Brooklyn Heights

Carolers sing about transparency at Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp. headquarters

Squadron, building trades push for disclosure of Pier 6 plans

December 11, 2014 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
State Sen. Daniel Squadron (center) joins Build Up NYC activists, led by Santa Claus, at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (BBPC) Headquarters on Wednesday to push for transparency from the BBPC on the plans for housing at Pier 6.   Photo courtesy of Build Up NYC
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More than a dozen Build Up NYC activists, led by Santa Claus, arrived at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation’s office Wednesday morning to sing their own rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.”

The group, which represents a coalition of building trades workers, sang about BBPC’s refusal to disclose the list of real estate developers bidding on the request for proposals to build two residential developments on Pier 6.  

BBPC has released the architectural renderings of the proposed developments, but not the names of developers. The Pier 6 request for proposals put out by the BBPC stated that developers will only be considered if they have a “proven track record of labor harmony on previous projects,” Build Up NYC said in a release.

“As a public benefits corporation making a decision about developers building on public land with making a payment in lieu of taxes, the public should have a right to know who is bidding on the project,” Build Up NYC Executive Director Lenore Friedlaender said in a statement.

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“We need real transparency from Brooklyn Bridge Park on the decade-old plans for housing at Pier 6 — which I have called for repeatedly, along with Build Up and my colleagues,” state Senator Daniel Squadron said.

“The entire process and plan continue to raise major concerns — about responsible development, the local school overcrowding crisis, the impact of the nearby LICH site, and a changing financial landscape. Fixing Pier 6 requires openness and transparency, which Build Up, the community and my colleagues stand together pushing for.”

BBPC spokesperson Belinda Cape told the Brooklyn Eagle on Wednesday, “Two important numbers were omitted from their carol: 12,000 – the number of wooden piers in need of repair that Pier 6 will fund; 130,000 – the square footage of affordable housing that Pier 6 will provide.

She added, “BBP is proud that, in Pier 6, we are able to bring desperately needed affordable housing to this corner of Brooklyn, provide jobs this city needs, and secure the future of Brooklyn Bridge Park.”

At BBPC’s November board meeting at St. Francis College, board President Regina Myer says the board was acting in a fully transparent manner.

“As you saw today, the board saw our full audited financials,” she told the crowd.

— Additional reporting by Mary Frost


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