Brooklyn Commons

Coordinates: 40°41′40″N 73°59′09″W / 40.694358°N 73.985968°W / 40.694358; -73.985968
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
9 MetroTech Center
)
Brooklyn Commons
The office building of 115 Myrtle Avenue
Map
Alternative namesBrooklyn Commons at Metrotech Center
General information
Location100 Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn, New York
Coordinates40°41'39.69"N, 73°59'9.48"W 40°41′40″N 73°59′09″W / 40.694358°N 73.985968°W / 40.694358; -73.985968
OwnerBrookfield Properties
Website
brooklyncommons.com
Chase
Bank building

Brooklyn Commons, formerly MetroTech Center, is a business and educational center in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City.

Location

Brooklyn Commons lies between

<F>​​, and R trains.[1][2]

It is the nation's largest urban academic-industrial

research park
.

History

Former church at east end of plaza, now part of NYU

The 1980s and 1990s were a period of major large-scale development activity and renewal in

Atlantic Terminal Mall, and Renaissance Plaza. MetroTech was controversial when it was created because it involved the demolition of over 100 homes and 50 businesses.[3]

As part of an effort to resuscitate Downtown Brooklyn in the 1970s,

Washington D.C. due to lack of suitable space in New York, Bugliarello, who had by then become the President of Polytechnic, decided to try again to put his idea of a technology-centered development in Brooklyn into action.[4]

A few years later, New York City agreed to designate what had then become Polytechnic University as the main sponsor of the

Forest City Enterprises as the project's main developer based on its years of experience, commitment to stay in the area, and financial capacity. Forest City's co-founder Bruce Ratner and Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden
put together a public-private partnership and quickly redefined the MetroTech vision from a research and development park to a campus-centered back-office complex.

As Forest City negotiated with

) to relocate its back-office operations there.

The 1980s and 1990s were a period of major large-scale development activity and renewal in

Atlantic Terminal Mall, and Renaissance Plaza. MetroTech was controversial when it was created because it involved the demolition of over 100 homes and 50 businesses.[3]

MetroTech Center was formed in 1992 by making a 16-acre (65,000 m2) rectangle of downtown Brooklyn into a superblock (bounded by Jay Street, Johnson Street, Flatbush Avenue, and Myrtle Avenue), to allow the erection of new office buildings and parking garages. Dozens of older buildings had to be demolished in order to clear this space for the construction of the new center. The entire area was designated a pedestrian zone, and, as a consequence, the north ends of Lawrence and Duffield Streets were closed to automobile traffic.

From 2000 to 2016, the MetroTech complex generated more than $1 billion in new investment, representing more than five million square feet of new space.[5] In 2017, New York University announced that it would invest over $500 million in its Brooklyn Campus that mainly includes the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Center for Urban Science and Progress.[6]

In 2018,

James Corner Field Operations was hired to renovate the plaza. Brookfield also announced that One MetroTech, Two MetroTech, and Fifteen MetroTech would be substantially renovated, with new lobbies, retail spaces, and terraces.[9][10] The work was budgeted at $50 million,[8][10] and the project was scheduled to be completed in 2023.[11]

Brooklyn Commons Park

Brooklyn Commons Park (formerly MetroTech Commons) is the 3.5-acre (14,000 m2) privately owned public space at the heart of the Brooklyn Commons complex.[9][10] It hosts events including concerts, health fairs, chess tournaments and holiday celebrations. Theater performances, an ice-skating rink, and children's activities are also offered at the facility.[10]

Bounded by Lawrence and Duffield Streets, the square is frequently adorned by modern art exhibits. Two pieces called Alligator and Visionary are part of the Commons' permanent public art collection. Designed by sculptor Tom Otterness, they were installed in 1998.[12]

Notable tenants

The early occupants included

Business Improvement District
, a non-profit organization, provides sanitation, marketing, and events programming services.

References

  1. ^ Sanz, Cynthia (1986-01-05). "Brooklyn's Polytech, A Storybook Success". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. ^ "The Marconi Society - Press Release: George Bugliarello Dies". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  3. ^
    New York Times
    . Retrieved Feb 8, 2015.
  4. .
  5. ^ "Downtown Brooklyn | The History of MetroTech". downtownbrooklyn.com. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  6. ^ Warerkar, Tanay (2017-01-26). "NYU's $500M Downtown Brooklyn expansion will open this summer". Curbed NY. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  7. ^ Larsen, Keith (2021-11-03). "Brookfield puts MetroTech assets on the market". The Real Deal.
  8. ^ a b Geberer, Raanan (2022-02-08). "Goodbye MetroTech". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  9. ^ a b c Hickman, Matt (2022-02-11). "MetroTech Center becomes Brooklyn Commons and will get a $50 million overhaul". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  10. ^ a b c d e Ginsburg, Aaron (2022-02-08). "With $50M redevelopment, MetroTech Center will become 'Brooklyn Commons'". 6sqft. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  11. ^ "MetroTech to receive a $50 million renovation—and a new name". Brooklyn Magazine. 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  12. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  13. ^ "Contact Archived 2010-06-12 at the Wayback Machine."ImpreMedia. Retrieved on June 1, 2010.
  14. ^ "9 Metrotech Center - FDNY Headquarters Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback Machine." Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp. Retrieved on November 5, 2009.
  15. ^ Toussaint, Kristin (2017-12-13). "NYU moves tech hub into long-empty former MTA headquarters". Metro US. Retrieved 2017-12-15.

External links