EYE ON THE COMMUNITY

"NEW NEIGHBORS REDEFINE DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNITY"

The onslaught of new coops, condos and businesses in the areas historically called home to thousands of public housing and low and moderate income residents is silently shaping up to be the new battle ground for gentrification and classicism.

In a remarkably fast and unprecedented short length of time the Fort Greene area has been over run with "Million Dollar" homes and developments that means the influx of the wealthy elitist who can afford them.

The development and rebirth of the areas vacant lots and spaces is welcomed by all but it has it's downside that generally means the schools, services and medium income level of the areas are effected in the disadvantage of the current long time residents. This is exactly what is playing out in the heart of the Fort Greene neighborhood and on all it borders.

On one border is the ongoing development of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. A welcome and much needed project offering jobs and an economic jolt to the Fort Greene, Clinton hills and Bed-Sty areas on the surface. However, if one exams the project closer it has to be asked how significant is the economic "jolt" or is it just a blip? How many local residents have actually been able to secure well paying, long term or permanent employment?

Two of the other borders are surrounded by new luxurious condos and coops, whose residents are now demanding a lesser concentration of schools in the area, and fewer mom and pop shops for more high end luxury boutique style shops and grocery stores that generally do not welcome EBT recipients or persons of limited economic means and color.

What will the development of thousands of LUXURIOUS HIGH END housing units mean to the thousands of residents who have lived here for more than half a century and the institutions and businesses they have created? Essentially as thousands of these elitist move in with unlimited disposable income they can buy what ever type of neighborhood they want. The time to acknowledge we raised our families here and have invested and supported this community for years before it was fashionable gives us the right to defend our presence.

Publicly there has not been much coverage of the situation but quietly and behind the scenes the war is brewing and the opposition is hunkering down for what is sure to be an epic battle of classicism and economics. In a recent article by a local reporter and columnist a glimpse into the heart of the matter can be understood.

Residents in High-Rise Buildings Get Organized

A few leaders are preparing to make the voices of

as many as 15,000 residents heard.

By Stephen Brown

Meet Fort Greene's new powerhouse constituency: the residents of the high-rise condos that dominate the Brooklyn skyline. They number as much as 15,000 - including the towers in Downtown Brooklyn - and their new drive to get organized is already resulting in meetings with local politicians and representatives from city agencies.

A shooting at the Ingersoll Houses on January 15, that shattered several windows of the Oro led to an "emergency meeting" with Councilwoman Letitia James, D-Fort Greene, and top cops at the 84th Precinct.

Residents of the BellTel Lofts secured a meeting with the Department of Education after their outcry over a dearth of schools near the building.

And on March 24 representatives from nine condos will convene with at least six local pols - including state Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, D-Fort Greene, and state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, D-Bedford-Stuyvesant - in the first major step towards organizing the thousands of new residents living in new buildings like the Avalon, the Toren, 1 Hanson Place, DKLB BKLN and the Brooklyner.

"Given the number of people, we should definitely have a council of residents with representatives from each building," said Mike Weiss, the executive director of the MetroTech business improvement district and one of the principle organizers of the new residents. "They'll be involved in community planning, networking, and some concerted action."

And the number of people living in the towers on the edge of Fort Greene and in Downtown is increasing at a remarkable pace. The population of Downtown has increased to 12,000 from just 400 in 2000, according to the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

Several public officials interviewed said that the movement to organize picked up steam after the mid-January shooting that resulted in bullet holes through the windows of two vacant apartment at the Oro, as well as a garage window.

"The issue of security wasn't at the forefront of their minds - obviously, now it is," said James.

But Francesca Sorenti, who, along with Weiss, is spearheading the movement to organize residents of the assorted condos, said that the plan had been in the works since 2008. Still, she noted the need to bridge the gap between the well-heeled residents of the new towers - a 1-bedroom at the Toren sells for around $400,000 - and the mostly poor or working class residents of the public houses mere blocks away.

"We have to break down the barriers, we have to find some common denominator that starts to melt down the hate," said Sorrenti. "It's about people helping people - call me an idealist!"

James and Sorrenti both said that there is frustration among some of the residents of the high-rises because they were told by brokers fanciful tales about changes coming to the neighborhood - and some residents apparently believed them.

"One broker told me Donald Trump was thinking of buying the Ingersol Houses and knocking them down - are you kidding me?" said Sorrenti. James said this type of story is not uncommon.

"They were sold a bill of goods, and all of the things that were put forth have not been delivered," she said. "They were promised library, schools, safety and more - it appears none of those tangibles have been delivered to those residents."

But this month's meeting could mark the moment when the residents began to make their voice heard.

"Elected officials need to be called upon to recognize new people," Weiss said. "We all need to understand what their needs are."