Opinion: East New York, It’s Our Time To Level Up
By listening to residents and responding to their requirements we can ensure that East New York s advancement creates opportunity while preserving its identity The intersection of Atlantic and East new York avenues pictured here in Photo by Adi Talwar East New York has long been a neighborhood defined by resilience It s where families have built their lives small businesses have kept communities connected and neighbors have had each other s backs Yet while other Brooklyn neighborhoods have seen new materials and investments transform their streets East New York has been left waiting Despite being home to one of New York City s busiest transit hubs Broadway Junction lacks deeply needed society spaces job opportunities and affordable housing Our locality wants to see commonsense quality-of-life investments but we have been kept waiting Of late leaders have started taking action investing to uplift the people who call this neighborhood home The city and MTA s million commitment to improve Broadway Junction is a step in the right direction promising better community spaces and station upgrades to make it more accessible and welcoming Soon NYC EDC s improvements outside the station and the new Human Materials Administration offices at Fulton will bring jobs and information to the heart of our neighborhood These changes are encouraging but they come with understandable concerns Too often assets has meant disruption displacement and broken promises That s why it s critical that East New York s future is shaped by and for the people who live here True progress means centering the voices of longtime residents and ensuring their necessities more housing safer streets stronger local businesses guide the path forward As a longtime resident of East New York who has worked in the Broadway Junction area for years I am acutely aware of the challenges our district faces East New York is rich with history lifestyle and spirit It s where neighbors know one another local businesses anchor our streets and families have built their lives for generations But too often when new enhancement comes to neighborhoods like ours it ignores what makes these communities special But there s a better way one that strengthens communities rather than displacing them That means thoughtful evolution to create local jobs invest in shared spaces and prioritize deeply affordable housing to ensure stability We ve seen signs of this approach taking shape The Herkimer-Williams project which aims to transform the concrete lots around Broadway Junction has taken initiatives in the right direction Totem the maturation band analyzed past studies of Broadway Junction and held over touchpoints with the local public to incorporate such feedback into a proposal While the initial design already reflected years of area visioning Totem then spent another two years engaging directly with residents society leaders and local stakeholders to shape a revised plan one that reflects the local evolving desires for permanently affordable housing expanded job opportunities and increased citizens space Totem s blueprint includes affordable housing retail supportive services neighborhood spaces and room for local businesses a holistic mix aimed at boosting social connections stimulating the economic activity and meeting long-neglected requirements It s a practical and grassroots approach that speaks to the hopes of those who ve lived and worked here for generations While we still have work ahead this kind of engagement shows how developers can and should build with the society rather than for it By listening to residents and responding to their demands we can ensure that East New York s improvement creates opportunity while preserving its identity Our future depends on evolution that reflects our voices In choosing negotiation over confrontation we re that much more likely to achieve a collective vision for Broadway Junction Our society s strength has inevitably come from its people and together we can make sure that strength guides East New York s future Bill Wilkins is the executive director of the Local Growth Corporation of East New York The post Opinion East New York It s Our Time To Level Up appeared first on City Limits
