Proposal to change the zoning on Concord Street from R6b to a minimum of C6-2. The zoning on Concord Street should be changed from R6b to at least C6-2 since Concord Street already has mostly industrial looking buildings. On the other hand, Duffield Street is almost 100 percent residential with three to five story residential structures and has more of a community look. Though ultimately Duffield Street would also benefit from a zoning change, such a change is not as important as it would be for Concord Street. The current zoning of R6b offers an FAR of 2 and limits the hight of the building to 5 stories and also prevents setbacks. The lack of setbacks also limits tree growth and larger open spaces. Further it is financially challeging to build such small structures in our existing financial environment and thus Concord Streets industrial look will continue indefinetly, frozen in limbo between being an industrial area and a residential area. All this happening in what should be the grand entrance way to Brooklyn. Surrounding areas have much greater zoning density.
Concord
Street today, between Flatbush Avenue Extension, to Gold Street.
Location: Bridge Plaza consists of the four blocks immediately to the right (north) of the Manhattan Bridge, bounded by Flatbush Avenue Extension, Tillary Street, Gold Street and Nassau Street. On early maps, the phrase "bridge plaza" is used to define the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge bridge, Queensboro Bridge and others, though it was not used as a proper name. The area shares the same zip code, 11201 as Brooklyn Heights. Brief History: Originally, as most of Brooklyn, the area consisted of farms that were established by the Dutch. Historic records go back to 1692, when the entire region was part of a single farm. Records show that in 1820, the block and lot grid work was established. Most of the remaining structures were built from the 1890's to the 1920's. Sadly, many structures were torn down between the 1920's to the present time, leaving a patchwork of vacant lots and small industrial buildings. This website contains many photographs from the 1930's to the present and it is interesting to contemplate the area of the past. From the 1840's till the turn of the century, the the region, including the Bridge Plaza area was primarily a black area. From the turn of the century till the mid 1940's, the area consisted of recent immigrants, from Italy and Ireland. Early photographs (many of which can be viewed on this website) , show a bleak, sadly rundown area, without trees or plants. At that time, the streets, as almost all of New York City, was made of cobble stones, which were used as ballast of ships, when they returned from Europe empty, after delivering their cargo of American made goods. The Science Skills Center High School and the Brooklyn International High School, which are housed in the same building at the corner of Concord Street and Flatbush Avenue Extension (49 Flatbush Avenue Extension). It is interesting to note that this building was the first home of the famous and highly acclaimed Brooklyn Tech High School, which was located at this location from 1923 till 1928.
A note about 167 Concord Street: I have owned 167 Concord Street since 1985. The house was moved to its present location around 1896, on top of the foundation of a former 3 story building that had burnt down. My 1.5 story building was originally located on what is now Flatbush Avenue Extension, having been built a few years before, and was scheduled to be torn down in preparation for the construction of the Manhattan Bridge. The owner of the present location back then, was allowed to move the small house to its present location. I myself had wide paneled plastic siding and fake shutters put on the small house to make it look cute. Frank X. Didik, Proposal for name change: The name "Bridge Plaza" was never voted upon, and the area was never really known by this name, though it is at the entrance of the Manhattan Bridge. The area was originally known simply as downtown Brooklyn though today when one hears of Downtown Brooklyn, one thinks of the Barclay Center area. The name Bridge Plaza congers up an image of an industrial area with congested traffic, rather than the beautiful mixed residential business community that it really is. Further, the name is not distinctive and is confusing with such areas as the well known area "Queens Plaza" in the Borough of Queens, at the entrance of the Queensboro Bridge. Our neighborhood has been selected many times as the greenest block in Brooklyn. It is therefor proposed that hence forth, the neighborhood be known as CONCORD GARDENS which creates the feeling that the neighborhood really is. The name "Concord" is generic and does not necessarily denote Concord Street, at the expense of Bridge, Duffield, Gold, or Nassau Street. Concord Gardens has a certain degree of sophistication and congers up beauty rather than some industrial area. Proposal for a name change of Flatbush Avenue Extension: Just before the construction of the Manhattan Bridge that started in the 1890's, Flatbush Avenue had to be extended and the "temporary name" of "Flatbush Avenue Extension" was used in engineering documents. The name however is terrible and does not do justice to the amazing borough of Brooklyn. It is now time to change this name to something more fitting as the true entrance of Brooklyn. Since Flatbush Avenue Extension is the entrance to our amazing borough, I recommend changing the name from Flatbush Avenue Extension to "Grand Entrance Boulevard" or a similar, name to designate the entrance to Brooklyn.
Bridge
plaza area in the late 1920's to late 1940's. The peaceful
residential area is to the east or right of the Manhattan Bridge.
www.Brooklyn1.com
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