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July 12, 2006
Underground Railroad or Parking Lot?
Downtown Brooklyn Star:
The attempt by residents of Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn to save their homes from seizure by the city drew a slew of political support this past weekend, but their fate may hinge on a forthcoming report they claim is intended to undermine the block's historical significance.Last Saturday afternoon, Joy Chatel and Lewis Greenstein, along with FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equility), held a rally/block party to keep attention focused on Duffield Street, where they live at numbers 227 and 223, respectively. The pair claims that along with other houses in the area, their Duffield Street homes were an integral part of the Underground Railroad and should be preserved. The city, however, disagrees, and on January 7, 2004, notices were posted on the doors of Chatel and Greenstein notifying them their homes would be seized under eminent domain. The city wants to build an underground parking lot there to service luxury condos and a hotel proposed for the area as part of an ambitious development and rezoning plan spearheaded by the Department of City Planning (DCP) and the Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
Click here for NoLandGrab's photo essay of the Duffield Street rally
Posted by amy at July 12, 2006 9:56 PM