Starrett City is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Starrett City opened in 1974, and in 2002, changed its name to the Spring Creek Towers.[1] The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5.
Starrett City spans over 153 acres (0.62 km2) and has 5,881 apartment units in 46 buildings.[2]
It has eight "sections" in which each include several buildings, its own field, recreational area (jungle gym, park, handball court, basketball court) and its own garage for the residents in that section. These sections are Ardsley, Bethel, Croton, Delmar, Elmira, Freeport, Geneva, and Hornell; each named after municipalities in upstate New York (except for Freeport, which is on Long Island). Each building has between 11 and 20 floors, with 8 apartments on most floors. All of the apartment buildings have a street address as well as a building name consisting of one letter from A-H, and one number from 1-8. In this case, A5 would refer to the fifth building of Ardsley Loop.
Starrett City is a very diverse neighborhood. With its many grassy fields, Fresh Creek, and Spring Creek Towers Shopping Center, it is different in landscape, community, and neighborhood life than other regions of Brooklyn.
Starrett City maintains its own Special Police Force known as Spring Creek Towers Department of Public Safety, which has been used as a case study in the advantages of private security over public policy. Donovan and Walsh note, "Statistically, Starrett City must be considered one of the safest communities in the United States."[3] The community also has its own newspaper known as the Spring Creek Sun.[4][5]
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Special Police Force
The proper name of the Special Police Force is Spring Creek Towers Department of Public Safety. Starrett City employs armed peace officers to preserve the life and property of the residents of the complex. Officers enforce New York State Laws as well as New York City laws. Starrett City is patrolled by Public Safety Officers 24 hours a day on foot, bikes, or in vehicles. The department also has various specialized units modeled after the New York City Police Department.
Demographics
As of the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 14,620 people living in Starett City. The demographics of Starett City were 44.7% African American, 38.0% White, 18.4% Hispanic or Latino and 4.1% Asian. As of 1999, the median family income was $68,525.
Sale
2007 Sale Offering
On November 30, 2006, Starrett City Associates, the owner of the complex, announced an offering to sell the entire property, raising fears that a new owner will raise rents and squeeze out current tenants.[6] CB Richard Ellis, which brokered the Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesant Town deal earlier in 2006, served as the listing agent.[7]
Upon finding out about the sale, tenants at Starrett City began organizing in response to the sale of their homes. The state's largest tenants rights group, Tenants and Neighbors[1], met with Starrett tenants to inform them of their rights and options. The Starrett City tenants also partnered with the community activist organization ACORN to form Save Starrett City.
On February 8, 2007, at 3AM, Starrett City Associates agreed to sell the sprawling complex to Clipper Equity LLC for a staggering $1.3 billion[8]. Although the buyers insisted the complex will remain affordable, housing advocates were concerned that the high price will require rent increases and service cuts. New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed doubt about Clipper Equities intentions and contrasted the sale to the similar Stuyvesant Town sale. Bloomberg called Tishman Speyer, the purchaser of Stuyvesant Town, a reputable landlord, compared to Clipper Equities. "There are questions about this landlord and some of the plans that they have to build other things there," he said.[9] Similarly, Congressmen Anthony Weiner and Edolphus Towns expressed concern about the sale and indicated that federal hearings may be held into the matter.[10] Senator Charles Schumer went even further and "vowed ... that he would not allow the deal to go through without an ironclad agreement from any buyer that Starrett stays affordable."[11]
In response to HUD's rejection of the deal, Clipper Equity proposed a new bid aimed at appeasing its critics. Clipper's new bid claims that it can "trim operating expenses by installing new heating and cooling systems, lowering management fees and improving overall efficiencies," and thus keep housing affordable. The bid further raises the possibility of turning some 6,000,000 square feet (560,000 m2) of undeveloped land on the property into "new housing for the senior residents, a retirement facility for members of the city’s labor unions and small-scale retail, with a designated area for local entrepreneurs."[12] Clipper Equity has taken other steps to garner support, including receiving informal backing from influential ministers Rev. Calvin O. Butts and Rev. A.R. Bernard.[13]
On April 7, 2007, the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner Deborah Van Amerongen rejected Clipper Equity's second proposal. She stated that Clipper's plan for rents to reach market rate after three years failed to adequately protect residents and would require increased government subsidies to keep housing there affordable. [14] Nevertheless, Clipper Equity made another attempt in August 2007. [15]
2008 Sale Offering
In June 2008, Starrett City Associates reached an agreement with Federal, State and City officials on a sale process which would ensure that the property remains affordable.[16] This agreement was further buttressed by federal legislation, which made preserving the property as affordable housing easier for a new buyer.
Schools
Abe Stark Elementary School, (P.S.346)
Gateway Intermediate School, (I.S. 364) Frederick Douglas Academy VIII (4th Floor of P.S. 346)
The nearest high schools, Canarsie High School and South Shore High School are located in Canarsie.
References
- ^ Close-Up on Starrett City, Brooklyn, The Village Voice, April 6, 2005
- ^ With Starrett City Deal Nearly Dead, Developer Tries Again
- ^ Donovan, Edwin J., and William F. Walsh (1986), An Evaluation of Starrett City Security Services, Pennsylvania State University, pp. 36
- ^ Starrett Police Force
- ^ Spring Creek Sun
- ^ Starrett City owners eye Stuy-high offers, New York Daily News, December 1, 2006
- ^ Agent says auction for residential complex. Shanghai Daily, December 4, 2006
- ^ Apartment Complex in Brooklyn Sold for $1.3 Billion
- ^ Mayor wary of new Starrett owners, The Real Deal, February 9, 2007
- ^ Congressmen Call For Hearings Into Starrett City Sale, NY1, Feb. 11, 2007
- ^ Keep It Affordable or Else, The New York Observer, Feb. 12, 2007
- ^ Starrett City bidder readies new proposal, Crain's New York Business, Mar. 9, 2007
- ^ Aspiring Buyer of Starrett City Is Back Onstage, New York Times, Apr. 6, 2007
- ^ NY state housing chief rejects new Starrett City bid, Associated Press, Apr. 8, 2007
- ^ With Starrett City Near Dead Developer Tries Again, The New York Times, Aug. 3, 2007
- ^ In New Sale Starrett City Would Stay Affordable, New York Times, June 2, 2008
nearest produce is drebeats
External links
- TheDeal: Financial crisis tempers bids for Starrett City
- Starrett City in Pictures
- Timeline of Starrett City Auction
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