In case you missed them, two important pieces were published in the past few days about Brooklyn. Not about restaurants and places to spend money, but about Brooklyn's fundamental direction--and the power of big developers to literally shape the landscape of a borough that so many call home.
"We're Essentially Powerless"
Sunday's New York Times published a powerful piece calling out Brooklyn's lack of political muscle. Brooklyn civic activist Norman Oder (who, as author of the Atlantic Yards Report blog, certainly has had a birdseye view of power politics in Brooklyn) says, "We lack meaningful local government, as well as broad-based media and civic organizations." His conclusion? Putting it mildly, "Brooklyn's powerful developers, institutions and politicians often evade scrutiny."
"Attempted Pilfering of the Tobacco Warehouse?"
Huffington Post just ran a piece about litigation over use of the historic Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo. It was written by Linda Gross, a feisty Sunset Park-based public relations expert who for decades has helped the small guys fight moneyed interests. Full disclosure: among the author's current clients is a group in DUMBO that's fighting to keep the historic warehouse as a space that's available for public use, rather than allowing it to be granted to a single arts institution that charges tickets for its (very excellent) programs.
The Tobacco Warehouse fight involves nuanced argument. But whatever side you're on, it raises the larger question again.
Just who calls the shots in Brooklyn -- and for whose benefit?
Comments
Thanks for connecting these two projects. Yes, it certainly does seem like there’s a lot of development projects out there that are questionable, to say the least. And it looks like there’s a concerted effort to make them happen at all costs, no matter what the “public” says. I’m concerned that we’re chipping away at what’s left of “public space” and “public will.” I’m glad that we can have this discussion – it’s needed.