City Moves Forward with Eminent Domain for New CIA School

The School Construction Authority has begun proceedings to take control of a lot on Coney Island Avenue through eminent domain, where it will build the new PS/IS 338K, a 757-seat school that would be in Community School District 22, which includes most of the Ditmas Park area. They’re bringing it to court at the end of the month, and according to the most recent Five-Year Capital Plan from the Department of Education, construction on the school is expected to begin as soon as next summer, and be completed by the winter of 2016.

The address of the school is tentatively 510 Coney Island Ave, between Turner and Hinckley. It looks like the things currently standing on the lots that are in the eminent domain proposal are the lot on the corner of Hinckely that is usually full of parked cars and vans, an auto repair shop with a rickety sign–has anyone seen that open lately?–a used car lot on the corner of Turner, and the long-abandoned, free-standing house on Turner, including the adjacent lot.

Plans for the school from Purcell Architects show a five-story building set back from CIA, with play areas set behind the building.

As of last year, three schools in our area in District 22–PS 139, 217, and 315–were over capacity, according to the New York City Department of Education’s 2010-2011 capacity report.

In November 2010, Community Board 12 (being on the west side of CIA, this is in CB12) voted unanimously against supporting the construction of this new school.

As more families move into the neighborhood, it seems clear that more seats for students are needed. So is eminent domain the way to go about filling that need? And what do you think about this location for a new school?

Images via The City Record, Google Maps, and Purcell Architects.