On March 16, Empire State Development (ESD) released its draft findings from an online survey and three community engagement meetings intended to gather public input on proposed changes to the Atlantic Yards project. The findings will be presented at a final online public workshop to be held this Thursday, March 19 from 6:30-8:00PM. We encourage you to attend and let your voice be heard.

Here are our take-aways from the draft report:

The median annual income of most participants and respondents was more than $150K.

That’s important, because the report purports to show a large majority of the public favors affordable housing for moderate and middle income earners. It’s true the median income of participants tracks with the median income of Prospect Heights, which has risen over 40% from gentrification during the years since Atlantic Yards was approved. However, moderate and middle income levels make up only about 7% of the more than one million rent-burdened households in New York City.

• Shouldn’t Atlantic Yards’ housing address the much larger population of low- and very low-income households struggling to pay their rent, including those displaced from the neighborhoods surrounding the project since its approval?

A virtual panel discussion

City and State governments increasingly rely on public-private development partnerships to provide public goods such as affordable housing, open space, and job creation. Yet, recent experience with approved projects like Penn Station and Atlantic Yards, as well as questions about proposed projects like the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, raise concerns about major development projects not meeting their stated public commitments.

On December 15, we assembled an expert panel to discuss why it has been difficult to realize commitments for public benefits from government-sponsored development projects, and what can be done to improve outcomes in the future. Their experience and insight can help ensure mistakes of the past are not repeated in the next phase of Atlantic Yards. You're invited to listen to the discussion on our YouTube channel.

On Tuesday, November 18, Empire State Development will be hosting the first of four public workshops regarding a new plan for unbuilt parts of the Atlantic Yards project over the rail yards along Atlantic Avenue and at the block known as Site 5 bordered by Flatbush Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Fourth Avenue and Pacific Street across from the Barclays Center arena.

Date: Tuesday, November 18
Time: 6-8PM
Location: Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, 140 Flatbush Avenue (across from Barclays Center)

BrooklynSpeaks urges community members and elected officials to attend. Because Atlantic Yards is a State-sponsored project under the UDC Act, no review of the new plan by Community Boards, the Borough President, the City Planning Commission or the City Council is required. The announced four meetings represent what may be your only opportunity for input into what will likely be more than a decade of additional development at the Atlantic Yards site. Register for the meeting here.

The November 18 meeting is expected to address density, affordability and open space. Here is what Empire State Development and the new development team need to hear. [Download a PDF of this information.]