Brooklyn's Progress
July 2003

By Roberta Weisbrod and Stuart Leffler

On June 11, 2003, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Committee held a meeting on the planning for new expansion and the upgrade of downtown Brooklyn.  Well over 100 people attended the meeting.

Stuart Leffler, co-chair of the Committee and Brooklyn's Economic Development Manager for Con Edison, working on loan part-time for the Brooklyn Borough President's office, opened the meeting.   He thanked Borough President Marty Markowitz for making available the impressive ceremonial courtroom for the meeting. 

Ken Adams, President of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, reminded Chamber Members and guests that the Downtown Council was an initiative of the Brooklyn Chamber.   The Downtown Council, which is housed at the Chamber's office, under the leadership of Jim Whelan, prepared a draft plan for downtown Brooklyn.  Jim has left to work on the Hudson Yards development.  Michael Burke, currently at the Borough President's office, will join the Brooklyn Chamber and shepherd the plan to fruition. 

Roberta Weisbrod, co-chair of the Committee and principal for Partnership for Sustainable Ports, acknowledged the presence of NYC Councilman David Yassky and Una Clarke, Empire State Development Corporation and the invaluable assistance of the Chamber's Economic Development leader, Rick Russo.  She introduced Regina Myer and James Lima, who jointly made a presentation on the plan.

Regina Myer is the Director of City Planning for Brooklyn, reporting directly to the Chair of the City Planning Commission Amanda Burden.  She is responsible for all major projects in Brooklyn, including the Downtown Brooklyn project, in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), as well as projects in Greenpoint/Williamsburg, Park Slope and other neighborhoods.  Roberta noted that those who have the good fortune to have business in City Planning's office at 16 Court Street, find Regina to be knowledgeable, conscientious, helpful, and enthusiastic.

James Lima, is the Senior Vice President for Special Projects at EDC, overseeing a portfolio of large-scale projects focusing on growth of the city's central business districts and increasing public access to the city's waterfront.  These initiatives, made in conjunction with City Planning, include proposed rezoning Downtown Brooklyn; rezoning and waterfront access for Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Red Hook; and the acquisition and reuse of Governors Island (which is finally beginning to move).  Prior to joining EDC he was Assistant Commissioner at the Housing and Preservation Department and he was responsible for initiatives which saw construction starts for 5,000 new housing units and nearly one million square feet of retail development -- in areas of the city that had long been neglected.

Regina and James presented the plan in tag team fashion.  The plan can be found on the NYC website, http://www.nyc.gov/ under NYC Department of City Planning.  The Downtown Brooklyn Plan is an initiative of the Downtown Brooklyn Council, EDC and the Department of City Planning.
 
The new vision for Downtown Brooklyn includes a focus on Flatbush Avenue as the new and true gateway to Brooklyn. The City is positioning Downtown Brooklyn - along with other areas of New York City, including Lower Manhattan, Hudson River Yards, and Long Island City - as being a value-oriented market...of high quality and great price. Other economic development changes in the borough - the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park, the BAM Cultural District, the Hoyt-Schermerhorn housing and Atlantic Center Mall (Target et al) - are expected to contribute to this vision. The presenters envisioned Downtown Brooklyn at least as an 18/7 and possibly 24/7 community with significant commercial expansion as well as additional open space. A public hearing at the Community Board is anticipated in October with Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) concluding by spring 2004. From the Con Edison perspective, Downtown Brooklyn is poised for substantial load growth over the next 10 to 20 years. The city believes it will be a premier business and residential location that will build on the existing cultural and educational presence in the area.

Very briefly, the plan involves rezoning for four areas -- an academic-commercial development, north of MetroTech; a commercial core with retail, south of MetroTech; a residential-retail area, east of Flatbush, and east of MetroTech; and another residential-retail area, south of Fulton Mall on the Livingston-Schermerhorn corridor west of Flatbush.  The plan includes creating public spaces, a commitment toward connectivity between projects and existing activity in Brooklyn, and a commitment to setting an esthetic standard for retail, and appropriate building forms for residential areas. 

Transportation issues are to be given special consideration.  A senior level transportation specialist is to be hired to oversee all aspects of the planning.  In the short term, Flatbush Avenue is being planned to make crossing as inviting and easy as Adams Street has become, with a similar median strip being contemplated.  Parking will be phased according to need.

"The Devil is the Details," said Roberta, and kicked off a lively set of Q and A:

• How will the small businesses in the area, especially on Myrtle Avenue be protected/nourished?
  EDC is working with the Myrtle Avenue Merchants Association; they have met twice.
• Government vehicles take up too much parking space? 
  This is something the high-level transportation coordinator will work on.
• A suggestion:  the Willoughby Commons should look like the University of Pennsylvania’s campus -- encouraging walkways and more green corridor connections?
  Willoughby Commons will connect directly to the street grid in contrast to MetroTech commons. 
• Big box stores are more suited to this downtown as opposed to some of the waterfront areas?
  Target will be coming to Atlantic Center and EDC is proactively seeking to encourage other large retailers (potential anchor tenants) to the area. 
• The Schumer report suggested that the cost of construction is the same as Manhattan, but the anticipated rents will not be as high.  How will the city cover the delta -- will there be subsidies?
  EDC will work on a project-by-project basis with developers to determine the need for gap financing and range of incentives.  The goal is for Brooklyn to become a market-driven commercial office center that is not heavily dependent on such government support.  That being said there is the firm anticipation that there will be recovery of costs to the city via tax revenues from businesses and workers.
• Some sites need to be assembled in order to make the large-scale projects happen.  How will the city protect existing businesses and prevent planner's blight?
  Assembling will be carefully and precisely performed.  Affected businesses will be informed and worked with.
• What about job training?
  There will be job training for construction jobs, and permanent jobs. 
• Bryant Park's experience shows that some retailers are recalcitrant to make changes.  Case in point is Fulton Mall -- it's not attractive, in fact quite the opposite?
  Fulton Mall has great strengths, such as vibrant retail businesses and compelling architecture. Fulton Mall retailers are working with the MetroTech Bid, to build on its strengths.  Other ideas are bringing academic institutions to the second floor of Fulton Mall to create an 18/7 atmosphere.  Roberta noted that the Economic Development Committee of the Brooklyn Chamber hosted a meeting with the heads of major downtown Brooklyn academic institutions about the economic impact of academia to Brooklyn.
• Suggest that the Brooklyn business community enter into a broader relationship with the NYC Partnership?
  That is happening.  The NYC Partnership has been working with EDC, as well as with the Brooklyn Chamber.  The individual borough chambers are now working together.
• The transit plan recently developed by Community Consulting could assist the Downtown Project in solving transportation issues?
  Planners will consider what is in the transit plan.
• The Fifth Avenue Business Association speaks from experience regarding the importance of protecting small business.  If there will be 18,000 new jobs and only 1,000 new housing units, where will the service workers live?
  The hope is that the Downtown Project will stop the loss of jobs and will employ the unemployed.  Brooklyn has one of the highest unemployment rates in the city. The expectation is that the jobs will be for people already living in the area.
• Why is Atlantic Avenue not part of the Downtown plan?
  There are already a lot of planning efforts for that area -- and there is no opportunity for higher density. 
• What is the planning horizon 10 years, 20 years from now?
  The plan is to work on the Willoughby commercial area first.  This is the first comprehensive zoning plan for downtown Brooklyn since 1961.  Lack of appropriate zoning is one of the factors that prevented growth.
   

Stuart Leffler and Roberta Weisbrod are co-chairs of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee.