The Repurposing of the Armory at Bedford and UNION

I plan to make a plea for a Trader Joe's.

I believe this is the part where members of the public request things that are not at all financially possible (i.e. aquarium)
OR
politically possible (i.e free admission for "long term local" residents).

And, the EDC sits there and is slowly convinced that whatever they already have in mind is better than what the public would do with the space.

MTA fare hearings are similar.

I believe this is the part where members of the public request things that are not at all financially possible (i.e. aquarium)
OR
politically possible (i.e free admission for "long term local" residents).  

 I'd vote for this. 

Well I already heard the Jewish folks are pissed because they can't go to the first meeting as their faith won't allow them to enter a house of worship that's not their religion. Sooooo we've already got folks pissed before this even starts. I RSVP'd for the Tuesday event but did not receive an email confirmation after submission....

@mugofmead111 -

As a result of living here for more than 10 years, I believe I qualify for the long term local resident pass.

(this is going to be great)

@lilern - I didn't receive an email confirmation yet either. I registered for Sunday.

I've been to some past meetings and from what I understand the empty lot behind the armory will become a footprint for rather tall residential housing. This will consist of market rate and low income housing. The market rate housing will help subsidize the ongoing cost of what becomes of the armory

Yup. I took a photo of that lot on page 1.

In this instance the city actually owns the land that the developers want, so it has more power than usual.

However, even given this "free land" they are going to either have to make said housing a combination of "really luxury" and "not that affordable" to pull off subsidizing anything.

And, they are going to need (gasp) a variance from the zoning code presently in place.

Well I already heard the Jewish folks are pissed because they can't go to the first meeting as their faith won't allow them to enter a house of worship that's not their religion. 

Cultural competency fail. People who work with this community at large should have expanded their knowledge base about such things by now (maybe get an advisor so these kind of complaints can be headed off at the pass?). 

There is a lot of debate about whether poverty is a culture. If one believes it is, it would follow that it is an inherently part of someone's identity and actions, and that these limitations should be respected by those trying to get their input.

...just like Orthodox Judiasm.

Following this logic, the EDC would have to place flyers on poles and in laundrymats to effectively reach people whose culture won't allow them to gain knowledge from obscure websites.

And, by not doing so, it inherently reinforces the power held by those that spend lots of their time online, and inherently supports the country's christian roots.

....it never ends.

At some point, we should do something with that big armory.

How about we start renovations and construction in the Spring of 2015?

There is a lot of debate about whether poverty is a culture. If one believes it is, it would follow that it is an inherently part of someone's identity and thus the limitations it places on its members must be respected.

Hence, the EDC would have to place flyers on poles and in laundrymats to effectively reach people whose culture won't allow them to gain knowledge from an obscure website.

And, by doing so, it inherently reinforces the power held by those that spend lots of their time online on such sites.

....it never ends.

At some point, we should do something with that big armory.

One could say that one can go to the Central location of Brooklyn Public Library to sign up fro free internet access, but there are lines once you get there depending on when you arrive), and your time online is limited. That is assuming that everyone knows how to use such a thing or is comfortable with it. 

When one digs a little deeper, one determines that having internet access is only a small part of the divide.

For example, the divide is not conquered when users gain internet access yet spend their time reading somethng like Star Magazine. http://starmagazine.com/

Note: I tried to pick a magazine that is consumed by various cultures, yet has no content.

We now return to what is going on surrounding the armory in The Bronx:

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/10/03/locals-want-to-guard-kingsbridge-from-upzoning/

We could be in for a similar situation.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=bdefIcQbts0

Still hope they open up the many side archways to small shops

The Bedford Union Armory Community-Wide Discussions have been scheduled!

Please join NYCEDC, Borough President Adams, Council Member Cumbo, and Assembly Member Mosley at one of two upcoming meetings:

• Sunday, October 19th from 4:00pm - 6:30pm at First Baptist Church of Crown Heights Fellowship Hall, 450 Eastern Parkway, or

• Tuesday October 21st from 6:00pm - 8:30pm at Friends of Crown Heights, 671 Prospect Place)

Please RSVP to the event here: http://www.nycedc.com/news-press/events/bedford-union-armory-forum-rsvp

Despite registering for the mtg, I have yet to receive a confirmation.

Has anyone else received a confirmation?

I registered for the Sunday one, in part b/c it is in one of the last massive former theaters along EP that I have not been in.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=450+eastern+parkway&gbv=2&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=PRY4VIzAJIu_sQTM9oDoDA&ved=0CAkQ_AU

I registered for the Tuesday meeting and have not received confirmation

It is my understanding that the transfer from NYS to NYC came with a condition that NYC can't actually sell the armory.

However, leasing it for 99 years is allowed.

...and that is exactly what just happened in the Bronx: http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/10/16/kingsbridge-national-ice-center-developers-ink-lease-with-city/

I registered for Sunday and also haven't heard back

Given my perception of the interest, I expected them to email tickets to the people rsvp'd.

(they haven't)

The Sunday location has a huge capacity, so they may have used the RSVP function just as a way to gauge interest and then -on Sunday- just let everyone in.

...this could be a mess if their method of letting people in will involve going to a table that corresponds to your last name, where someone will find you on a list and cross it off.

EDC, are you reading?

I registered. No RSVP.

I am here. They are going with a small groups format. It looks like they are expecting around 300 people.

We are not in the main theater/church space

EDC provided a facilitator for each table. 

 Unsurprisingly, most tables seemed to be partial to uses that generated little money and opposed to high profit uses that would subsidize the former. 

 EDC hopes to name the developer this Winter, and its plan will have to be ratified by City Council and the Mayor.

More public mtgs will be held as part of the ULURP process....

Rachel's article on it:    http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20141020/crown-heights/developers-envision-hotel-housing-retail-at-crown-heights-armory

"While Downing wanted to hear the community's thoughts, she emphasized that the plan for the armory must be financially viable in the long term.

“We’re going to make sure that the team that we move forward with is coming to the table and meaningfully investing in this community," she said, "but one of the ways we can best set up this project for success is to include uses that can pay for themselves."

Proposals developers have submitted so far include a hotel, housing (either sales or rentals), a performing arts space with ticketed events, office space for local businesses and retail space for a pharmacy or a grocery store, Downing said."

Re: a pharmacy - Bring on either CVS or Walgreens.  

Please not a pharmacy. Please give us a gym. Please!

Trader Joes!

A few participants at my table wanted the drill hall to become a parking lot.

I found it as humorous as the Aquarium suggestion on the prior page, but tried not to laugh.

There's so much space, couldn't they add many things? A gym AND a Trader Joe's? Movie theater? Super duper sized TJ Maxx? (my secret wish that all new construction be a TJ Maxx) 

Yes. The head house could become a variety of retail, and the drill hall could become a massive gym.

The parking facility could become a mid or high rise apartment bldg, with a mix of below market and market rate units.