November 1, 2007
Peek into Downtown Brooklyn's Future - With Gandalf!
The NY Post has video and renderings of what downtown Brooklyn will look like in 2012. With $9.5 billion in development projects in the works, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is proudly touting its future. The DBP's president Joe Chan told the Post, "This sends a message to the entire city - and even the world - that Brooklyn is in a period of unprecedented growth."
The video, which will be released later today but the Post has an early look, is gives a computer-animated bird's eye view, with new skyscrapers popping up. And the narrator is Ian McKellen, who apparently "did the voice-over for free" while playing King Lear in in the Brooklyn Academy of Music's production of King Lear. And if we could give him an Oscar for best narration of a development video, we would - we love how he pronounces "boulevard" (boo-le-vard).
All told, the projects, which include the BAM Cultural District, numerous commercial- and residential-use private developments, and public improvements, will bring 14,300 residential units, 3.2 million square of office space, and 1,800 hotel rooms - plus new areas like "Willoughby Square Park." The DBP hopes 35,000 new residents will flock to Brooklyn as well.
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awesome. it's neat to think of brooklyn as it's own city.
Hey Matty, Brooklyn WAS it's own city. Now it's becoming mini-Manhattan.
Joe Chan is great. I've heard him speak several times and he's always intelligent and thoughtful...regardless of your views about the development (I am in favor), Joe is a true believer in Brooklyn.
This is great! I hope it all gets built. I'm a little worried D'town Bk might be a little late to the party.
I'm all for developing Brooklyn, to bring it back onto the map; but some of this is a bit much. It will seem more like a glass-city.
And, I thought nothing had been zoned to be taller than the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower? Guess that's not the case anymore, is it?
I wonder which subway line will serve the additional 35,0000 Brooklyn residents, many of whom will presumably still have to work in Manhattan? The 4/5 which is over 100% capacity already? I'm not against Brooklyn development but the MTA needs to keep pace with all these plans. Or the mayor needs to start encouraging employers to relocate to Brooklyn, stagger commute times, or allow telecommuting from home.
I agree - particularly when it comes to the already overtaxed Altantic/Pacific stations, in terms of servicing commuters. With the extra residents, and the new arena having events quite frequently (let's not fool ourselves, while AY people say it's only the Nets that will use the arena and cause extra people to travel to it, many presenters will want to have their events there - it's a shiny new arena!), the city will have to find a way to pump more trains through those stations.
If they want that residential/commercial corridor on Flatbush, they'll need more than the DeKalb stop to service them all.
in the immortal words of charlie brown, "ugh."
I thought his immortal words were "Good Grief!"?
"Another rendering shows how Flatbush Avenue would evolve from a lackluster thoroughfare into a grand, tree-lined gateway to Brooklyn featuring towers on both sides like the $400 million Oro condos off Gold Street."
They are using Oro as an example? Eesh.
It would really be a shame if they end up turning downtown Brooklyn into a soulless glass mini-suburb a la Ballston, VA. The area could be so much better than that.
well one thing i notice is a decided lack of any "trophy" buildings. they seem to all be condo developments. a good, architectually significant office tower would help the areas skyline.
I'm sure that these aren't ALL the finalized architectural plans. But, it'd be nice it they created/developed/built anything that would be a stand-out building. If all this development is so important, it'd be a good idea to make somethign iconic (and I do NOT mean the Gehry building, which, as much as I'm opposed to the AY project, they did at least create something unique).
In the top picture - what is that giant park in the background? Are they going to raze all the projects in Ft Greene/downtown?
Flatbush is lackluster? Do any of these people live in Brooklyn? Or are they like Gehry, arrogant enough to think they speak for Brooklyn?
#13: that giant park in the background is Fort Greene Park. That picture is looking northeast from Flatbush and Lafayette. The leftmost highrise (with the stepped roof) is the Ratner project at 80 Dekalb, between Hudson and Rockwell.
Simply awful. Take a stroll behind Lincoln Center one of these nights and you can experience what this will be like. Empty and soulless caves of steel.
Vancouver has a ton of tall, glass residential buildings and it's a very handsome city. So why not have some of thosein downtown BK. As for transportation, that is going to be a huge problem. Maybe they can extend the 2nd Ave subway line into Brooklyn. LOL
IAN McKELLEN, DUPED NARRATOR
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a stranger comment on our biz;
Sir Ian, mouthing destroyer Ratner's drill,
Is acting as Atlantic Yards' new shill.