Downtown Brooklyn was awarded $10 million grant as part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), which aims to transform downtown neighborhoods into thriving communities.
"As the borough's central hub for business, entertainment and the arts, Downtown Brooklyn is becoming an ideal destination for young professionals and families to call home," Governor Cuomo said. "This $10 million investment will connect cultural hubs to surrounding neighborhoods and further expand job and economic opportunities in the region, creating a stronger, more viable Brooklyn for generations to come."
Downtown Brooklyn has morphed into the borough's central business district, as well as its civic, cultural, transit and employment hub and now is home to more than 12,000 residential units, 20 million square feet of offices and 11 higher education institutions.
The state grant aims to further build on this transformation and to spur investments in critical infrastructure including educational and entrepreneurial opportunities and to link cultural hubs in the Downtown area to improve wellbeing and job opportunities in traditionally underserved communities.
Brooklyn will begin the process of developing a Strategic Investment Plan to examine local assets and identify economic development, transportation, housing and community projects that align with the community's needs. A local planning committee including municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders will lead the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners.
"This funding will help advance a vision that has been more than a decade in the making, and it will further community dialogue to identify the most meaningful infrastructure investments that help make our shared vision of the Brooklyn Strand into a reality," said Borough President Eric Adams. "I look forward to working with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and DUMBO BID, as well as local elected officials and community stakeholders, on developing a strategic plan focused on improving the livability and connectivity of our borough's downtown core."
