The Development of Brooklyn – POST NO BILLS
DJ Treasure
March 2024
In the last 15 years Brooklyn has undergone changes in it’s infrastructure. And many would arguably attest the increase in residential development to the groundbreaking of the Atlantic Yards project that made way for the new stadium, the Barclays Center . Others would attest it to the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Since the attack on the city skyscraper many Manhattan residents relocated to Brooklyn.
Since the boom of construction of the southern borough of New York City the population has increasingly grown since 2010. According to Brooklyn.org , “With over 2,736,074 residents living across 70 neighborhoods, Brooklyn is New York City’s most populous and fastest growing borough. Brooklyn had the largest population gain of all NYC boroughs from Census 2010 to 2020 (9.2%) and is just short of its record population reached in 1950.” This growth is obvious to the residents who have inhabited the borough prior to 2010 and although the population has grown the space to house the new population is limited. Residents have since opted to sell their larger homes and relocate to alternate cities for larger properties. While some property owners have sold their homes others have opted to remain and discovered that the landscape is quickly changing.
Within weeks of a property lot being purchased developers quickly move in to start on the construction of apartment and condominium buildings that replace the once family residence that was once there. In an instance their neighbors went from a family to 30 new persons in a 12-unit building.
“We were harassed and tormented for over two years before they started their construction and nothing but noise and problems for me and my family while they were building those 2 apartment buildings."
"They wanted us to sell, and I bought this house for my family, and I am not selling it, They even took me to court because I wouldn’t let them drive their plumbing pipes and trucks through my yard. I t was miserable and noisy. They won and I had to give them room to drive their big dump trucks into my yard because they court said part of my backyard was on their lot. Can you imagine? I been living here for 30 years and all of a sudden, I’m on their lot.” The owner of this home who asked to not be named in the article said in tears.
This quick process is a proposal that was presented to the City Council Feb 2024 and proposes as a zoning amendment. It will allow developers to expedited through the city’s environmental review process called the Green Fast Track for Housing. Allowing for 250 unit, and 250 foot tall building to be built without the input from the community.
An example of developments that would be expedited through the Green Fast Track Housing amendment would be the upcoming development on Nostrand Ave in Crown Heights that replaced the local neighborhood supermarket that has been a resource to the community since the 1970’s.
"Famous Green Walls" Notice of Construction on Albany Ave in pic 1 and on Winthrop/Rogers Ave in Pic 2 Brooklyn NY (Photo by SAaron)
Time and time again residential homes are disappearing and being replaced by green wooden barricades printed with Post No Bills spray painted as a deterrent from street poster promotional materials. Behind the row of green boarded barriers, developers have hidden the construction of buildings the size of apartment complexes and condominiums. These structures that have replaced the beautiful Italianate Brownstones, Greek Revival Brownstones, Queen Anne Townhouses, Romanesque Revival Townhouses., and Renaissance Revival Townhouses that Brooklyn is known to be decorated with.
Front of a resident’s home with intrusive scaffolding on front entrance leading to main front door of the home (Photo by SAaron)
The disturbing side of this residential boom is local residents of Brooklyn are being outpriced of these homes where the area medium income (AMI) is newly at $67,579
according to DataUSa.IO. Meanwhile to qualify for one of these newly built 1 bedroom apartment in the same neighborhood roughly rents for $3,050 according to Zillow.com Meanwhile the income to apply for lottery in the Brooklyn Tower a 93-story residential building that is offering NYC housing lottery less than 5 miles away has an AMI of a minimum of $90,172 to $215,150. According to NewYorkyIMBY.com. The AMI differences are disparaging and are either forcing longtime residents of Brooklyn to sell and relocate to other cities or simply move because of lack of residential resource options. The problem is there are more expensive apartments than there are New Yorkers and Brooklynites who can afford them. Many buildings have been constructed and still display leasing signs for apartments of their lower-level offices that are a part of these constructions mainly because they are not affordable to the residents already living in the borough and the city.
Vacancy signs on Classon Ave and Claver Place, New York Ave in Brooklyn, NY (Photo by SAaron)
With the influx of the new migrant population of asylum seekers of over 175,000 into New York City and an overly populated housing system New York and especially Brooklyn is set to have a resurfaced change intentional or not, but the building will continue. The question is who will be able to afford to stay as more green walls go up.
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