Politics & Government

Community Wants Say In Search For New Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Prez

Concerns over the process of selecting a successor to departed DBP head Joe Chan.

When former Downtown Brooklyn Partnership president Joe Chan after five years on the job, he left more than a vacant position with an annual salary of $200,000 in his wake.

Chan also left a trail of acrimony among grassroots neighborhood activist groups like Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, which demanded last week that they be let into the process of finding a successor.

FUREE plans to send a letter to DBE asking that there be a representative from the community on the board of the nonprofit development entity, which is also tasked with finding Chan's successor.

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At FUREE's , Councilwoman Letitia James, D-Brooklyn, pledged her full support for increased community involvement in DBP.

"We've got to make sure that governing body reflects the community that they represent," James said. "And we have to make sure Downtown Brooklyn works in synergy with the residents of public housing. Not just the residents of Avalon or Oro ... but all residents."

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Chan's replacement will take the lead of a key player in the debate over Downtown Brooklyn's future.

The largest housing development in the neighborhood to date, City Point, is slated to rise at Flatbush Avenue Ext. and Willoughby Street—despite opposition from neighborhood activists concerned about Downtown Brooklyn's quick transformation from a low-income enclave to one dotted with luxury condo towers.

With the multi-story mixed-use complex a reality, James joined FUREE in shifting the battle to ensure that a considerable chunk of City Point's units be set aside as affordable housing—an issue over which DBP is expected to have considerable influence. 

Contacted this week, a DBP representative appeared to deflect calls for a formalized process of community representation during the selection process.

"Anyone is welcome to recommend a candidate for consideration," said DBP spokesman Shane Kavanagh.


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