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October 14, 2011
Who's Getting Foreclosed on in Brooklyn Today? The Voice Finds Out
Runnin Scared
by Michelle D. Anderson
Without a shovel in the ground for housing, is Atlantic Yards already driving gentrification through foreclosures?
Yesterday, the Voice wrote about a protest happening today at Brooklyn Supreme Court. Led by Occupy Wall Street and the group Organizing for Occupation (which led a successful eviction blockade of 82-year-old Mary Ward's home in August), the afternoon event will protest the foreclosure of three more properties in Brooklyn.
...Much like the owners of New Bombay Masala, the tenants we spoke to at 964 Dean Street, David Stoller and Kenny Lloyd, were unaware of today's protest.
However, the two musicians and audio engineering professionals say they were aware that the four-floor commercial building where they live and work will be put up for sale today. They fear that both their businesses and apartments are at stake.
...Lloyd says there is a group that wants to turn the building into a condominium. "It's an historical kind of building. It can be a much better place than turning it into a condo," he thinks. He said companies are purchasing buildings nearby left and right, and he attributes this trend to the construction of the new Brooklyn Nets arena in Atlantic Yards in Prospect Heights.
Stoller wonders if the auction is even legal and he says his business and livelihood are on the line.
"I'm really getting screwed on this," Stoller said.
Posted by eric at October 14, 2011 9:18 AM