development. An entity such as a business improvement district would effectively enhance the look of Livingston St., and provide a more pleasant and cleaner business, retail and pedestrian environment.

Fran Schor, Livingston Street Steering Committee Chair said, “ A BID along Livingston St. will create an atmosphere that feels safe 24 hours a day.  The BID will make Livingston St. cleaner and safer for workers, visitors and shoppers.”