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June 11, 2010
Over 3,300 New Daily Visitors to Our Neighborhood?
My Little O
The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) is in the process of negotiating a 20-year lease to occupy six floors (400,000-square-feet) of the telecom building at 470 Vanderbilt Avenue. If approved, HRA will consolidate over 1,700 employees from two current locations (210 Livingston Street in Brooklyn, and 330 W. 34th Street in Manhattan). The two agencies slated to move are Family Independence Administration (FIA), which provides food stamps and job services, and Medical Insurance and Community Services Administration (MICSA), which provides Medicaid.
In addition to the 1,700 staff, the two agencies will service about 1,600 clients each day. This will bring over 3,300 new daily visitors to the area. A presentation by representatives of HRA at last night’s Community Board 2 general meeting was not received will by both members of the board and the community. The primary concern is that the neighborhood’s infrastructure (parking and public transportation) is not equipped to handle the influx of that many daily visitors. CB2 board member, Mr. Andrew Lastowecky said, "The Clinton/Washington A and C subway stop cannot handle an additional 3,000 people each day during peak hours." If employees and clients do drive there are no parking facilities or roadside parking in the area to accommodate them either. Board members also expressed concerns about the potential traffic congestion that will occur if there's a significant increase in cars during the development of Atlantic Yards.
The board discussed the possibility of withholding support until the NYC Department of City Planning provided more information. But after further discussions, they voted to send a letter of disapproval to the NYC Planning Commission.
NoLandGrab: Maybe they could use some of those 1,100 new surface parking spaces that Bruce Ratner plans as a gift to Prospect Heights, ensuring traffic jams in the a.m. as well as the p.m.? The sad thing is, 1,700 office workers would actually spend money in the community, unlike the basketball fans who'll be encouraged to part with their dollars solely within the confines of the Barclays Center.
Posted by eric at June 11, 2010 10:32 AM