Built in 1901, 114 Jackson Street is the oldest continually-operated Settlement House in Brooklyn. This structure has served our community for more than 4 generations. 

Developers want to destroy the oldest remaining turn-of-the-last-century landmark Settlement House in Brooklyn, New York. This is the building that inspired the author of 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn'. This is the house that Jane Addams, an American pioneer, built with her life's work.

Developers want to demolish this historic 1901 Landmark School Settlement building and construct a four-story-plus Penthouse Community facility which does not comply with our neighborhood's R6B zoning code requirements: "for street wall location, setback, maximum building height, maximum base height, zoning floor area, and percent for lot coverage.”

This means that it will tower above our neighborhood. 

This Penthouse Community facility does not comply with our neighborhood's R6B zoning.

What is the R6B Zoning code and why is it important? 

Here's the definition from NYC.gov:

"R6B districts are often traditional row- house districts, which preserve the scale and harmonious streetscape of neighborhoods of four-story attached buildings developed during the 19th century. Many of these houses are set back from the street with stoops and small front yards that are typical of Brooklyn’s “brownstone” neighborhoods, such as Park Slope, Boerum Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant." - Source: NYC Department of Public Planning

Stop the demolition of this iconic building.

This is about preserving our historic community landmarks, and protecting the historic structures that identify who we are. 

We, the residents of this neighborhood, must uphold the heritage and the architectural integrity of our community.

A better plan exists.

We, the residents of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, are publicly requesting that NYC Council Member Antonio Reynoso, Community Board District Manager Gerald A. Esposito, St. Nicks Alliance Deputy Executive Director Jose Leon, City Council Member Stephen Levin, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, NYC Public Advocate Letitia James, NYC Department of City Planning Chairman Carl Weisbrod, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Diana Reyna, and the Office of the Mayor demand that St. Nicks Alliance develop an alternate plan which does not involve demolishing the historic landmark 1901 structure, and present it to the Community Board and our neighbors by October 1st, 2014.

Sincerely,