The NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) argues that the historic homes on Duffield Street must be destroyed in order to spur economic development in Downtown Brooklyn. The owners and residents of these homes counter that their homes should not be confiscated because economic development is proceeding quite well, thank you very much.Today the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published "Development Reaches Flatbush Extension in Spectacular Way" which paints an image of dramatic new construction starting a few feet from the Duffield Street homes all the way to the Manhattan Bridge:
For yet more information, you can check out the Belltel Lofts blog, which is a "is for owners or people who'd like to be owners at Belltellofts at 365 Bridge Street Downtown Brooklyn. Also, anyone wanting to discuss Downtown Brooklyn in general."Although Brooklyn planners, in rezoning the Downtown Brooklyn area in 2004, hoped those efforts might lead to 1,000 new housing units, no one anticipated the wave of residential development. Few had thought through the appeal of living in Brooklyn with a view.
With height plans for four of the 10 projects still being determined, there will be at least 224 new combined stories of buildings climbing into the sky.
With five buildings contributing retail space, there should also be about 113 feet of new stores. Three of these projects are in Bridge Plaza along Nassau, Duffield and Gold streets. Three others are between Tillary and Myrtle, and still another three are on the southern part of Myrtle — all east of Flatbush Extension....
If all this comes to pass, this part of Brooklyn and the old extension will never be the same.
For an angrier reaction, read "The Botox Theory Of Urban Revitalization."
With all of this economic activity, you might think the EDC might want to reconsider the use of eminent domain on Duffield Street. But the EDC remains intent on destroying these homes, despite the current conditions.
