Councilmember James Expresses Concerns on Atlantic Yards Project
Following is part of the testimony to be given by Council Member Letitia James at the ESDC Public Scoping hearing on the Atlantic Yards tonight (October 18, 2005):
For the past two years, this development has existed in a parallel universe. Information is kept from the public and the press. Community Boards and elected officials are ignored. In place of real information, there is a “newspaper” written, published, and delivered by the developer. In place of the local planning review, there are backroom deals and staged events. Tonight, the public is finally presented with an opportunity to weigh in on this massive proposal. I have many serious concerns about the process, scope, and scale of this project. Clearly, it is not being driven by community needs but by the bottom-line interests of the developer and his investors.
One clear example of this is that this project will be constructed in two phases, with the affordable housing built in the second phase, which could take up to ten years to begin. Let it be stated at the outset that the phases should be altered and changed to ensure that the affordable housing component be built in the first phase and not be subject to shifting economies and budget constraints. The surrounding communities are in dire need of housing and cannot wait ten years. There will be no home-ownership opportunity for lower income people, and the percent of affordable housing has shifted as the amount of residential and commercial space has been changed repeatedly. Based on numbers provided by the developer at the May 2005 City Council hearing, only 6% of the units are slated for low-income households, and 24% for “moderate” income. That leaves 70% luxury. In addition, half of the “affordable” units are comparable to market rate rents, with studios and one bedrooms for $1,300-1,600 per month. The secondary displacement that would occur from a massive influx of higher income residents would radically alter the mixed-income character of Prospect Heights.
I am also greatly concerned regarding the negative impact this project would have on local businesses in the neighboring communities. As evidenced by FCRC’s Atlantic Center malls, national chain stores and not locally-owned small businesses generally benefit from FCRC’s developments.
This project fails to take into account State SEQR requirements that establish a threshold analysis of schools, libraries, healthcare, and day care facilities based upon an increased residential population. Likewise, the ratio for open space is inconsistent with the general guidelines for adequate open space for a proposed population increase of this size. Up to 16,000 new residents are expected to move to the area under this plan. Infrastructure is already strained in my district, with many subway lines running at capacity, and our fire and police staffs are stretched thin. The plan does not guarantee any new school facilities and our education department cannot sustain a large increase in demand. Additionally, the only “public” green space promised for the first 11 years of development was recently announced by FCRC to be private “open” space from which the public would be barred.
A serious public policy concern of mine is the misuse of Eminent Domain. I do not believe this project constitutes a public use, and it is questionable whether it is for the public good. It will certainly benefit FCRC and its investors, yet the return to the community is much less secure. Given the pending state, local, and federal legislation dealing with Eminent Domain, this awesome governmental power should only be employed for truly public uses such as schools and railroads.
I am distressed that multiple local city streets are slated to be given to the developer and therefore de-mapped, making a permanent barrier between Fort Greene and Prospect Heights. It is not only financially unsound to give a private entity a city street, it will also result in ‘mega-blocks’ that are prime examples of bad urban planning
I will submit my full testimony to the ESDC. In addition to the issues raised here, it deals with density and traffic, air quality, asthma rates and other health hazards, urban design and neighborhood character, the shadowing and graying of streets, and other concerns.
Based upon the IBO report issued September 2005, the rate of return to the city of New York is estimated to be less than $1 million in revenue per year. It is estimated that the direct and indirect subsidies involved will total over $1 billion and I raise the question is it worth it given the numerous negatives impacts that I briefly described. For the record, FCRC has stated at a City Council Hearing that the businesses that lease space within the project would hire as they see fit, and would have no responsibility whatsoever to hire locally or to work with minority and women-owned companies
Despite my deep reservations about the FCRC plan, I do believe the Atlantic Yards are a suitable site for development. Fortunately, there is another offer on the table, from Extell. The Extell plan does not use eminent domain and is much more contextual with and respectful of the surrounding neighborhood.
Finally, I am displeased that so far no funding has been made available to the community for an engineer to guide the public through the EIS process. Repeated requests have been made to the ESDC from my office, Borough President Markowitz, Assembly Members Brennan and Millman, Council Members Yassky and Vann, and others. $150,000 for community experts is a small price to pay to ensure active and through public participation, especially when you are dealing with a multi-billion dollar corporation. I again request that the ESDC follow the provision of SEQRA that states a reviewing agency may charge an applicant a fee to recover the costs incurred in reviewing an EIS. (See State Environmental Conservation Law Section 8-0109 (7)).
This project represents planning that is at odds with creative, community-based initiative. It is fiscally and environmentally unsound and will destroy a viable and growing neighborhood. Thank you.

Councilmember Letitia James' Statement on Affordable Housing at Atlantic Yards
I would like to congratulate the Administration and ACORN for their commitment to affordable housing. Affordable housing is by far the greatest need in my district and I look forward to an increase in units available to those with modest incomes. I would hope that these units provide for families in the affected and surrounding area, including those that earn less than $30,000 a year. I would further hope that the parties involved in this agreement take into account the large percent of my district made up of single-earner female-headed households with low incomes. It is equally important that there is a guaranteee that this housing is permanently affordable.
Notwithstanding this groundbreaking announcement, I continue to have concerns regarding the logic of locating a 20,000-seat arena and 17 skyscrapers in the middle of a low-rise, brownstone community. The community has been promised a report on the appraised value of the MTA yards and they have yet to receive it. Moreover, the process for development at Atlantic Yards continues to bypass City Council oversight and community involvement. The upcoming hearing of the Economic Development Committee of the City Council on the proposed arena deal will be an essential forum to address these issues.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES EXPANSION PLAN FOR THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD AND REJUVENATION PLANS FOR THE FLUSHING AVENUE CORRIDOR
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) President Eric Deutsch today unveiled a strategic plan to create new facilities and generate hundreds of new jobs in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, one of the City's largest and most successful industrial centers. The expansion plan is expected to generate between 500 and 800 new jobs at the Navy Yard within the next three to five years. To underscore market demand for industrial space within the City, the Mayor also announced that thirty-eight industrial firms representing a total workforce of 380 employees - and occupying a total of 422,300 square feet - had decided either to locate, expand or renew their leases at the Brooklyn Navy Yard over the past six months. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council Members Letitia James and Albert Vann, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Chairman and Independence Community Board President & CEO Alan Fishman, and Duggal Visual Solutions President Baldev Duggal joined the Mayor for the announcement at the Navy Yard.
"Today, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, one of the City's most successful industrial centers, is bursting at the seams and it needs room to grow," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The Navy Yard expansion plan is another key part of our strategy to preserve and grow jobs in all five boroughs by diversifying our economy and strengthening the City's business environment in all sectors. Manufacturing firms will continue to play an important role in our strategy for long-term economic growth, and industrial companies need the kind of affordable and accessible space offered here. We will continue to capitalize on the Navy Yard's success and provide even more employment opportunities, especially for residents of Brooklyn. And while we create those new jobs, the City also will stimulate the development of new shopping opportunities for local residents along Flushing Avenue to improve business conditions and quality of life in the surrounding communities."
"The Navy Yard, with more than 220 private-sector tenants providing 4,000 jobs, is a great example of a place where the City's industrial sector can flourish and provide important employment opportunities," said BNYDC Chairman and Independence Community Board President & CEO Alan Fishman. "Our vision for the expansion of the Navy Yard builds upon our current success, and allows for both the expansion of current tenants and the attraction of new firms."
"The Navy Yard offers a secure, supportive manufacturing environment, and the strategic plan would increase the amount of available space by targeting large parcels of underutilized and developable land, while also nurturing industries already thriving in the Yard," said BNYDC President Eric Deutsch. "We are prepared to work with industrial companies to meet their needs, and look forward to full implementation of the plan."
"Today's announcement is further proof of Brooklyn's increasingly robust economy," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "This plan will benefit Brooklynites of all income and skill levels by encouraging manufacturing businesses to make their homes where they should be - in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. By creating more jobs and expanding our industrial sector, Brooklyn is once again sailing at the helm of urban America."
Building on the success of the Navy Yard's existing 3.5 million square feet of space, which is 97% occupied, the City through BNYDC will help generate new industrial capacity at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as part of a strategic plan that calls for creation of as much as 500,000 square feet of additional industrial space in the 300-acre industrial park's western section. The new industrial expansion would extend into land now made available through the shrinkage of the NYPD tow pound located at the corner of Sands and Navy Streets. In addition, the City will improve underutilized sections of the original Navy Yard to rejuvenate Brooklyn's Flushing Avenue Corridor through the creation of new neighborhood-oriented retail space. The strategic plan's vision segments the Yard into the following three zones:
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West Side District: This zone includes 20 acres of developable land targeted for the development of several new industrial facilities with as much as 500,000 square feet of space, as well as new, neighborhood-oriented retail space. The new retail space is expected to provide additional amenities and improve the quality of life in the surrounding communities by making the Brooklyn Navy Yard a more attractive neighbor. The strategic plan would increase the number of manufacturing sites, including the launch of a new, large-scale, food manufacturing complex with shared freezer and refrigeration capabilities. The food complex, projected to commence construction in 2006, would be more than 100,000 square feet in size. BNYDC plans to initiate expansion activity in this district next year by breaking ground for some 180,000 square feet of industrial space.
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East Side District: This zone is comprised of extensive, developable property, including the recently acquired grounds of the former Naval Hospital. The district could accommodate a mix of industrial, film studio, office and retail facilities.
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Waterfront District: The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation will continue to operate the Navy Yard's waterfront as a regional maritime resource. This district is currently fully tenanted with maritime businesses utilizing its three dry docks and four piers as well as extensive berthing space.
BNYDC, along with new and growing Navy Yard tenants, will bear expansion costs associated with the construction of new buildings at the industrial park, which will be financed with private dollars. To complement the activity associated with new construction, the City is providing $71 million from its capital budget targeted toward infrastructure improvements at the Navy Yard like roads, sewers and electrical, over the next five years.
Over the past six months, 38 industrial firms representing a total workforce of 380 employees have decided to locate, expand or renew their leases at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Firms deciding to establish new operations at the Navy Yard during this period include: Airwear NYC, Artopia, Damascus Bakery, Emerald Holding, Evan Eisman Co., Golden Touch Antiques, Greco Bathroom & Tile Supplies, LL Metal Works, Marcap, Robert Kalka Custom Woodwork, Stitch, T&S Supplies, Tryptyck, Antiques Ltd. and Y & B Sales & Distributors, Inc.
Companies that decided to expand at the Navy Yard within the past six months include: Agger Fish Company, Brooklyn Severe-Duty, Crye Associates, DeVore Fidelity, Duggal Visual Solutions, Elizabeth Kennedy Landscape Architects, GFD Courier, Gemini Company, Inland Sea, Jeremiah Coyle Design and Consulting, Metropolitan Artificial, and Surround Art Company.
Companies renewing leases over the past six months include: Active Plumbing & Fire Sprinkler Corp., AIS Furniture, All County Business Essentials, Claw Construction, Diversified Packaging, Gianni Upholstery, Kazuaki Sugi Studio, M W Moss, Mercedes/St. Joe Distribution, Osborne & McLellan, and Philip Fordyce Construction.
In May, the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) announced that their Workforce Development Corporation had released an RFP for a workforce consultant to coordinate a hiring initiative with Steiner Studios and other film industry-related employers at the Navy Yard, which will bring hundreds of jobs to the area. The consultant is expected to establish a recruitment outpost at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the next few weeks, which will be a single point-of-contact between local jobseekers, production companies and vendors involved in Steiner Studio productions. The consultant will be responsible for establishing relationships with local community organizations and educational institutions to create a steady pipeline of candidates for production related jobs and ancillary services at the film and television production complex. The consultant also will be responsible for conducting outreach to the Fort Greene community including the New York City Housing Authority's Farragut, Ingersoll and Walt Whitman Houses. Steiner Studios is scheduled to open this fall.
Established in 1801, the Brooklyn Navy Yard served as one of the nation's preeminent military facilities for more than 150 years. After the federal government closed it in 1966, the City of New York assumed ownership of the Yard and reopened it as an industrial park. The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation, manages the Brooklyn Navy Yard under a lease with the Yard's owner, the City of New York. BNYDC is responsible for leasing space in the Yard, developing its underutilized areas, and overseeing the ongoing modernization of the Yard's infrastructure.

Councilmember Letitia James - $25,000 for the West Indian American Day Carnival and a dozen other items
As part of the city’s $47 billion budget, individual City Council members lobby for money for specific projects in their district, often called “member items.” For more about the budget and member items, read Bringing Budget Dollars Back to the Neighborhood.
The following is a list of budget items from Letitia James, representative for Fort Green, Prospect Heights.
Capital projects with parks
Assisted living center in Crown Heights
Various community-based organizations
Little League field in McGloghlin Park
Recreational space at Atlantic Commons
Fort Greene Park, to restore the martyr moment, plaza
Conversion of a former prison to affordable housing on Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn Academy of Music ($374,000 restored.)
Jewish Children's Museum ($25,000)
Study in Prospect Heights on the impact the proposed Nets arena would have
Pantries to feed the homeless
Brooklyn Opportunity Center
People of Color in Crisis (deals with AIDS and HIV patients) ($50,000)
Alliance of Resident Theaters (cultural organization, provides space for artists) ($145,000)
Creative Dance Outlet (low-cost dance classes) ($5,500)
West Indian American Day Carnival Association ($25,000)
Brooklyn Museum of Art ($35,976 restored)
Crown Heights Jewish Community Council ($30,000)
Crown Heights Block Associations' study on historic preservation within Crown Heights
Safe Horizon (works with victims of domestic violence) ($50,000)
Brown Memorial Baptist Church (their after-school program)
First Baptist Church

Council Member James Responds to Mayor's Budget
Last week Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his $46.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2005. The plan calls for a $400 property tax rebate for homeowners, $562 million in raises for the District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal union, and cuts to a number of city agencies. The Mayor and City Council must agree on a budget by June. District 35 Council Member Letitia James offered the following response to the mayor’s proposed budget:
“The property tax rebate should be spread to renters and individuals on fixed incomes. At a time of surplus, the mayor should not be trying to eliminate money for Meals on Wheels. It is reprehensible that initiatives for AIDS in minority communities are being cut, along with legal aid, childcare services and education.”
5/3/04

EDC: Development Plan for Downtown Brooklyn
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff was joined...by Amanda M. Burden, Director of City Planning, and Joshua J. Sirefman, Chief Operating Officer of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, to unveil the Bloomberg Administration's Plan for Downtown Brooklyn. The Plan is part of the Bloomberg Administration's comprehensive strategy to stimulate growth in New York City's varied business districts, and retain and increase jobs throughout the City. Already New York City's third-largest business district, Downtown Brooklyn offers companies seeking to diversify their operations affordable office space, outstanding mass transportation access, and burgeoning residential, academic and cultural opportunities.
"No one can predict when the market will turn around, but it is vitally important that as the City's economy recovers we are prepared to offer companies viable and affordable locations to meet their expansion needs," Deputy Mayor Doctoroff said. "We can ill-afford to lose jobs to New Jersey or Westchester. We must move ahead now with plans to build on momentum that has already begun in Downtown Brooklyn and enhance the area's array of assets-a tremendous mass transit network, strong corporate presence, dynamic academic and cultural institutions and vibrant residential neighborhoods nearby…"
New York City Economic Development Corporation and Department of City Planning are spearheading the planning effort on behalf of the Administration in conjunction with the Downtown Brooklyn Council, a not-for-profit economic development advocacy group representing a number of Downtown Brooklyn's corporate, academic and cultural institutions.
Deputy Mayor Doctoroff, Director Burden and Chief Operating Officer Sirefman presented the Plan in separate meetings to elected officials at City Hall and local community organizations. In a third meeting held at the MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn, Deputy Mayor Doctoroff led the presentation of the Plan to representatives of various Citywide civic groups, including NYC Partnership, Real Estate Board of New York, Central Labor Council, and architectural and housing groups, among others.
In the presentations, Deputy Mayor Doctoroff called for expansion of the area's commercial core and the creation of opportunities for new residential, academic and cultural development. The sweeping proposal calls for the City to increase zoning allowances, assist in the assembly of key commercial and residential sites and undertake a series of infrastructure improvements to help facilitate the creation of as much as 5.4 million square feet of new commercial space and about 1,000 units of housing.
The Plan for Downtown Brooklyn also calls for the transformation of Flatbush Avenue Extension into a thriving, pedestrian-friendly gateway to the borough serving the area's workers and residents. The thoroughfare is now largely viewed as a vehicular route linking the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges to other areas of the borough…
In developing the Plan, the City worked closely with representatives from the local community and surrounding areas to address quality of life improvements, including traffic management and parking facilities. Participating community organizations included groups from Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Boerum Hill.
The Plan envisions the creation of:
*Three new office towers, with as much as three million square feet of space, to be built abutting a newly created 1.5-acre park on Willoughby Street just west of Flatbush Avenue Extension.
*Another office development anchoring the west end of downtown at Boerum Place with a total development potential of nearly 850,000 square feet.
*New residential and office opportunities on the eastern side of Flatbush Avenue Extension, from Tillary to Willoughby Streets and along the south side of Myrtle Avenue, east of Flatbush Avenue Extension.
*Additional residential opportunities along Livingston Street between Smith Street and Flatbush Avenue.
*An expanded intellectual community spurred by the seven existing academic institutions, including Polytechnic University, Brooklyn Law School and St. Joseph's College, that enroll more than 32,000 students and occupy over 900,000-square-feet of campus area.
*A mixed-use cultural district with a new library, theaters, galleries, rehearsal spaces, and other cultural venues, as well as mixed income housing in the area surrounding the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
*Approximately 2,000 parking spots…

Homepage of the Community Gazette for District 35
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THE OFFICIAL WORD FOR DISTRICT 35
Councilmember James Expresses Concerns on Atlantic Yards Project
(Oct 18, 2005)
Councilmember Letitia James' Statement on Affordable Housing at Atlantic Yards
(May 23, 2005)
MAYOR ANNOUNCES EXPANSION PLAN FOR THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD AND REJUVENATION PLANS FOR THE FLUSHING AVENUE CORRIDOR
(Jul 15, 2004)
Councilmember Letitia James - $25,000 for the West Indian American Day Carnival and a dozen other items
(Jul 02, 2004)
Council Member James Responds to Mayor's Budget
(May 02, 2004)
EDC: Development Plan for Downtown Brooklyn
(Nov 04, 2003)
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