Historic Fort Greene Brooklyn

Archive for March, 2012

Neighborhood Representatives Needed

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

The Fort Greene Association (FGA) wants to hear from Fort Greene Block Association, Co-op & Condo Boards and Tenant Association members. The FGA receives frequently inquiries from the press, local politicians, community partners, Community Board 2 and more each month seeking the opinions of Fort Greene residents. The FGA is an all-inclusive organization representing the people of Fort Greene and need your help in making sure we are representing the views of all Fort Greene residents. Representing your building, tenants or block helps ensures your views are accurately portrayed by the media. There is strength in numbers by coming together to support, oppose or encourage activities and issues that have an impact in our neighborhood. Additionally, the FGA would like to hear from you to learn what type of programing you would like to be included in our Neighborhood Mixers and Meetings as well as the stories included in the FGA newsletter.

If you are a Block Association, Co-op / Condo Board, or Tenant Association member, we want to hear from you. Please send us an email with “Community Leader” in the subject field to [email protected]. Please include in your e-mail the name of the organization you represent, your name, position and contact information.

Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully,
Lillian Jean-Baptiste
Communications & Community Engagement Chair

The Fort Greene Association is devoted to historic preservation, neighborhood and park enhancement, as well as cultural, economic and housing advancement throughout the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The Fort Greene Association, Inc. is an all-volunteer organization, operating as a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable organization that supports and works in concert with the many other fine organizations that make our community so special and vital. Follow us on Twitter or become our Facebook Fan.

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Cultural Medallion to Identify Fort Greene Home Where Richard Wright Wrote “Native Son”

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Richard Wright

The Historic Landmarks Preservation Center and the Fort Greene Association are joining in an effort to place a cultural medallion on the home at 175 Carlton Avenue in historic Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where acclaimed author Richard Wright wrote his breakout novel, Native Son. This was the first work ever by an African American writer to become a Book of the Month Club selection, and was later adapted into a successful Broadway play directed by Orson Welles.

The year was 1938 when Wright was living at the Carlton Avenue home of his friends Jane and Herbert Newton, from where on most mornings he would walk up to a bench by the Martyrs Monument atop Fort Greene Park and jot his notes on a yellow pad that evolved into Native Son. In its text he wrote: “Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.” Among Wright’s other works were an autobiographical narrative, Uncle Tom’s Children, as well as Black Boy, many non-fiction articles, and even haikus.

The Wright medallion in Fort Greene will add to plaques in Brooklyn created by the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center, led by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, who states: “The HLPC is pleased to honor this great African American writer, linking him with a host of sites associated with outstanding luminaries in New York City. Richard Wright’s cultural medallion will now join other ones in Brooklyn dedicated to the novelist Jack Kerouac, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Marianne Moore.”

Mr. Paul Palazzo is the chair of the Fort Greene Association, assisted in this commemorative event by the writer Howard Pitsch of the FGA Landmarks Committee who explains: “So many times I’ve walked by Richard Wright’s one-time home and wondered, ‘Why has no one ever thought to give praise where praise is due?’ Native Son was a principal facet of African Americans’ bedrock in our nation’s literature.”

The noted author-musician Carl Hancock Rux is also lending his talent to the HPLC and FGA effort. Says Mr . Rux: “For years I’ve had a very special dream — to honor the historical contributions of African Americans in New York City. That dream is legion, and I am now embarking upon realizing that dream. Wright was also significant in adding to the WPA Writers’ Project guidebook, New York Panorama and wrote the book’s essay on Harlem.”

A ceremony devoted to the Wright cultural medallion at the Carlton Avenue home will occur once funding is completed. The Fort Greene Association is now undertaking this program.


Please be generous in supporting this worthy initiative, send a check or money order made payable to the Fort Greene Association with Richard Wright noted in the memo.

Mail:
Fort Greene Association, Inc.
Box 170563
Brooklyn, NY 11217-0563

Click here to make donations via NY Charities. Please indicate in the blue “Designate your donation to a specific program or fund” box, be sure to make mention “Wright cultural medallion”. All donations received will go 100% towards the purchase of the Wright cultural medallion and are tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.

The Fort Greene Association is devoted to historic preservation, neighborhood and park enhancement, as well as cultural, economic and housing advancement throughout the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The Fort Greene Association, Inc. is an all-volunteer organization, operating as a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable organization that supports and works in concert with the many other fine organizations that make our community so special and vital. Follow us on Twitter or become our Facebook Fan.

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News from Fulton Mall Improvement Association & Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Please find enclosed some of their recent events, store openings and other exciting highlights that have occurred since the holidays.

GAP FACTORY STORE OPENING
Fulton Street welcomed its latest retailer, The Gap Factory Store, at 400 Fulton
Street this past Friday, February 24th. There were well over 30 people who lined up
at 9:00am to be the first shoppers to grab the latest in Gap fashions from not only
their Gap Factory line, but also Baby Gap, Gap Kids and traditional Gap.

The 12,000sf store is located just down the street from Macy’s and is an exciting
addition to the growing list of retailers coming to Fulton Street. In addition, The
Gap will be working with Workforce One for their ongoing and seasonal hiring needs.

TJ MAXX COMING TO FULTON STREET
 Visitors to Fulton Street, might have noticed the large wrap at 505 Fulton Street
announcing that TJ Maxx is coming to Fulton Street within the next year. They are
taking 23,000sf in the landmark Offerman Building, which is adjacent to the future
H&M.

We congratulate our chairman, Albert Laboz of United American Land, on landing this
incredible tenant for Fulton Street and Downtown Brooklyn. We look forward to the
unveiling next year.

Map of Fulton Street Mall

ALBEE SQUARE PLAZA SUBCONCESSION OPPORTUNITY

The FMIA has released an incredible opportunity for a food and beverage
subconcession at our newly built 27,000sf public plaza space (which is under the
jurisdiction of NYC DOT and managed by the FMIA). The Fulton Mall is seeking a
dynamic, creative food and beverage concept that will enliven the plaza and provide
another dining option in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. Interested parties can download the RFP.

Proposals are due to Kevin Tolan in PDF form to [email protected] by 5pm on 3/23/12.

NETS EVENT
 Presidents Day Weekend saw the NETs mobile unit setting up on Bond Street between
Fulton Street and Livingston Street. In partnership with the NETs, the FMIA
coordinated with the NETs and NYPD to bring the mobile unit to Downtown Brooklyn
during one of the busier holiday shopping weekends.

Participants were able to shoot some hoops, play interactive games and learn more
about the NETs who are set to play their inaugural game in late September at the new
Barclays Center. In addition, participants were also given coupons to area
merchants such as Aeropostale, Bakers and Ashley Stewart.

CITY POINT CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
 City Point has reached a significant milestone with the substantial completion of
One DeKalb Avenue (Phase 1 of the project).

The Cook + Fox designed 50,000 sf building faces the newly built 27,000sf Albee
Square public plaza and is an iconic building that complements the adjacent
landmarked Dime Savings Bank Building.

The FMIA will keep you posted as to opening dates and tenant announcements as they
become available.

OATH AT 9 BOND STREET
 9 Bond Street is now the new home of OATH (Office of Administrative Trials and
Hearings). OATH has 56 employees and is occupying a total of 18,000sf and
represents an investment of nearly $4.5M by the J.W. Mays Company.

NYC BUSINESS EXPRESS
 NYC Business Express, developed jointly by 20 City agencies, is the one-stop online
tool for the license, permit, tax, incentive information and applications you need
for any business in NYC. The NYC Business Express Incentives Estimator can even
provide a customized list of City, State, and Federal incentives for which your
business may qualify.

For more information please click here.

FULTON MALL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION AND DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PARTNERSHIP
The Fulton Mall Improvement Association (FMIA) was founded in 1976 to provide

supplemental sanitation, security, marketing, promotions and capital improvements to
the area along Fulton Street from Flatbush Avenue to Boerum Place/Adams Street.

The FMIA is managed by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, a local development
corporation dedicated to furthering the development and renaissance of Downtown
Brooklyn.

Fulton Street is one of NYC’s largest commercial retail corridors with well over 150
stores and businesses that are easily accessible via 14 subway lines, 16 bus lines
and the Long Island Rail Road. You can find more information on Fulton Street by
visiting our website.

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS
 Please feel free to reach out to:
Kevin Tolan
Fulton Mall Improvement Association
Director of BID Services and Programs
15 MetroTech Center, 19th Floor
718-403-1608
[email protected]

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