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Community Board 9 Protest Heats Up - Flashpoint for Brooklyn’s Gentrification Push-back

J’Ouvert celebrations, Brooklyn steelbands in peril

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York  - “Whose neighborhood? Our neighborhood!” the protestors shouted. The lines and the arguments are clearly defined.  In what has become a significant flashpoint in the push-back against the unwanted gentrification of Brooklyn, community residents protested against CB9 - (Community Board 9) and its resolution outside the Community Board 9 headquarters on Nostrand Avenue.    

In spite of large and often vocal protests against the proposed changes within the CB 9 community boundaries, many residents believe there is a concerted effort by those community board members along with area politicians - to grant developers ‘rights’ to reshape the community landscape with luxury condominiums and by default, destroy the fabric and culture of the neighborhood that they have cultivated for decades. Furthermore, the organizers of the protest offer as additional proof - that despite an incredibly overwhelming demonstration of disapproval for the resolution on September 23, 2014 at the CB 9 general meeting, where hundreds of community residents were present  - the request to rescind the resolution failed through the subsequent ‘votes’ of Community Board 9.

The vote was - 16 yes, 9 no and 8 abstentions and the Executive Board voted 3 no, 2 abstentions and 1 yes.  Those abstentions were counted along with the “no” votes for a majority, hence the failure to rescind.

Community residents protesting outside Brooklyn’s Community Board 9 headquarters
Community residents protesting outside Brooklyn’s Community Board 9 headquarters

Today’s protestors called attention to the annihilation of other cultural norms experienced by the rapid gentrification of other Brooklyn neighborhoods. The protestors said that the hurried gentrification of Brooklyn is both alarming and unwanted by them, the current community residents within the geographical boundaries of CB9. The protestors also vowed to continue to fight to maintain control over their neighborhood, their homes, to preserve their community and to protect the people. 

The proposed Empire Boulevard project, if passed, would eliminate cultural norms in the area, including the annual Brooklyn J’Ouvert. Many see the CB9 resolution as a clandestine approach to pricing current community residents out of their neighborhood, and which would culminate with the removal of steelbands of Brooklyn, and ultimately the annual West Indian American Carnival on Eastern Parkway - also in Crown Heights.

Currently, New York’s Metro Steel Orchestra is located on Empire Boulevard in the proposed affected area.

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