Plans have been made for an eight-story residential building at 711 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Park Place, the proposed 87-foot-tall development will yield 47,094 square feet designated for residential space creating 58 residences.

The exorbitant size of the proposed building would create significantly more traffic to the area, remove approximately 10 parking spaces from the community, and cause hundreds of neighborhood residents to lose access to sunlight. 

The lot was previously occupied by a group known as the Public Assistants, a mutual aid network with a community initiative to create a space for the youth, house artists, free-food/bike distribution, gardening, and other workshops for collective care and resilience. Before they were kicked out of the space, they left a stunning mural with a message depicting the struggle of a community facing gentrification.

Our community does not want and does not need another development of this stature. We need something to occupy that lot that serves the community that already exits here, not to attract one that does not. A laundromat, grocery store, or other commercial space would be preferred over an eye-sore of a structure that obstructs light, creates noise pollution and disturbs the charm and peace of a historic Brooklyn neighborhood.