One Brooklyn
August 8, 2014
BROOKLYN, NY, August 8, 2014: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams called for permanent affordable housing to be developed at 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street, the site of the proposed Brownsville Community Justice Center, to be achieved by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) transferring the excess air rights and a section of the site to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). He codified this proposal, amongst others, in his latest Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) recommendations that were submitted on Monday, August 4th; both this item, as well as an item regarding the Administration for Children’s Services’ (ACS) proposed acquisition of property for the Shirley Chisholm 5 Advent Child Care Center, had public hearings in front of the City Planning Commission at their Wednesday, August 6th meeting.
“We need to leave no stone unturned, no opportunity unexplored in our borough’s pursuit for creating new affordable housing, and the development of the proposed Brownsville Community Justice Center is a unique opportunity for us to advance this mission,” said Borough President Adams. “By utilizing the unused floor area and air rights of this site, we can pursue affordable housing in a new manner that will allow us to maintain economic diversity in this community and protect more residents that have made the Brooklyn renaissance possible. I believe a creative use of air rights to be a key piece of the affordable housing puzzle that our City must solve, in keeping with Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York plan, and I hope to see it used in Brownsville and beyond.”
In a letter regarding the proposed Brownsville Community Justice Center written on Thursday, July 31st from Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, to Borough President Adams, she expressed that “the City is receptive to exploring further development on the site for additional affordable housing.” Additionally, she affirmed that the City will make resources available for the Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (CBEDC) to relocate from the site during the upgrading of 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street to accommodate the proposed Brownsville Community Justice Center; Borough President Adams expressed concern in his ULURP recommendations that such moving costs would result in a direct reduction of its services to the community.
“The Central Brooklyn EDC would like to thank Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna for their support of CBEDC and the residents of Community Board 16,” said Shirley Maye-Washington, executive director of the CBEDC. The active role they have taken by assisting the not-for-profit agencies located at 444 Thomas Boyland Street is a vital step toward ensuring that the community will continue to receive the services they need, such as assistance with passing the GED exam. We sincerely appreciate their support and look forward to working with them in service to Ocean Hill-Brownsville.”
Additionally, as he did in response to applications he responded to earlier this year, Borough President Adams advanced his call for more minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and locally based enterprises (LBEs) from Brooklyn to be retained as contractors and subcontractors in both current and future projects throughout the borough, as well as for sustainable and energy-efficient practices in construction and design, such as storm water retention, are pursued.
“The ULURP process is an important avenue at my disposal to put my policies into practice, and I intend to hold all those seeking to develop or redevelop in this borough to a high standard,” said Borough President Adams. “I am concerned that too many residents of Brooklyn are unemployed or underemployed, thus it is my position to promote economic development as a means of creating more employment opportunities as well as promoting Brooklyn-based businesses, including those that qualify as MWBE and LBE. Additionally, I always seek opportunities for green practices to be implemented in development, and I am pleased that the City has affirmed the ability of 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street could potentially pursue the installation of rooftop solar panels, as a complement to its pursuit of LEED Silver Certification.”
Also included in these submissions was his urging of the City to pursue terms no less than twenty years, inclusive of multiple shorter term leases, as well as the right for the City to renew said lease in regards to the Administration for Children’s Services’ (ACS) proposed acquisition of property for the continued use of the Shirley Chisholm 5 Advent Child Care Center. Borough President Adams expressed his concern that “as more and more sections of Brooklyn are becoming prime real estate…the landlord might elect to discontinue having a child care use at this location because the landlord would rather pursue what might then be deemed more valuable land usage.” He noted that a similar situation has taken place at 211 Ainslie Street in Williamsburg, where he has joined local leaders in fighting the potential displacement of the Swinging Sixties Senior Center.
“As the Brownsville-Ocean Hill communities have a legitimate need for supportive services provided directly through the City or through non-profits that work to enhance the lives of area residents, it is imperative that the City take actions through its land use process to adequately demonstrate to the community that the City is truly the community’s partner,” said Borough President Adams. “Placing necessary child care services at risk through the pursuit of an inadequate leasing term is not sound public policy.
-30-
