Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lynda Balsama, Community Organizer from United Neighbors of Prospect and Crown Heights
1:52:15
·
124 sec
Lynda Balsama, representing United Neighbors of Prospect and Crown Heights, expressed concerns about the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP). She emphasized the potential negative impacts of market-rate high-rises on the existing community, drawing parallels to the unfulfilled promises of the Barclays Center and Atlantic Yards redevelopment.
- Highlighted the need for truly affordable housing and preservation of small businesses
- Pointed out the high displacement rates in the area's ZIP codes
- Criticized the lack of official data on rent increases, emphasizing the importance of residents' lived experiences
Lynda Balsama
1:52:15
Hello.
1:52:16
Good morning.
1:52:17
Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
1:52:18
My name is Linda Balsama.
1:52:20
I'm a community organizer with United Neighbors of Prospect and Crown Heights or Unpunch.
1:52:25
I'm asking council member Hudson, city council member Osei and mayor Adams to not allow for any more market rate high rises to be built onto Atlantic Avenue.
1:52:38
While I appreciate the goals of this rezoning, of bringing new jobs and affordable housing to Central Brooklyn, I'd like to address what will be lost from Central Brooklyn if even more high rise market rate high rises are allowed to be built down Atlantic Avenue.
1:52:52
I agree Atlantic Avenue needs more trees and greenery, more light and infrastructure improvements, and I agree we are desperately in need of affordable housing here in Central Brooklyn.
1:53:01
At the c b eight AMUP meetings, I learned our two ZIP codes have the highest displacement out of any other neighborhood in the city.
1:53:07
Why?
1:53:08
We were told the same things are being told today when the Barclays Center and Atlantic Yards redevelopment went through.
1:53:13
It would mean good jobs and affordable housing for the people who lived here.
1:53:17
And while Barclays has provided many with jobs, the deeply affordable housing never materialized.
1:53:21
Instead, thousands of market rate units were added to Prospect Heights, bringing in thousands of new residents.
1:53:27
So far, these new residents have not shown to be interested in the history or generational families of Prospect Heights.
1:53:33
These new residents, instead of been focused on rebuilding a new community in Prospect Heights for themselves can't blame them to the harm and detriment of many people who have called this area home for generations.
1:53:44
One notable result of the redevelopment of Atlantic Yards and the many new high rises has been the steep rise in commercial space rents to the point of being out of reach of many of our mom and pop shops, which have been forced to close.
1:53:56
Small businesses have been the path for many families, including my own, from working to middle class.
1:54:01
Our members have told us that there is no data to support.
1:54:04
Our members have been told by our reps and sit the city that there's no data to support the increase of rents and price of tights are tied to the new high rises, but our lived experience's data is just not being written down.
1:54:16
Cities like Paris recognize the importance of the middle