Finally, the city council officials of Boerum Hills have decided to speak up about gentrification

Courtesy of The Village Voice

There is a multitude of things you can’t avoid while living in New York — The horrible MTA service, traffic, halal food, and the simplicity of displacement due to rent increase and new establishment taxes. Some of us New Yorkers experience one mutuality more than others but for Boerum Hill citizens the experiences grouped around gentrification and displacement have become known all too well.  Gentrification is the process of wealthier inhabitants moving into an area that is already populated with lower-income residents. Because of gentrification their will be obvious changes in the area that pertain to development, taxes, rent-increase, and increase on goods and services. One stop off the Atlantic Ave station will be a visual representation of just that; luxury apartment buildings that seem monumentally out of place, boutiques next to battered bodegas, and a walking manifestation of what elders think “millennials hipsters” look like. “ Their’s  too much happening too fast” Denise, a  Boerum Hills local who has been living there for over 15 years claims. But this didn’t happen overnight, Boerum Hill had a rapid rate of construction and new development in the years surrounding the creation of the Barclay center. The Barclay center is also known as the “epicenter of gentrification” for locals. The Barclay has stimulated the migration of wealth to Boerum hill more than any other leading cause. The city contractors call for new developments around Boreum Hills to aid the sales and traffic to the Barclay center. But what most locals don’t know is that because of the Barclay center the feud around gentrification won’t be stopping anytime soon.

 

Recently Boerum Hill,  a quaint district long known for its stock of brownstones, will see a batch of larger structures arrive soon due to gentrification.  Concretely, a 128-unit condo at 265 State St. where all but two units are in contract has been developed, but this isn’t the first or last time Boerum hill has seen radical alterations. Besides developments, Boerum Hill has seen fresh faces and new income statuses. In the past ten years Boreum Hill has had a 48% increase in White residents and a 4.8 % decrease in black residents. This is a major problem for Black and Latino locals of the neighborhood because  ” the Lower-income people have absolutely nowhere to go,” Denise states.  “They have no one really supporting the people who have been living here forever and now have to move because the rent is too high. Our own city council doesn’t even  listen to us. They only care about money.” Since the increase of higher income residents move in it has left lower income residents displaced outside of the realm. New development has caused an uproar of protests and conversation about the weakening of the community and small shops. It seems as if there is a common theme when it comes to the conversation surrounding gentrification and that Is the role that the City officials play in it.

The City officials are very aware of Gentrification and their citzens concerns about it. I’ve spoken to Glomani Bravo-Lopez a representive for the council of District 33 to answer some of the questions I had and some of the questions that I’ve taken from the  natives of Boerum Hill.

What is some history you can provide us with about Boerum Hill?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez: Boerum Hill was occupied by Dutch settlers and has always been a working class, with most of the houses built in the mid-1800s. There was a settlement of Mohawk Native Americans in the neighborhood in the mid-1900s as many worked in the construction trades, erecting the buildings of New York City.

What are some physical changes you have seen in the past five years in this Boerum Hill?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez: Boerum Hill has seen a number of new stores and development, including on Atlantic Avenue, which is not contextual. However, Boerum Hill is also a Historic District, as designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, although the Historic District does not cover the entire neighborhood.

 How many town meetings do you host per month?

 Glomani Bravo-Lopez: Council Member Levin held a Town Hall with Mayor DeBlasio last month for the entire 33rd Council District (which includes Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint). There are generally one or two meetings a year based on a specific issue at the time, such as sanitation. That said, Council Member Levin meets with a number of groups on a regular basis upon request for issues such as development and other concerns. In addition, Council Member Levin or his staff attend community meetings most nights of the week and occasionally weekend events. The Boerum Hill Association is the local community organization which organizes most of the meetings specific to the neighborhood.

What are some FAQ’S that you receive in these meetings pertaining gentrification?

 Glomani Bravo-Lopez: The subject of gentrification comes up when there is discussion of development. If a developer/land owner builds as of right, they do not need any City approval and therefore there is usually no public benefit. If the developer/owner is looking to add density, they need to submit a land use application and go through a rezoning. The process is called ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Process). The local Community Board holds a hearing and votes first, then the Borough President, followed by the City Planning Commission, and finally by the City Council. All of the Council Members usually defer to the Council Member whose district the property is in and vote the same way. There are constantly rezoning’s in these neighborhoods. The closest at the moment is for the proposed 80 Flatbush project, which is technically outside of Boerum Hill. As it is situated on Flatbush Avenue (bound by State, Schermerhorn, and Third Avenue), however it would be massive in scale next to the townhouses of State Street. The concerns that have come up regarding gentrification involve displacement in that there is market rate housing and affordable housing in the new building. While the affordable is great, the market rate housing brings in higher income individuals/fmailies, and the stores follow suit. In time, a shift occurs where commercial tenants are kicked out because the rent has gone up by 3x on Atlantic Avenue and a bodega cannot keep up with such a rent of $10,000. So, although families are not actually displaced directly, the idea is that they are forced to leave to other neighborhoods. As people who have lived here for most or all of their lives leave to more affordable neighborhoods, the character of the neighborhood for which people moved here changes.

Do you consider the overall changes in the town of Boerum Hill gentrification at all?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez: There is certainly some gentrification but to a much lesser degree.

As city councilman or representative, you have to sign off on several bills, renovations, and property licensing inquiries. What are some conscious agreements you have done to make citizens perceive that the town of Boerum Hill as gentrified?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez: Again, in Boerum Hill, there really have not been rezonings to speak of in that way. A lot of it has nothing to do with the Council since they are as of right. Also, in the case of Boerum Hill, it is just a matter of property owners realizing that nearby neighborhoods such as Downtown Brooklyn are bringing in wealthier residents and therefore the property owners are speculating and figuring that they can increase their rents.

 In the year of 2017, is Boerum Hill fully hospitable to residents with a range of incomes, age, and abilities?

 Glomani Bravo-Lopez: Yes, it is a diverse community and there are some apartments in the area. On the topic of gentrification however – since these are largely brownstones and townhouses – to is oftentimes dependent on those owners as to how affordable it is. There are some rent regulated buildings and we fight (working with lawyers and tenant organizers) to keep landlords from illegally de-regulating apartments. That is a good portion of the work which my office does.

In recent signs of the destruction of community gardens in Boerum Hill (told by local source), Does the community respect nature, integrating natural areas and systems into regional planning and neighborhood design?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez: You should consult with the Boerum Hill Association on this and fact check. I do not know this is true or accurate, and the context in which this occurred.

How much communication does city council maintain with landlords of buildings in Boerum Hill?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez: The City itself and agencies communicate as needed (for example, Sanitation collection changes). The local Council Member does not communicate with every building owner unless they seek assistance from the office. Some landlords/bigger developers do try to maintain a relationship and semi-frequent meetings. Other landlords do not care as much. For the most part, landlords keep distance since we usually go after them when it comes to enforcement or illegal actions such as kicking tenants out.

 What is the demographic statistics by age, race, and income that are collected in Boerum Hill?

Glomani Bravo-Lopez:  Again, Boerum Hill is a broad mix and this information is best researched online so I would advise you to put in that effort. For the most part, the residents of Boerum Hill are middle-aged to senior citizens, predominantly white/Caucasian.

What are some of the objectives the legislature is doing to help residents display options in the result of displacement? (How is the City Council educating residents on the inflation of rent, supplies, etc?)

Glomani Bravo-Lopez : We have a District Office for this purpose to assist residents who call or drop in. We work with tenant organizers/housing advocates which are local non-profits who work with each affordable housing development and educate constituents on how to apply, what they can do to improve their odds and other opportunities to apply for.