How has gentrification affected the way community members feel about Prospect Heights, and what do they want for the neighborhood's future?

To answer these questions, Intersection | Prospect Heights collected oral histories and survey responses from over 500 current and former residents of Prospect Heights. The results are discussed in a new paper, "We're All Part of the Neighborhood," available for download from the Intersection | Prospect Heights web site.

The report describes how a surge in development since 2000 coincided with a sharp increase in housing cost. In the process, a large segment of Prospect Heights' population was displaced as more affluent residents moved in. While residents' perceptions of public education and security from crime have improved, the sense of community that many cherish may be threatened.

Prospect Heights is rich in historic architecture, with blocks of beautiful Italianate and neo-Grec rowhouses, interspersed with churches, small commercial and apartment buildings. Located just north of Prospect Park, the neighborhood has seen few changes since it was first developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

BROOKLYN, NY, March 2, 2016: Today, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council (PHNDC) announced that 612 contributing buildings have been added to the neighborhood’s National Register historic district, bringing the total number of buildings in the district to 917. The buildings were added to National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on February 16. The expanded district boundary includes properties on Flatbush Avenue, Vanderbilt Avenue, Washington Avenue, Underhill Avenue, Bergen Street, St. Marks Avenue, Prospect Place, Park Place, Sterling Place and Butler Place.

“This action by the National Park Service is a reminder that, in the face of tremendous development pressure, Brooklyn’s historic neighborhoods remain a national treasure whose preservation is essential to the borough’s future,” said PHNDC chair Gib Veconi. “The 19th century rowhouses and apartment buildings of brownstone Brooklyn continue to teach us about how these neighborhoods helped to form a thriving community as the city’s population expanded. They are also often still home to the long-time residents who have shaped the character of Brooklyn. Preserving these historic resources also means preserving our community.”

 On Monday, October 12, the web site DNAinfo reported that the City’s Department of Buildings has granted permits for the demolition of the Green Point Savings Bank building at 856 Washington Avenue. Its owner intends to replace the building with a 14-story condominium. The new tower is allowed under the lot's current R8X zoning, which wraps around Washington Avenue from Eastern Parkway.

The Green Point Savings Bank building was designed by architect Francis George Hasselman (1877-1932) and completed in 1928. Hasselman is known for designing Rosemary Hall, ca. 1904, Old Westbury, NY; Anderson Park, ca. 1910, Montclair, NJ; In-the-Oaks, 1923, Asheville, NC; and the Spring Brook House, 1904, Morristown, NJ. The latter two buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Before the Prospect Heights Historic District was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2009, the neighborhood was home to a National Register Historic District listed earlier in 1983. The current Prospect Heights NR district consists of 305 contributing buildings constructed between 1865 and 1900, mostly situated between Prospect Place, Bergen Street, Carlton Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue.

The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's list of districts, buildings and sites deemed worthy of preservation. Unlike in a New York City Landmark district, properties in a National Register district are not protected from uncharacteristic alteration or demolition. However, owners of income-producing properties contributing to a National Register district may be eligible for a 20% investment tax credit for rehabilitation of a historic building through the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program. Tax credits for certain income-producing and owner-occupied properties in a National Register District are also available through programs offered by the State of New York.