Mark Winston Griffith

Downtown Development Wars: the Sequel?

I wouldn't wish this on anyone, much less my fellow Brooklynites, but a recent article in the Gotham Gazette has flagged another possible skirmish over development, neighborhood change and economic growth in Downtown Brooklyn. The article discusses a plan to create loft space for artists along the Fulton Mall strip, a plan that could very well change the character of a shopping area long known for being the commercial stomping ground of young and working class black Brooklyn.

With Fulton Mall primed to receive a face lift, the question again will be, as it has been with Metrotech, the proposed BAM expansion, Atlantic Mall and, most recently, Atlantic Yards, what kind of "development" is in the best interests of the surrounding area? How will the debate cut across class and racial lines? Which local stakeholders will have input?

The article raises some important questions about the role of artists in the gentrification process. It also cites a study which is seemingly counter-intuitive to the commonly held notion that poor people are more likely to be displaced by gentrification.

The fact that this project will not involve large-scale construction will certainly mean that the Fulton Mall project will be a far more low-key affair, than, say Atlantic Yards.

However, make no mistake about it. Fulton Mall is but the latest staging ground for the transformation - and possible Manhattanization - of downtown Brooklyn. A potentially vibrant and dynamic cadre of artists moving to Fulton Mall could be exciting and add a welcome new dimension to the area. On racial terms, it could also mean a whitening of what is considered to be a bastion of black consumerism. Either way, the ripple effects felt across Brooklyn will be considerable. The question is whether small boats will rise with the tide or simply get swept away.

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Posted at 10:10 AM, Nov 24, 2006 in
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