The City of New York
Office of the Mayor
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November
27, 2012
No.
449
MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES THREE
MAJOR MILESTONES IN THE REVITILIZATION OF THE DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN CULTURAL
DISTRICT
Announces Plans to Begin Construction of 600 New Units of Housing; 50
Percent to Be Affordable
Public Review Begins on New Mixed-Use Development to Create Approximately
50,000 Square Feet of New Cultural and Community Space, and a New Iconic Public Plaza
RFP Issued For the Last Development Parcel in District with Plans for New
Cultural and Commercial Space
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today
announced three major milestones in the development of the last city-owned
parcels in the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District. First, the Gotham
Organization and DT Salazar, Inc will develop 600 units of housing, 300 of
which will be affordable, as well as new cultural, community and commercial
space on a site bounded by Fulton Street, Rockwell Place and Ashland Place.
Second, an ambitious, multi-faceted proposal by Two Trees Management Company to
develop 50,000 square feet of new creative, cultural and community space, along
with a dynamic new public plaza, has begun the public review and approval process.
Finally, the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development released a
Request for Proposals for the last development parcel in the district.
“Downtown Brooklyn has very
quickly become one of the City’s most vibrant cultural destinations and an
exciting place to live,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “These projects – which will
bring more affordable housing and community space to the neighborhood – are
more proof of the confidence that the real estate industry has in New York City
and in downtown Brooklyn.”
“Downtown Brooklyn is one of the
most exciting and dynamic neighborhoods in New York City or anywhere in the
world, and today’s announcements are further confirmation of Downtown
Brooklyn’s momentum,” Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel
said. “These new development initiatives are also a powerful reminder that
cultural institutions like BAM are major economic growth engines throughout New
York City.”
“Bravo
to Mayor Bloomberg, EDC President and new dad Seth Pinsky and HPD Commissioner
Mathew Wambua on today’s announcement, which further proves Brooklyn’s status
as a cultural hub and cements our reputation as the ‘heart of art’ in the ‘city
of stages,’” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “I look forward
to reviewing the ULURP proposal for the continued expansion of the Downtown
Brooklyn Cultural District and am especially excited to see allocations made
for affordable housing. I have been a strong advocate for increasing the
availability of affordable housing throughout Brooklyn, and this development
will provide much needed access to reasonably priced homes while expanding the
reach of the cultural corridor in Downtown Brooklyn to its new residents.”
“Fort Greene
Downtown Brooklyn is currently home to more than 40
non-profit visual, performing and media arts organizations, including the
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Mark Morris Dance Center, and the Museum
of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), and together, these new
projects will add to this dynamic neighborhood’s emergence as an unparalleled
center for arts and culture in New York City.
The City has been committed to bringing much-needed
affordable housing to the neighborhood as it has continued to grow. HPD has
finalized plans with developers The Gotham Organization Inc. and DT Salazar,
Inc. to build 600 units of new housing, 50 percent of which will be affordable
to low- , moderate- , and middle-income New Yorkers. This commitment of
approximately 300 affordable units doubled the amount of affordable housing
originally projected for Cultural District Site I and exceeds the City’s plan
for the entire north block. In addition, 40 percent of these affordable units
will be two-bedrooms. The building will be designed to complement the cultural
district and will help enliven the district by adding foot traffic to the Arts
Plaza and locating active retail uses along Fulton Street.
When completed, the approximately 515,000-square-foot
building will also contain 20,000-square-feet of cultural and related office
space and 20,000-square-feet of retail space HPD and the NYC Housing
Development Corporation (HDC) expect to close on financing with the development
team late next year and to see construction begin shortly thereafter.
“The development of the Downtown Brooklyn
Cultural District is moving forward with great arts, cultural and community
space, and the housing – both affordable and market-rate – will transform this
collection of buildings and vacant lots that surround BAM into a real
community,” said HPD Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua. “It speaks to the
dedication of this Administration and that of our development partners that we
were able to double the commitment to affordable housing at Site I. And
as we move forward with the RFP for Site II, I look forward to watching this
neighborhood grow and to celebrating the richness of its cultural institutions
and the diversity of its housing.”
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with the City
to enliven this cultural district with a rich combination of uses - retail,
cultural, office, market and affordable housing,” said David Picket, President
of Gotham Organization, Inc. Established in 1931, Gotham Organization, Inc. is
a fourth-generation family-run business that develops, builds, owns and
operates residential and retail real estate primarily in New York City. For
more information visit www.gothamorganization.com or www.livinggotham.com
On November 26, Two Trees, which agreed to purchase
the district’s South Site parcel from the City’s Economic Development
Corporation in 2009, began the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure to gain
approval to build a new mixed-use development on the Flatbush Avenue site. The
approximately 47,000-square-foot lot, which is bounded by Flatbush Avenue , Lafayette Ashland Place , is currently
a parking lot owned and operated by EDC. Once the ULURP process is complete,
and approvals have been granted, Two Trees can begin constructing a new
state-of-the-art, 32-story mixed-use facility designed by Enrique Norten of Ten
Arquitectos including approximately 50,000-square-feet of creative and cultural
space that will be shared by BAM, 651 ARTS and the Brooklyn Public Library. In
addition, the tower will include approximately 23,000-square-feet of
ground-level retail, as well as approximately 300 to 400 apartments, 20 percent
of which will be affordable.
“The Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District is a
premier global center for art and culture,” said New York City Economic
Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. “With today’s announcement,
the City will continue to promote the growth of this vibrant district, creating
not only additional space for arts organizations, but also additional
affordable housing and open and commercial space—further integrating these
cultural institutions into the fabric of the neighborhood and ensuring that
world-class art and culture continue to flourish in Brooklyn .
I would like to thank Borough President Markowitz, Council Member James, and
all our partners who have allowed these important projects to come to life.”
Plans also include a 16,000-square-foot public plaza to provide desired open space for community residents, local artists and visitors. The plaza is designed to allow a variety of outdoor programming, including dance and theater performances, film presentations, open air markets and crafts fairs, and other community uses.
“The growth
of the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District is another example of the City's
commitment to improving and enhancing neighborhoods by increasing opportunities
for arts and culture," said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin . “The City supports dozens of cultural
organizations in Fort
Greene
Once
the facility is complete, the 50,000-square-feet of cultural space and a
portion of the public plaza will be controlled by the City of New York.
Approximately 17,400-square-feet of space will be occupied by BAM to allow
the institution to meet the needs of its growing audiences. A component of
this expansion will enable BAM to make its BAM Hamm Archives
Center resources available to the public, providing researchers, artists,
educational institutions, and students with access to materials and records
documenting the oldest performing arts center in the country.
BAM President, Karen Brooks Hopkins, said, “BAM is
thrilled to have the opportunity to broaden its artistic and institutional
vision, further serving its audiences and community. We are grateful to BAM
trustee and longtime archives supporter Charles Hamm and his wife Irene and to
the City of New York for investing in the cultural life of one of the most
vibrant and dynamic districts in New York.”
The Brooklyn Public Library will use approximately
16,500 square feet of the cultural space to open a new state-of-the-art branch
at the South Site. The new branch will offer
traditional library services as well as new technologies and programming that
will benefit the local community. BPL is also working with BAM to develop an
innovative cultural partnership at the new branch.
“This
vibrant neighborhood and cultural district is a natural fit for Brooklyn Public
Library as we adapt our vital services to meet the needs of a growing and
changing Brooklyn,” said Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda
Johnson. “By partnering with the City, BAM and Two Trees, we'll be able to
create a flexible, technology-rich new branch right in the heart of Brooklyn
with programming designed specifically for the needs of this community.”
A
studio and rehearsal center will comprise approximately 12,500 square feet, to
be occupied by 651 ARTS, an acclaimed performing arts presenter dedicated to
artists of the African Diaspora. 651 ARTS will manage the space for use by
local performing artists and arts organizations. Rehearsal studio spaces will
be available at affordable rates, and preference will be given to organizations
in the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District. The state-of-the-art studios will
also be multi-purpose space for education programs, and will provide
opportunities for live public performances, gatherings and salons for artists
to cultivate their work.
“651
ARTS is excited for the opportunity to expand its presence in the Downtown
Brooklyn Cultural District and to collaborate and support local cultural
organizations with a space to create, develop and showcase new works,” said
Shay Wafer, Executive Director of 651 ARTS.
“By
partnering with the City and some of Brooklyn's most innovative cultural
institutions, we'll be able to provide permanent community amenities and an
iconic new public plaza that helps to connect Downtown Brooklyn to the new
arena,” said Jed Walentas, a principal at Two Trees Management. “In addition,
the creation of much-needed affordable housing will help to ensure that this
growing cultural hub and dynamic neighborhood will continue to be accessible to
all New Yorkers.”
On
Tuesday, HPD released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Cultural District Site
II, the last development parcel in the district. Located at the intersection of
Ashland Place and Lafayette Avenue, Site II is the key remaining piece of the
multi-site plan to bring affordable housing, new commercial space, and space
for cultural activities to this growing community. The RFP calls for
approximately 100,000-square-feet of floor area and may include residential,
community and/or commercial space, with a requirement to include a minimum of
15,000-square-feet dedicated to cultural space and the arts. If affordable
housing is proposed it must serve low-income New Yorkers. As this site is
complimentary of the City’s overall plans to support the established and
emerging arts organizations in the area, designs should reflect excellence and
creativity in architecture and be a defining component of the heart of the
Cultural District. Proposals must be submitted by February 1, 2013. For more
information and to download the RFP, visit www.nyc.gov/hpd.
Downtown
Brooklyn was rezoned in 2004 in part to help facilitate the growth of the new
cultural district centered in the Fort Greene neighborhood and its legacy of
cultural activity. Since then, the City has committed over $100 million in
capital funding to further enliven an already vibrant neighborhood of arts
organizations and support the development of the Downtown Brooklyn area as a
whole. This includes the Mark Morris Dance Center, the James E. Davis 80 Arts
Building, the newly opened BAM Fisher Building, the BRIC Arts | Media House and
the UrbanGlass Renewal project currently in construction, and construction of a
new home for Theatre for a New Audience which is also underway.
In
addition, after the rezoning other cultural, residential and commercial
projects involving a cross-section of the surrounding community have been
planned or built in Downtown Brooklyn. These new projects, along with other
City investments, have improved the street-level experience in the district
while serving to further integrate cultural organizations, residents and
businesses in Downtown Brooklyn.
“It's difficult to put into perspective how impactful today's
announcement will be on the future of Downtown Brooklyn,” said Tucker Reed, the
President of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. "Active uses on these
vacant sites will provide critical connections between our commercial and
residential assets and world class cultural and entertainment attractions,
fostering a cohesive and attractive Downtown experience. These sites were a
critical missing piece.”
- 30 -
Contact: Marc La Vorgna/Julie Wood (212) 788-2958
Patrick
Muncie (NYCEDC) (212)
312-3523
Danai
Pointer (Cultural Affairs) (212)
513-9322
Eric
Bederman (HPD) (212)
863-5176
