Brooklyn Greenway Initiative
Sarah Ruth Jacobs, Ruth Marsiliani, Tracy Zimmerman
Community Centered Benefits
- The community will be able to access the waterfront and have a space they can enjoy and congregate. Currently the space is not benefiting the community, and children will have a new outdoor area.
- Picnic tables and fencing will ensure families can gather safely.
- Community centers and community-based programs will be put into place.
- The area will be beautified, and the community can enjoy the beautiful space.
- Maintaining and securing the space may create jobs for residents of the community.
- Our plans will be developed with the assistance of community partners and will be presented for feedback to different stakeholders, from local businesses to community organizations.
Business Centered Benefits
- Beautifying the area will make it more attractive to prospective investors and business owners.
- Incentives will be offered for business opportunities for the community-based businesses, such as food truck spaces.
Loss
We know that developing the waterfront poses a possible loss of the sense of community, as new businesses and residents potentially seek to move in. Historically, Sunset Park has had very strong community engagement and planning, and we think that with the continued involvement of different stakeholders, the development of the waterfront does not have to threaten local businesses and residents.
Center for Family Life
George Larkins, Jason Montgomery and Denise Sutton
Stakeholder’s Position (who benefits, who loses, what is won, what is lost, what is the cost?)
The mission of Center for Family Life is to promote outcomes for children, adults and families in Sunset Park. The addition of a dedicated waterfront greenway would be beneficial to children and families providing these community members would have convenient access and feel welcomed in this new green space. If the green space is similar to the general atmosphere of Industry City, where expensive retail and food shops dominate, some community members may not feel welcomed. Hopefully, events held in the greenway would acknowledge and take into consideration the rich and varied cultures reflected in the Sunset Park community population, which would encourage their participation and attendance. Planning and development of the greenway should also include the participation of community members. While there are bridges connecting the Industry City buildings, and perhaps a “bridge” of sorts will lead people to the waterfront greenway, we recommend that there should also be a bridge from Industry City to the Sunset Park community that allows for collaboration, sharing of expertise, and sharing of resources (such as small-business development, internships, etc.).
Southwest Brooklyn Small Business Industrial Development Center (SBIDC)
Josh Kapusinski, Bridget Maley, Susan Phillip
Stakeholder’s Position (who benefits, who loses, what is won, what is lost, what is the cost?)
SBIDC is a neighborhood-based economic development organization that provides local residents with employment services and advocates for local improvements that improve the quality of life for residents.
Our group agreed that the objectives of the SBIDC were a bit unclear based on the information available on their website. Part of their mission is to help local residents. New locals or the locals who have lived in the community for generations? This is unclear, and it is therefore difficult to determine whether SBIDC would support the development of a greenway and park space along the waterfront. However our inkling is that they support the locals who have been in the Sunset Park for generations – and thus SBIDC would not be in favor of the development of a greenway. The locals who have lived in Sunset Park for generations most likely do not need to bike to work because they work in the local community. The greenway would be a great accent to Industry City and/or encourage the development of Industry City – posh shops and eateries designed more for an affluent demographic based on the price of coffee at the bakery vs the local bodega down the street, and so on. The greenway would serve as vehicle to import more people from other neighborhoods to Sunset Park/Industry City – for work, play, and to stay (i.e. live). This erodes the heritage of Sunset Park and changes its personality/vibe and dynamic of the community.