Gentrification Concerns Raised Over Proposed “Made In New York” Campus

Four elected officials penned a joint letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio last week expressing concerns about potential displacement of residents and small businesses due to the implementation of the “Made in New York” campus in Sunset Park.

The Mayor announced plans for the $136 million, 300,000-square-foot “Made in New York” campus at Sunset Park’s Bush Terminal last Tuesday. The campus would serve as a hub for the fashion, film, and television production industries—creating more than 1,500 permanent jobs and more than 800 construction jobs.

In a letter to the Mayor dated February 15th and signed by Borough President Eric Adams, U.S. Representatives Nydia Velazquez and Jerrold Nadler, and Council Member Carlos Menchaca, concerns are raised that the campus would further gentrify Sunset Park and displace residential and commercial properties.

According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the politicians are urging the Mayor to “keep the community in mind when implementing the initiative,” and outlined the following requests:

• Include local Brooklyn stakeholders in the planning for Sunset Park’s manufacturing future
• Protect current residents and business owners who face gentrification pressures
• Treat tenants in city-owned and Economic Development Corporation-operated buildings in an equitable fashion
• Develop a comprehensive plan for the broader Sunset Park manufacturing area
• Place the “Made in New York” campus in context with the activation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal

The “Made in New York” campus is slated to open in 2020.