Says Other Options Would
Be Prohibitively Expensive
By Dennis Holt
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — In spite of all the speculative opinions about the perceived threat to the Brooklyn Bridge, and the views of and from the bridge, by a mixed-use development in DUMBO, one essential element to the project has been misreported, according to the city School Construction Authority (SCA).
This mixed-use project, which combines both market-rate and affordable housing, stores and parking, also contains space for a new public school of 300 seats. It has become known as the Dock Street DUMBO Project.
Project opponents have conducted a “whispering” campaign that the SCA has not adhered to its legislatively mandated site-review and approval process for this school site.
This newspaper has obtained copies of memorandums and correspondence by SCA officials that are intended “to correct these misconceptions for the record,” as one letter to Amanda Burden, chairperson of the City Planning Commission, put it.
The authority carefully reviewed and analyzed the proposed DUMBO site and submitted its acceptance of that site to Community Board 2 on Dec. 1, 2008 as required by Section 1731 of the Public Authorities Law.
Also submitted to the community board on Dec. 1 was an analysis of alternative sites studied by the SCA. These sites included the structure at 72 Poplar St., enlargement of P.S. 8 on Hicks Street, and the former Jehovah’s Witnesses industrial building at 360 Furman St. in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The privately owned 72 Poplar St., just down the street from P.S. 8, was studied. The report said, “SCA concluded that the existing building could not be converted for public school occupancy without substantial structural repairs and modifications to satisfy code requirements. Also lease rental payments would have been required, which made this financially infeasible.”
In an attempt to block the Dock Street project, the Brooklyn Heights Association prepared an extensive feasibility study about constructing an addition at P.S. 8 in Brooklyn Heights that would house both elementary and middle-school students. This seemed to surprise the SCA, since one report said, “It appears that a huge effort was made to develop that study.”
‘Not a Viable Reason’
The SCA study concluded that “this was not a viable option for many reasons.”
Construction would involve partial demolition of the existing structure and complete demolition and reconstruction of the interior. The work would require the closing of the existing school building for a period of two to three years. More critically, the proposed addition is “estimated to exceed $80 million,” about twice the amount the Dock Street school would cost.
The SCA also studied the 360 Furman St. site. For one, the state and city agreements for Brooklyn Bridge Park expressly forbid the building of a school within the park, and the owner of the property subsequently withdrew his expression of interest.
But, as most understand, the major reason why the School Construction Authority favors the Dock Street project is money. As one report put it:
“The most compelling attribute of the Dock Street project is that it will provide a core and shell structure for a school at minimal financial cost to the public. None of the other sites that the SCA explored presented such an economically advantageous situation. This is of critical importance because it will allow the SCA to leverage the limited resources in the Five Year Capital Plan and create new seats at the lowest possible cost.”
The project has finally reached the City Council. The Land Use Committee will hold a public hearing on May 21 and will probably vote on the measure on June 1.
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