In Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood, the conversion of a few former industrial buildings near the Vanderbilt rail yard to loft apartments that began in 1999 was followed by the announcement of the massive Atlantic Yards project in 2003, which in turn led to an increase in commercial and residential rents and accelerated displacement of residents and businesses.

In 2004 and 2016, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council surveyed hundreds of community residents to learn about what they value about living in Prospect Heights, the things they want to see improved, and their hopes for the future. Join us at PHNDC’s October general meeting for a discussion of how development pressure and demographic change have affected the way we look at our neighborhood, and what a coming increase in population may mean for the character of the Prospect Heights community.

The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council (PHNDC), the leading civic organization providing advocacy for neighborhood-wide issues on behalf of the residents and businesses of Prospect Heights, has adopted a change to its By-Laws enabling any individual with an interest in the Prospect Heights community to join as a member. Prior to this change, PHNDC was structured as an umbrella organization whose members were block associations, civic groups, and merchant organizations in Prospect Heights.

“PHNDC was formed twelve years ago to help shape community development at a time of tremendous change. Prospect Heights is fortunate to have longstanding, active block associations that have been a source of continuity in the neighborhood, in some cases for generations,” said PHNDC Chair Gib Veconi. “But to their credit, our member organizations saw that the change in demographics that has already taken place, as well as the expected surge in new residents over the next ten years, required a neighborhood-wide civic organization to cast the widest net possible to allow all interested stakeholders to participate in guiding its advocacy.”

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.”

BROOKLYN, NY, January 28, 2016: This morning, New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña stated that the new Department of Education Facility to be constructed at the Atlantic Yards project will be programmed as a dedicated middle school. The Chancellor spoke at a Brooklyn Newsmakers breakfast hosted by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Organizers behind the M.S. OneBrooklyn vision for an intermediate school to occupy space being built at the Atlantic Yards site expressed enthusiasm over the news. In a statement, the group said, “On behalf of the more than 1,000 people who have signed the M.S. OneBrooklyn petition, we are delighted that the Chancellor has committed that the Atlantic Yards facility will be a dedicated middle school. We look forward to working with the Department of Education to leverage the arts and tech resources of Brooklyn, and incorporate dual-language curricula at this new school. Together, we can deliver an outstanding middle school experience accessible to all students of District 13.”

Starting this month, two projects that have been anticipated for quite some time are hitting the streets in Prospect Heights.

Signage and speed humps for Prospect Heights' Neighborhood Slow Zone (NSZ) are now being installed (like the signs pictured above at the corner of Park Place and Carlton Avenue). Prospect Heights was one of 15 communities chosen for a NSZ by the Department of Transportation in October 2013. PHNDC's application was among 74 received by DOT, and received the strong support of location elected officials and more than 1,300 residents. DOT's plan for the Prospect Heights NSZ was approved by Community Board 8 in June 2015.

 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.