If you needed another reminder of development in Dumbo, look no further than the Empire Stores RFP Responses presentation released by Brooklyn Bridge Park. The stores, located next to the north end of the park (and the Tobacco Warehouse - home to Sunday Smorgasburg), represent a prime real estate parcel whose development will ultimately help finance the completion of Brooklyn Bridge Park. BBP's RFP to develop the parcel received 10 responses, all with a common theme: some mix of ground floor retail with offices above. Even so, these constrained guidelines yielded a rich array of options for the site and revealed diverging visions for the future of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Dumbo, and Brooklyn.
The Tragedy of the Commons
So what is it that makes these similar designs so remarkably different? Their approaches to common space. On the one hand, we have traditional designs that emphasize discrete, privately-held "common" areas (the ground floor and roof). Like a Fifth Avenue office building, they rigidly segregate the various leasable spaces into individual storefronts, creating a modern shopping center-styled environment. In most locations, this wouldn't be a huge issue, but the Empire Stores are part of BBP, and their design is intended to complement the park. Large, separated retail spaces in a desirable area means high rents and limits prospective tenants to larger stores that can fill the space. In other words, it excludes the small, local merchants that give Dumbo - and Brooklyn - their distinctive feel. That feel is exactly what the BBP should be emphasizing, not plowing under with a muted design.
Luckily, there are numerous proposed designs that go the other way, creating an open, market-like atmosphere on the ground floor. They range in vision from the victorian-style market proposed by Team 1 to the more subtle food exchange and retail mix envisioned by Team 8. But all of these alternatives have an approach to common space that encourages free movement and interaction, and creates space for small vendors. Not only is that a distinctively Brooklyn approach to the space (one I would assume BBP would want to maximize), it is an approach that fits with the free circulation of the surrounding park and Tobacco Warehouse.
A View, but for Whom?
The rooftop of the Empire Stores is another interesting area; it offers close-up views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, not to mention sweeping panoramas of lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Faced with the question of who should be able to enjoy such a unique space, the teams again diverged, though not always in alignment with their respective ground floor visions. In the most extreme private space case, we have Team 4, which reserves the breathtaking vistas for the highest-paying office tenants. Others, such as Teams 6 and 7, create a semi-public atmosphere with private event space. While in theory this means anyone could be able to enjoy the area, the assumed high cost of renting the space virtually excludes the area's middle- and low-income residents.
Others take a very open and democratic approach to the rooftop space. Team 9, despite its decidedly uninspired ground floor, offers us a public sculpture garden and space for multiple small restaurants. Team 10's ambitious plan places a brewery on the roof, along with a 7,000-square foot hops garden. These approaches, and the other garden/restaurant mixes, create another public space that adds value to the park below. Even more so than on the ground floor, this comes down to a choice between exclusion - creating a space for the wealthy and well-connected - and accessibility to everyone.
Choose Inclusion
It's hard to call any of these designs perfect, but they do offer a stark view of the different ways BBP could develop. It's important that the park knows how different these visions are and how critical it is to emphasize an open, collaborative design that embodies the best of Brooklyn and BBP. This is not some private development parcel; BBP exists to benefit the public, and while the conservancy has an obligation to raise maximum funds in order to care for and build out the park, it also has an obligation to ensure these park amenities are available to everyone, regardless of social standing or income level. There are enough exclusive places in New York to hold $100,000 weddings or Goldman Sachs holiday parties - our public parks should not be among them. So if you have time, contact BBP and let them know that the winning design should be a place that emphasizes the things that make Brooklyn great - small, local businesses and a diverse population. Perhaps your comments can help inform their decision.
The Tragedy of the Commons
So what is it that makes these similar designs so remarkably different? Their approaches to common space. On the one hand, we have traditional designs that emphasize discrete, privately-held "common" areas (the ground floor and roof). Like a Fifth Avenue office building, they rigidly segregate the various leasable spaces into individual storefronts, creating a modern shopping center-styled environment. In most locations, this wouldn't be a huge issue, but the Empire Stores are part of BBP, and their design is intended to complement the park. Large, separated retail spaces in a desirable area means high rents and limits prospective tenants to larger stores that can fill the space. In other words, it excludes the small, local merchants that give Dumbo - and Brooklyn - their distinctive feel. That feel is exactly what the BBP should be emphasizing, not plowing under with a muted design.
Luckily, there are numerous proposed designs that go the other way, creating an open, market-like atmosphere on the ground floor. They range in vision from the victorian-style market proposed by Team 1 to the more subtle food exchange and retail mix envisioned by Team 8. But all of these alternatives have an approach to common space that encourages free movement and interaction, and creates space for small vendors. Not only is that a distinctively Brooklyn approach to the space (one I would assume BBP would want to maximize), it is an approach that fits with the free circulation of the surrounding park and Tobacco Warehouse.
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| Team 1 Ground Floor / Image: BBP |
A View, but for Whom?
The rooftop of the Empire Stores is another interesting area; it offers close-up views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, not to mention sweeping panoramas of lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Faced with the question of who should be able to enjoy such a unique space, the teams again diverged, though not always in alignment with their respective ground floor visions. In the most extreme private space case, we have Team 4, which reserves the breathtaking vistas for the highest-paying office tenants. Others, such as Teams 6 and 7, create a semi-public atmosphere with private event space. While in theory this means anyone could be able to enjoy the area, the assumed high cost of renting the space virtually excludes the area's middle- and low-income residents.
 |
| Team 9's Sculpture Garden Rooftop / Image: BBP |
Choose Inclusion
It's hard to call any of these designs perfect, but they do offer a stark view of the different ways BBP could develop. It's important that the park knows how different these visions are and how critical it is to emphasize an open, collaborative design that embodies the best of Brooklyn and BBP. This is not some private development parcel; BBP exists to benefit the public, and while the conservancy has an obligation to raise maximum funds in order to care for and build out the park, it also has an obligation to ensure these park amenities are available to everyone, regardless of social standing or income level. There are enough exclusive places in New York to hold $100,000 weddings or Goldman Sachs holiday parties - our public parks should not be among them. So if you have time, contact BBP and let them know that the winning design should be a place that emphasizes the things that make Brooklyn great - small, local businesses and a diverse population. Perhaps your comments can help inform their decision.
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