Brooklyn's Progress
June/July 2005

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will honor Shaun Donovan, Commissioner, NYC Housing and Preservation Development, and John Griffith, Executive Vice President, Target Corporation, during the Chamber’s 2005 Building Brooklyn Awards.

Building Brooklyn Awards recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions toward enhancing the business conditions and economic climate of Brooklyn.  The annual event also recognizes recently completed construction projects that have had a positive impact on the borough’s economy and quality of life, covering a wide range of project types, budgets and neighborhoods.

The 2005 Building Brooklyn Awards honorees and 15 winning construction projects will be recognized during a reception on June 28 in the Brooklyn Museum’s Beaux-Arts Court.

“The Brooklyn Chamber is proud to salute Shaun Donovan and John Griffith for their efforts to promote Brooklyn’s economic prosperity,” said Brooklyn Chamber President Kenneth Adams.  “Major construction and development is occurring across the borough in all sectors from residential to commercial to retail.  Target’s tradition of community involvement is a boost to the borough and complements the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s commitment to strengthen neighborhoods, and improve the availability, affordability and quality of housing in New York City.”

Commissioner Donovan is responsible for implementing Mayor Bloomberg’s $3 billion housing initiative, “Housing in the New Marketplace: Creating Housing for the Next Generation,” which will fund the creation or preservation of 65,000 units of housing over five years. It is the city's most ambitious housing plan in over 20 years. A significant amount of the initiative’s progress is taking place in Brooklyn.

Mr. Griffith oversees Target’s a $4.5 billion real estate budget and leads the real estate, construction, architecture, engineering, store planning, design, building services and Target Commercial Interiors teams at Target Corporation. With the opening of Target Stores at Atlantic Terminal and Gateway Drive, Target Corporation increased retail sales and created jobs in the borough. Target’s entrance into the Brooklyn market has been so successful that plans for a third Target in the Midwood/East Flatbush neighborhood are under way. The project is expected to create over 1,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs. The project completion is scheduled for early 2007.

The 15 winning construction projects that will be honored during the annual event on June 28 are:  Brooklyn Museum Entry Pavilion & Plaza (Prospect Heights), Williamsburgh Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (Williamsburg), The Packer Collegiate Institute (Brooklyn Heights), Steiner Studios (Brooklyn Navy Yard), 80 Arts, The James E. Davis Arts Building (Fort Greene), Sound Portraits Productions (Fort Greene), Prospect Park
Parade Ground (Prospect Park), Stillwell Avenue Subway Terminal (Coney Island), Show House, 380 Lewis Avenue (Bedford-Stuyvesant), 342 Sackett Street (Carroll Gardens), The Ice House, 1024 Dean Street (Crown Heights), Prattstore (Clinton Hill), West Elm d.u.m.b.o (DUMBO), Trey Whitfield School (East New York), and Atlantic Terminal (Fort Greene).

For more information on the June 28 Building Brooklyn Awards event, please visit the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Web site at http://www.ibrooklyn.com/.