In an ongoing effort to bring value to our community, a group of neighbors gathered, cleaned, and are repurposing 1510-1520 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11221, between Hancock St. and Jefferson Ave, a piece of land which the city has left vacant, unused, and inaccessible since 1979. After more than forty years of abandonment, in less than two months of reclamation community members have used this space for art, flower and vegetable growing, communal food, play space for children, a free store full of clothing and books, and medic and harm reduction skillshares. 

After countless requests for cleanup and attempts to repurpose the land into a shared community space, our local government has denied the community’s pleas through rezoning efforts.

MacQuesten Development is now permitted to build a large rental complex that is set to: 

- make your property taxes go through the roof, 
- congest the community, and 
- push old community members out through increased rental costs. 

The average resident in our neighborhood is not a property owner and thus the development of this building is set to solely benefit a small fraction of developers and property owners rather than the collective.

Consequently, we know that MacQuesten has no actual intention of making these apartments affordable to the average resident of Bed-Stuy/Ocean Hill. This statement is informed by other MacQuesten projects disclosing the minimum and maximum income, credit requirements, and exclusion criteria (including but not limited to credit history, history of disturbance of neighbors, a history of criminal activity and more). 

We propose to add value to the neighborhood by bonding our community and building a beautiful space together that is sustainable and has long-term intergenerational benefits. 

Proposed Use of Land:

The Lot; a volunteer run, communal outdoor safe space, with the scope of providing free food, clothing, mutual aid, bioremediation, gardening, compost, community-based activities and educational programs for all.

Data Suggests:

• Community gardens provide numerous health benefits, including improved access to food, improved nutrition, increased physical activity and improved mental health.

• Community gardens are major contributors to New York City’s sustainability efforts. Services such as flood mitigation, air filtration, heat reduction, and vital habitat for pollinators are provided to local ecosystems.

Building community adds value in a way that all can benefit from as opposed to few. We are proposing, with your help and contribution, to build legacy and love for children and residents in this neighborhood.

Please sign to oppose the MacQuesten Development and create a community space for all to enjoy. Love is the message