One Brooklyn
IN RESPONSE TO LAND USE APPLICATION TO REDEVELOP 280 CADMAN PLAZA WEST, BOROUGH PRESIDENT PRIORITIZES ADDING LOCAL SCHOOL SEATS, CREATING PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ENSURING NO LOSS OF LIBRARY SPACE
BROOKLYN, NY, September 9, 2015: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams unveiled his proposal for the future of the Brooklyn Heights Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), as part of a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) recommendation to disapprove with conditions an application submitted by the New York City Department of Citywide Services (DCAS), BPL, and Cadman Associates LLC to facilitate redevelopment of 280 Cadman Plaza West in Brooklyn Heights. The response was issued following months of dialogue with local stakeholders and community activists, highlighted by a public hearing he held in the courtroom of Brooklyn Borough Hall on Tuesday, August 18th. Borough President Adams emphasized key criteria for the utilization of any unused development rights related to the site, including adding local school seats, creating permanent affordable housing, and ensuring no loss of library space. Additionally, his recommendations addressed the establishment of a municipal library system, the use of City proceeds from the sale of excess air rights, as well as the importance of retaining Brooklyn-based contractors and subcontractors, especially those that are designated locally-based enterprises (LBEs) and minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs).
“My recommendations for the future of the Brooklyn Heights Branch, which have been guided by the thousands of Brooklynites whose feedback I have considered in recent weeks, are a blueprint for responsible community development that puts our children and families first,” said Borough President Adams. “Considering this land use application has been about more than one site or one institution; it represents an opportunity to evaluate the direction of development in Brooklyn Heights and ensure that basic services are met and enhanced. It is appropriate for the City to pursue opportunities that utilize our municipal air right assets, but any such utilization must maximize community benefit above and beyond what has been the standard to date. Moreover, we must seize this opportunity to resolve the larger fiscal crisis that our libraries face, with solutions that guarantee equitable and dependable funding for capital upgrades and branch programming. I thank everyone that has participated in this passionate community process, and I look forward to working with all those invested in the future of the Brooklyn Heights Branch as this process evolves.”
Noting that “it is clear that there is immediate need to develop Community School District (CSD) 13 public school seats in proximity to PS 8,” Borough President Adams expressed concern that the application did not address the potential for creating additional classrooms at 280 Cadman Plaza West, as well as the impact that new development at the site would have on existing area schools with overcrowding issues. As such, he proposed building elementary school space within any new building on that site, including a potential annex to PS 8, in coordination with CSD 13, Community Board (CB) 2, and local elected officials; this would include complimentary functions such as a gymnasium and general assembly/lunch room space. Additionally, Borough President Adams called on the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) to establish a task force inclusive of Community Education Councils (CECs) 13 and 15, CBs 2 and 6, and elected representatives to develop a site identification plan that would solve the public school seat shortage in and around Downtown Brooklyn.
Regarding the creation of affordable housing, Borough President Adams stressed the importance of all units associated with development remaining permanently affordable, whether built on-site or off-site and regardless of zoning requirements. He also addressed what he termed as the “significantly unbalanced number of studio apartments versus two- and three-bedroom apartments which are most in demand for families borough-wide,” calling on modifications that would accommodate more family-sized units. In response to community concerns about the imbalance between on-site and off-site housing development, Borough President Adams called for affordable housing generated by the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Floor Area Bonus to be sited at 280 Cadman Plaza West.
Borough President Adams also outlined a larger plan to address the funding challenges facing City libraries, including those in the Brooklyn Public Library system. Observing that “as it stands, the public library system [in New York City] is not a proper working model,” he specifically noted how library maintenance, operations, and staffing have suffered due to inconsistent and unpredictable funding streams. To address this, he proposed the incorporation of public libraries into the City’s agency structure; this would start with the Brooklyn Public Library becoming an independent agency that would be subject to merger with other library systems pending results of a cost-benefit analysis.
Pertaining to the size of the Brooklyn Heights Branch, Borough President Adams underscored the need for the library to maintain its current publicly-accessible floor area, inclusive of the Business Library. In addition, he noted that proceeds from the sale of any air rights related to library sites, including the Brooklyn Heights Branch, should be directed to branches following consultation with relevant local elected officials. Acknowledging the challenges of transferring air rights from Carnegie libraries, Borough President Adams asked the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) to develop a zoning text change to make such transfers easier, in an effort to preserve the character of the historical buildings while capturing critical air right assets.
Borough President Adams’s recommendations will be considered by the City Planning Commission (CPC) as part of their public meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd.
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