Fulton Street Mall: New Strategies for Preservation and Planning

Vicki Weiner, Pratt Center for Community Development Randall Mason, Minerva Partners, Inc.

Pratt Center for Community Development 379 DeKalb Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 http://www.prattcenter.net/

Minerva Partners 232 East 11th Street New York, NY 10003 http://www.minervapartners.org/

March 2006 TABLE OF Executive Summary...... 1 Preamble...... 5 CONTENTS Project Genesis and Methodology ...... 7

The History of Fulton Street...... 11

Findings Finding One ...... 16 Finding Two ...... 18 Finding Three ...... 20 Finding Four ...... 23 Finding Five ...... 24

Strategies Strategy One ...... 28 Strategy Two...... 30 Strategy Three ...... 32 Strategy Four ...... 34 Strategy Five ...... 36

Concluding Remarks ...... 37

Acknowledgements ...... 38

Endnotes ...... 39 The project was developed using a “values- place has long supported – and still does based” preservation planning approach, a support – social activity and social bonds relatively new method for studying and woven out of economic activities and cul- planning the future of historic places. Val- tural expressions. ues-based preservation planning recognizes that places – or spaces made culturally meaningful by use and users – are impor- Like the Greek agora, Arab souk, near- tant to different types of constituents for Eastern bazaar, or American Main Street, EXECUTIVE different reasons. It takes into considera- the Mall is an economic marketplace that tion that meaning and value change over fosters many types of interaction, function- time: in order to fully understand the mean- ally serving as a public square that has con- SUMMARY ing of a place, and its potential for the fu- siderable historical and cultural value. But ture, one must examine the various ways in despite its popularity among a diverse which the place is valued by different con- range of shoppers and visitors, and its prof- temporary constituents. This requires look- itability, it is often maligned by some who ing at the economy, the built environment, live or work nearby as a place in need of Fulton Street Mall: New Strategies for and the culture of a place, as a whole, be- radical transformation. is a Preservation and Planning fore determining what should be retained collaborative project of the or transformed. And it requires deliberately Pratt Center for Community Development bringing the voices of Mall users into the This report details our research findings and and Minerva Partners. Its goal is to lay conversation. proposes a number of actions designed to the groundwork for Fulton Street Mall’s advance historic preservation, redevelop- future by combining the best historic ment, and community development goals in preservation and redevelopment concert. measures in order to preserve and nurture the Mall as a unique and vibrant public place.

Over a year’s research and consultation, we found that the Fulton Street Mall is an im- portant place to many different groups of people who feel a strong stake in its future. Economically, the Mall is thriving. The

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 FINDINGS STRATEGIES 1. Fulton Street Mall’s historic 1. Address the physical appearance of the FINDINGS & buildings are significant past, present, Mall with innovative and culturally and future cultural and economic sensitive façade improvement, building resources; they are currently under conservation and new building design STRATEGIES utilized, poorly maintained, and techniques that embrace the aesthetic often hidden from public view. theme of “old meets new.” We believe this can be done with an administrative 2. The Mall has a thriving and approach, developing and implementing diverse economy that supports a new guidelines within the existing zon- variety of retail types, with a balanced ing framework. number of national chain stores and local independent shops, and a 2. Better utilize buildings by activating va- surprisingly strong network of small cant upper stories and carefully planning vendor-entrepreneurs. a mix of uses (retail, arts/cultural, resi- dential) that supports the dynamism and 3. Shoppers, workers, and visitors value diversity of the Mall and makes it more the Mall as an important place that is of a 24-hour place. This can begin with counted on as much for social net- several demonstration projects that working as for shopping. model particular upper-floor uses at ap- propriate locations. 4. The Mall functions significantly but poorly as a public space; deficiencies 3. Promote and enhance the current retail include the quality and quantity of themes found on the Mall: urban wear, standard amenities, as well as forebod- Hip Hop fashion and music, uniquely ing side streets leading to and from Brooklyn. Fulton Street. 4. Improve the public realm and enliven 5. Misperceptions of the Mall among non- the side streets – through urban design, users present a significant streetscape amenities, and cultural pro- challenge to preserving the gramming – to enhance the experience contemporary culture of the Mall and of shoppers and visitors on Fulton nurturing its future. Street, as well as workers and residents to the north and south. This will facili- tate the public gathering that takes place in this vibrant marketplace.

5. Engage a broad and diverse group of stakeholders in the planning process from this point forward.

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY It is important for planning activities to ad- As the context of downtown Brooklyn grows dress Fulton Street at three scales: individ- and changes with new plans for office and ual buildings; block fronts and assem- residential development, Fulton Street Mall NEXT STEPS blages; and the Fulton Street Mall as a becomes an increasingly important re- whole. Because there are multiple voices source. If old and new can be successfully guiding this thinking, solutions will also be combined, all the unrealized cultural and multiple and varied. physical opportunities can be tapped, and Changes to the Fulton Street many diverse voices can be brought to the Mall’s built environment, table, the Mall will continue to serve as a managed in ways that resonate · Model potential upper-floor uses by vibrant commercial center and important with historical patterns and matching specific sites to expanded social space for its current constituents traditions as well as the wants, retail use, arts & cultural use, and while at the same time attracting new needs, and styles of current mixed-income residential; and dem- shoppers and visitors and strengthening its shoppers and merchants, can onstrate creative application of ex- local support network. broaden the Mall’s constituency isting funding incentives and policy without displacing those who strategies. In nurturing the past and the best possible currently shop there. The future for Fulton Street Mall, we will be pre- solution to many of the · Implement guidelines, incentives serving a significant, unique and broadly short- and medium-term issues and enforcement for better building appealing place in the heart of downtown and opportunities of the Mall lie maintenance, culturally sensitive Brooklyn. in the creative use, layering, or façade and storefront improve- packaging of existing policies and ments, innovative signage strate- programs. gies.

· Market the Mall based on its exist- ing cultural strengths and retail mix.

· Address streetscape issues, lack of urban design amenities, and unap- pealing side streets.

· Create a planning task force with a diverse and broad set of stake- holders.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 Fulton Mall Improvement Association, March 2006 This report offers some answers to the range of issues: from interviews, surveys, questions of Fulton Street Mall’s past, pre- historical archives (including documents sent and future based on a year of study, and images), socio-economic data, govern- observation, planning, and consultation. ment reports, photography, and mapping. Our studies and recommendations are Because of the prevalent biases about Ful- driven by a desire to understand the whole ton Street Mall among people who don’t significance of the place – looking beyond know it, we felt it was critical to ground our the particular, narrow interests of one con- exploration in concrete data and detailed PREAMBLE stituent group or another, one aspect or study of the place’s contemporary condi- another. In the following pages, we iden- tions. tify the “values” of Fulton Street Mall, weigh them against the challenges and opportuni- As community advocates, we are commit- There are big questions about the ties that face this downtown Brooklyn com- ted to change that responds to the needs of future of Brooklyn’s Fulton Street Mall. mercial hub, and recommend several spe- a wide range of groups with a valid stake in What will change? What should change? cific strategies for retaining the vibrancy, the present use and potential future of a What shouldn’t change? To answer these diversity, and unique culture of the Mall place. For Fulton Street Mall, this is a questions, we must first answer the while planning for development that will en- broad and varied group – encompassing question, “What is valuable about the rich its future. business and property owners, shoppers, Fulton Street Mall?” workers, other Brooklyn residents, business We approached this project as planners, as groups, city officials, civic and neighbor- community advocates, and as preservation hood associations. Some of these groups advocates. have primarily economic interests, some have primarily social and cultural interest, some have historical or aesthetic interests; most have some combination of all these interests.

As preservation advocates, we are commit- ted to conserving material from the past. Preserving old buildings, important stories, and significant memories creates richer built environments and richer lives. In terms of traditional historic preservation, some of the extant buildings on Fulton Street should be protected by public policy Brooklyn The Way It Was , 2003 and materially conserved. But the real op- portunity for preservation lies not in con- As planners, we are committed to rooting serving a few lingering pieces of the past plans for the future in data about the under glass, while the rest of downtown present. We collected data on a wide Brooklyn changes in ways incomprehensible

PREAMBLE 5 to the past. The real opportunity – also the real challenge – is to preserve the past in ways that make it relevant to the pre- sent and the future.

This challenge is one the stakeholders of Fulton Street face today, but it is reflected by a challenge facing the entire field of historic preservation. In the last 10 years, many professionals in this field have ac- knowledged the need to go beyond the traditional practice of identifying, assess- ing, and conserving architecture. How can preservationists recognize the non- architectural values of historic places and contribute to the conservation of the place itself? How can they meaningfully involve economic and social perspectives and non- expert intelligence in research and decision-making?¹ constituents who frequently bear the burdens of new development without Fulton Street, with its future in question sharing the benefits; and with many types of value evident, pro- vides an excellent opportunity to test 3) acknowledging the multiple and di- methods for meeting these challenges. verse stakeholders in downtown Hence, our work here has been built upon Brooklyn means finding multiple solu- three key assumptions that weave to- tions that don’t privilege one group’s gether the perspectives of the preserva- interests over another. tionist, the community advocate, and the planner: From the community perspective, historic and cultural values are not separate quali- 1) preservation of architecturally and his- ties. Places are understood and experi- torically important buildings is a enced as wholes, and the presence of con- means to an end, and not an end in temporary social and economic values has itself; to be recognized. In so doing we enrich the planning effort, making it more inclu- 2) the improvement of neighborhoods sive and, we hope, more effective in pre- and commercial precincts should offer serving the best of our communities while benefits to all, without displacement of allowing them to grow and change in posi- the low-and moderate-income tive ways.

6 PREAMBLE Fulton Street Mall: New Strategies for specifically set forth a vision for the Mall Preservation and Planningwas sparked itself. by the Summer 2004 passage of the Down- town Brooklyn Redevelopment Plan², which effected numerous land-use policy actions to enhance office development opportuni- ties in areas surrounding the Fulton Street Mall. The plan allows for an additional 4.5 million square feet of Class A office space, a PROJECT million square feet of retail, and 1,000 units of housing in and around downtown Brook- lyn. It delineated two urban renewal and GENESIS residential redevelopment sites on either end of the Mall – one at Adams and Fulton AND Streets; and one at the triangle created by Flatbush Avenue, Dekalb Avenue, and Ful- ton. To promote site assemblage, the Plan METHODOLOGY increases allowable floor area on the north side of Fulton Street. But nowhere does it

Expanded Development Areas Downtown Brooklyn Council 2004

With the Plan clearly poised to have an im- pact on the existing built environment, two preservation organizations, the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Municipal Art Society, took an interest in the historic ar- chitecture of downtown Brooklyn, including several buildings on Fulton Street that they were concerned might be at-risk of demoli- tion as new skyscrapers began to rise in the area. They began a campaign to protect these architectural gems through designa- tion as New York City landmarks.

Initial observation of the Fulton Street Mall

Downtown Redevelopment Plan indicated that while historic structures are Downtown Brooklyn Council 2004 certainly a presence, the character of the

PROJECT GENESIS AND METHODOLOGY 7 Mall was not derived from its architecture soon be put toward improvement of Fulton they think about the Mall? What, in their alone. It comes from the businesses that Street and downtown more broadly. The view, would be worth preserving? What inhabit the Mall’s buildings, and most im- impulse of preservation organizations to would constitute “improvement”? The portantly, from the people who frequent vouchsafe the area’s interesting history in opinion of Mall users seemed to us to be the Mall and infuse it with a kind of com- the face of pending change had already an important key to defining its character, munity vitality that is rare in New York touched a nerve with the local business strengths, and weaknesses. And yet it City. While the use of landmark designa- community and with policy makers who looked as if plans for the Mall’s future tion holds the potential to protect a few felt the improvement of the downtown might be shaped without their input. architecturally distinct buildings, protecting business environment might be compro- the place will require thinking beyond mised by preservation efforts. In other landmarking. words, the gap that frequently opens be- tween neighborhood advocates and the The Mall’s complex “sense of place” is not development community became appar- easy to define at first glance. But what is ent. On one side, a handful of groups Fulton Street Mall: New Strategies readily apparent is that the environment of were speaking out against the potential for Preservation and Planningwas the Mall engages large numbers of people, demolition of important structures; on the formed as a collaborative project between many of them African-American and Carib- other side, decision makers were saying the Pratt Center for Community Develop- bean, and that some of the most popular the structures might in fact be standing in ment and Minerva Partners with the goal businesses are based in an urban aesthetic the way of progress. to examine the Mall from all angles and that is generally associated with African- deliberately bring the voices of Mall users American culture in New York and other into the conversation. The project was cities. developed using a “values-based” preser- vation planning approach, recognizing that The economy on the Mall has been thriv- places – or spaces made culturally mean- ing by all accounts. But following the pas- ingful by use and users – are important to sage of the Redevelopment Plan, there different types of constituents for different was a prevailing sense among the down- reasons. It takes into consideration that town business community that it was a meaning and value change over time. In place that needed improvement – perhaps order to fully understand the meaning of a drastic improvement. Some people essen- place, and its potential for the future, one tially called for a reinvention of the Mall, must examine the various ways that the entirely replacing its cacophonous mix of Our view was that both parties had valid place is valued by different contemporary businesses, people, and signs with a more things to say. But where, in this dialogue, constituents. This means looking at the comfortable and sanitized feel. was the voice of the large number of peo- economy, the built environment, and the ple – by some reports 100,000 per day³ – culture of a place as a whole, before de- These early observations inspired us to who create and partake of the street cul- termining what should be retained or begin thinking about how we might con- ture and commerce of Fulton Street Mall? transformed. tribute positively to the energy that would Who were those people, and what did

8 PROJECT GENESIS AND METHODOLOGY · Historical research · Interviews, surveys, focus groups · Ethnographic research and behav- ioral mapping · Land-use, market, and zoning studies · Policy research · Tools/incentives research · Case studies/comparables

Values and Heritage Conservation. Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2000

The project received important start-up funds from the J.M. Kaplan Fund, and ad- ditional support came from the New York Community Trust, Surdna Foundation, and Pratt Institute’s Faculty Development Fund. The local business community rec- Researchers and contributors to the stud- ognized the importance of understanding ies included professional preservationists the place from various points of view – in- and planners, Pratt Center staff members, cluding that of Mall users – and enthusias- and students: graduate students from tically and generously encouraged the CUNY, the New School, and University of work, with grants coming from the Pennsylvania; preservation, planning, and Downtown Brooklyn Council and the architecture students from Pratt Institute Metrotech BID/Fulton Mall Improvement (See Acknowledgements). Student work, Association. led by project principles and esteemed col- leagues, was a vital source of creative From July 2004 to September 2005, a input. number of studies were conducted to illuminate the past, present, and future potential of the Mall. Completed studies include:

PROJECT GENESIS AND METHODOLOGY 9 Fulton Street has been the commercial Soon a number of large and fashionable main street of Brooklyn since the early new buildings were erected to house these 1800s when dry goods merchants first es- “department stores” – Wechsler Brothers, tablished businesses on “lower” Fulton Namm’s, A.D. Mathews & Sons, Frederick Street near the Fulton Ferry landing.ೕ By Loeser Co., and others anointing upper Ful- ton as Brooklyn’s retail heart. Shops of all the 1870s, plans for the Brooklyn Bridge kinds located near the big stores, mostly were underway and this area’s network of occupying the existing building stock of 3-to surface and elevated rail had begun to de- 5-story structures on Fulton Street and side THE HISTORY velop. Already prosperous dry goods mer- streets to the north and south. Multiple chants like A.D. Mathews, Joseph Wechsler, floors of retail offered all manner of com- A.S. Wheeler, and others began to pur- OF FULTON parison goods to shoppers who arrived by chase property on “upper” Fulton, east of street trolley or elevated train. The area Brooklyn’s City Hall (present-day Borough was rich with shops offering custom and STREET Hall) and relocate their stores near the ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, millinery transportation nexus forming around the goods, beauty and household products, and bridge landing. furnishings. Professional services, every- thing from dentistry to palmistry, occupied small storefronts or upper floor spaces.

Loesers Department Store King’s Views of New York 1896-1915 and Brooklyn 1905

The commerce of Fulton Street attracted a vibrant array of entertainment venues that located in commercial storefronts, on easily accessed upper floors, and in lavish new

Downtown Brooklyn 1905 USGS buildings of their own. Vaudeville theaters, dime museums with their scientific marvels

THE HISTORY OF FULTON STREET 11 and oddities, nickelodeon theaters, gaming The urban landscape began to transform The retail strength of the area was pre- rooms, bowling alleys, hotels and restau- in 1940, when the Fulton Street elevated served along Fulton Street east of the new rants entertained shoppers and accommo- train was taken down. Subways and Adams Street. The vast transportation dated travelers. Some of the earliest Edi- buses ensured that the place remained ac- system running beneath the Civic Center son movies were shown in buildings that cessible. But soon after, post-WWII subur- kept the area convenient to Brooklyn still stand on Fulton between Jay and Law- banization began to reshape Brooklyn, shoppers, who were by now perhaps less rence Streets. causing the same kind of demographic affluent but no less inclined to come shifts seen in urban areas throughout the downtown to shop and see a movie. A nation – white flight, retail activity sapped number of the corporate retailers bought by new suburban malls, increased depend- each other out or merged, but the pres- ence on automobiles, urban renewal, per- ence of department stores – by this time, ceptions of urban decline. In and around Abraham & Strauss, Martin’s, McCrory’s, downtown Brooklyn a number of urban May’s, Korvettes, and others – continued renewal plans were drawn up as a re- to serve as a magnet for a thriving retail sponse. and entertainment environment serving an increasingly African-American population. In the 1950s, the stretch of Fulton Street that connected the “lower” and “upper” By the mid 1970s, the negative impacts of Fultons of old was de-mapped by the city white flight and urban renewal – and the as part of the development of a new Civic inner-city racial conflicts, unemployment, Center. Nineteenth-century commercial deteriorating housing conditions and Brooklyn Heights and Downtown, Vol. I, 1860-1922, 2001 buildings were replaced by modern court- disinvestment we now associate with By 1900 Fulton Street was the locus of a houses and municipal office buildings, and them – converged on Fulton Street. thriving commercial precinct serving a stretch of Fulton itself was transformed The shopping and entertainment precinct greater Brooklyn, a busy, if not teeming, into present day Columbus Park, adjacent remained active, but in the eyes of politi- place. Pictures of Fulton Street from the to Borough Hall. cal and business leaders interested in pre- turn of the century show a cluttered streetscape, with the El dominating the appearance of the Fulton corridor and a visual cacophony of commercial signs of various shapes and sizes. For four dec- ades, the area continued to attract new stores and entertainment venues like the large Edward Albee Theater which brought Broadway-caliber live performance, and then movies, to the area starting in 1922, and the Metropolitan Loews, Montauk and Paramount Theaters, all from the 1920s.

Borough Hall Brooklyn The Way It Was, 2003

12 THE HISTORY OF FULTON STREET venting further white middle-class flight Crime and a lower-income demographic Street promenade.” Congressional Rep. from the borough, downtown Brooklyn – were the realities of Futon Street during Frederick W. Richmond commented that including Fulton Street – was in need of the city’s fiscal crisis. Despite being he hoped the Mall would “reverse the renewal. In 1973, the administration of ranked as the second busiest shopping trend of retailers, jobs and people leaving th New York City Mayor John Lindsay devel- street in the city in 1971 (behind 34 our city.” ೘ oped and approved a plan to turn eight Street), during the 1970s Fulton Street blocks of Fulton Street, from Adams saw the departure of many of the stores – Construction of the physical improve- Street to Flatbush Avenue, into a new pe- like Martin’s and Korvettes – that had ments – widening the sidewalks and in- destrian mall that would restrict vehicular been its biggest draws. Movie palaces stalling bus shelters, information kiosks, traffic to busses and add urban design in- like the Albee and Metropolitan Loews and signage – took far longer than ex- novations meant to enhance the experi- were increasingly perceived as danger- pected. Independent stores and national ous – a perception reinforced by a 1974 ence of walking along the sidewalkೖ. The chains alike struggled to keep businesses shooting at the Albee. But to low-and original design included a glass and steel alive while the roadbed was torn apart moderate-income African-Americans in canopy over the street that would create and reconstructed. By 1982, when the central Brooklyn, Fulton Street was not the sense of the Mall being enclosed. work was completed, other plans for seen or experienced only in those bleak This design feature was later dropped downtown Brooklyn were being promul- terms. Despite its problems, it was still from the project. gated and debated. The high vacancy the place families shopped for school uni- York Times rate for commercial space downtown was forms and new shoes, new televisions and The plan was generally met by enthusi- abating, thanks to the relocation of city housewares. In some ways Fulton Street asm from small business owners and mer- and state agency offices to vacant com- remained the busy shopping destination it chants, but in an October 30, 1973 New mercial buildings. A number of urban re- always had been. Many of the depart- article, a Castro Convertible newal plans were creating development ment stores were replaced by smaller dis- Sofa store manager remarked, “Traffic is sites for back-office development, among count shops, but the foot traffic remained not the problem…It’s the purse snatching them the 16-acre, 12-building MetroTech strong. and intimidation from those who roam the Center. streets.” The owner of a store said to be In 1977 the Federal Mass Transit Admini- among the few independent businesses, Developed by Forest City Ratner Company stration granted $2.9 million to the city for commented that “the main reason busi- and designed by a number of prestigious the construction of the first phase of ness has dropped off in this area is that architecture firms – Skidmore Owings “Fulton Street Mall,” which was designed Merrill, Davis Brody & Associates, and oth- people don’t have the money to buy.” ೗ by the firm Lee Harris Pomeroy. A Janu- ers – MetroTech was “conceived as a ary 1977 New York Times article re- means of revitalizing Downtown Brooklyn marked that downtown “has changed tre- by developing office space attractive to mendously in the last two decades. Ful- high-technology businesses and back of- ton Street was once the magnet for mid- fice operations, and integrating this activ- dle-class shoppers and entertainment ity with a major university center includ- seekers who sought out the old movie ing Polytechnic University, New York City palaces like the Paramount and the Albee. Technical College, and Long Island Uni- The Albee awaits the wrecker’s ball, and its site will be turned into a shopping cen- versity”೙ and built on the corporate office ter whose mall will blend into the Fulton park model.

THE HISTORY OF FULTON STREET 13 began to take on a new identity – that of longer used, a number of building owners a center for hip hop fashion and music. rented the facades to billboard companies The volume of shoppers never waned, as for large fees. This practice is not legal Fulton Street Mall maintained its promi- under building codes, but a moratorium nence as the central shopping district for on enforcing signage regulations at the a mostly central Brooklyn Department of Buildings has allowed the clientele. The popularity of Fulton Street situation to persist. among moderate-income African- Americans rose, rents for the storefronts The billboards and bricked-in upper floor rose, and new shops featuring of-the- windows on some buildings lent an air of moment urban “gear” – like Dr. Jay’s, decay to the Mall that did not accurately Jimmy Jazz and others, began to open. reflect the vibrancy of the commerce or the street life taking place just a few feet below. The ground-floor retail continued to develop as a niche center for urban wear; family oriented outlets and elec- tronic stores also remained strong. Today these different retail types can be found thriving side by side. By 2003, when busi- ness groups and the Department of City Planning formally proposed the zoning ac- tions of the Downtown Redevelopment Plan, the Mall was much as we see it to- MetroTech Business Improvement District, 2005 day. Thriving on the ground but underuti- lized and decaying above, the buildings of Photo Credit: Charles Gifford, 2004 Fulton Street Mall continue to comprise a The completed MetroTech Center created It was during this period that a number of rich layering of historic commercial archi- a self-contained office district. One block property owners and merchants, eager for tecture and a successful commercial shop- to the south, the Fulton Street Mall devel- any additional ground-floor area for retail, ping environment, but also draw criticism oped through the 1980s and 1990s as a removed stairs that led to the buildings’ from those who don’t shop there. The lively commercial street increasingly upper stories. Eking out any additional dichotomies of Fulton Street – from the known for discounted merchandise and square footage was seen as desirable as visual differences to the perceptual ones – fast food outlets. Among the shops popu- ground-floor rents more than compen- are the focus of this study. lar by the late 1980s were Beat Street and sated for the lack of use on the upper the Music Factory, both patronized by floors. Many of the smaller buildings – young musicians and rap artists who those on the north side of Fulton between counted on the selection of rap, rhythm Jay and Lawrence Streets, for example – and blues, and other genres for their DJ actually bricked in their upper floor win- performances. The Mall on Fulton Street dows. Since upper-floor windows were no

14 THE HISTORY OF FULTON STREET 1. Fulton Street Mall’s historic buildings are significant past, pre- sent, and future cultural and eco- nomic resources; they are currently under utilized, poorly maintained, and often hidden from public view.

FINDINGS 2. The Mall has a thriving and diverse economy that supports a variety of retail types, with a bal- anced number of national chain The various studies conducted, and stores and local independent shops, the many hours of conversation with and a surprisingly strong network of stakeholders of all kinds, have pro- small vendor-entrepreneurs. vided a solid understanding of the Mall as a place of commerce, interac- 3. Shoppers, workers, and visitors tion, opportunity, and cultural signifi- value the Mall as an important place cance. As an historic place, as a cen- that is counted on as much for social ter of social life, and as an engine of networking as for shopping. economic activity, Fulton Street Mall is an integral part of downtown 4. The Mall functions significantly but Brooklyn. poorly as a public space; deficiencies include the quality and quantity of standard amenities, as well as fore- boding side streets leading to and from Fulton Street.

5. Misperceptions of the Mall among non-users present a significant challenge to preserving the contemporary culture of the Mall and nurturing its future.

FINDINGS 15 The history of Fulton Street as the shopping continuity of shopping and commerce on and entertainment center of downtown the street – this has been a place bursting Brooklyn is still very much in evidence, both with commercial signs from its very begin- in the built fabric and in the level of com- nings. However, the signs that cover win- FINDING 1: mercial activity on Fulton Street today. The dow openings, significant architectural de- street is punctuated by a number of large tail, and entire facades are illegal and cre- 19th-and early-20th-century department ate an appearance interpreted by some as store buildings that retain many distinct ar- neglect. Fulton Street Mall’s historic buildings chitectural features, especially on their up- are significant past, present, and per floors. These surviving structures are future cultural and economic the visual anchors of the Mall, and, experi- resources; they are currently under enced together, they evoke a surprisingly utilized, poorly maintained, and often strong sense of the Mall’s history as a retail hidden from public view. hub.

Photo credit: Charles Gifford, 2004

Mixed in among the visual anchor buildings (see map, next page) are smaller structures that retain some portion of their original architectural detail. They, too, add visual Former Rothchild / Ligett’s, Built 1888 interest and character to the Mall, though Photo credit: Kara Winters, 2004 their conditions are typically worse. Many have facades that are covered in billboards As important contributors to the “character” or other signage and are literally hidden of the Mall, historic structures are certainly from view. The signage that dominates the among its greatest assets. However, our visual environment of the Mall is a sign of study found that most of these buildings vitality, and also speaks to the historical were underutilized and in some cases not

16 FINDING ONE well maintained. Some have no upper floor occupants and have sealed off their upper story windows.

These poor building conditions are of con- cern to a variety of constituents. Business leaders and civic organizations alike have remarked on the need for better building maintenance. Participants in our survey of 310 Mall users also selected this as a criti- cal issue: 85% percent said they would like to see some effort to fix up poorly maintained Mall buildings. And non-users of the Mall express that to them it is not an attractive or aesthetically appealing place.

Local and citywide preservation organiza- tions have come to realize the architec- tural and historic value of the buildings on Fulton Street. Their interest has sparked an important dialogue about the role of the buildings in the economic growth of the Mall. There have been some positive steps to improve building conditions in the past year, but for the most part there are still serious façade issues to address.

Because of the variety of building condi- tions and architectural integrity throughout Visual Anchor Buildings Pratt Center / Minerva Partners 2006 the Mall, a mixture of building conserva- tion, creative rehabilitation, and wholesale redesign is warranted.

FINDING ONE 17 The strong economic value of Fulton Street tunities significant. Mall has been documented by recent arti- Our studies indicate that those who profit FINDING 2: cles and studies, most of which have fo- from owning and operating businesses on cused on the rents commanded for the the Mall can be put into four main storefronts that can range from the low categories: The Mall has a thriving and $100s to upwards of $200 a square foot.೚ 1. Property owners, most of them ab- diverse economy that supports a For 150 years, Fulton Street has been a re- sentee landlords, who are command- variety of retail types, with a bal- tail Mecca, whether of the big department ing very high rents for ground floor anced number of national chain stores that came into prominence in the spaces and in some cases profiting stores and local independent shops, early 1900s, or of the local shoe, electron- by leasing facades for billboards; and a surprisingly strong network of ics, and specialty shops and national cloth- small vendor-entrepreneurs. ing and shoe outlets that populate the Mall 2. Merchants and small business owners today. It has been a place of notably rising who own and operate independent real-estate values, and is now said to be stores or local chains (five-borough among the most expensive retail streets in only), many of which have the country. expanded or opened second outlets on the Mall; examples include Jimmy Jazz, Dr. Jay’s, Heart & Sole shoes, and Feel Beauty Supply;

3. Regional and National corporations operating chain stores on the Mall; for example Children’s Place, Payless Shoes, and Cookies;

4. Immigrant merchants who sublet spaces within stores, operating their own one-counter small businesses Photo credit: Charles Gifford, 2004 and making decent living wages. With a current workforce estimated at over The presence of the one-counter busi- 3,000 workers, Fulton Street Mall continues to be a place of opportunity for students, nesses emerged as a surprising finding.{| young people, people of color, and Brooklyn Behind a number of storefronts, floor space residents. Despite the vast majority of non- is divided into four or five smaller sections union jobs, the high unemployment rate in each occupied by a different independent Brooklyn makes these employment oppor- business. The property owner or lease-

18 FINDING TWO holder rents out sections of the store to tor for immigrants. A stepping-stone be- town Brooklyn began to strengthen a bit, multiple independent vendors who sell tween outdoor street vending and a full- there appeared to be very little interest their wares in their own spaces. A count fledged, formal business, it requires less among property owners to even advertise conducted this summer revealed that startup capital than the latter and has when their upper floors were available. there were 21 storefronts hosting approxi- more stability than the former. In a city in mately 73 independent vendors on the which approximately 36% of residents are Economically, Fulton Street Mall both Mall. Thus there are many more busi- foreign-born, the independent vendor sys- forges bonds between groups and sepa- nesses on the Mall than it may seem on tem allows immigrants to gain a foothold rates them: those who profit on the Mall the surface. in business. Unlike the vendors who used are distinct from those who work and shop to operate on 125th Street in Manhattan, and otherwise use the place. One of the or Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the abiding questions in planning for the fu- Mall’s indoor vendors can operate without ture is how the interests of those with the challenges for pedestrians or more and less economic power can be neighboring retailers that can be caused brought into some equitable balance for by sidewalk vendors. the long term.

The vendor system has impacts on the economy and physical condition of the Mall. It supports the escalating rents on Fulton Street Mall by enabling property owners to find occupants to pay what is asked. The ability to command high ground floor rents has a direct impact on the overall utilization of buildings, as prop- erty owners have had very little incentive Occupying a smaller space within a larger to maintain and rent out upper floors be- storefront enables the leaseholder and the cause the market value for upper-floor independent vendors to afford the rent, space is a small fraction of that for the which would otherwise be prohibitive. In a ground floors. given store one might find an Uzbek ven- dor selling jewelry, a Korean vendor selling In many cases, property owners have re- video games and electronics, and an Afri- moved the stairways to the upper floors in can American vendor selling clothing with order to squeeze out more ground floor handmade airbrush designs. This system square footage for retail. Until recently, functions as an important business incuba- when the Class B office market in down-

FINDING TWO 19 Historic places often have an additional set though they have a significant stake in its of values stemming from their contempo- future. These constituencies – loosely de- FINDING 3: rary use for social, economic or other rea- scribed as the “users” of the Mall compris- sons. These “social values” are often very ing of shoppers, workers, walkers, sitters – important considerations in achieving pres- are important stakeholders. We collected ervation while managing change. data on the social, economic, cultural and Shoppers, workers, and visitors historic values as seen by users through value the Mall as an important We designed research to assess the social several means: observation and behavioral place that is counted on as much values because it was evident that there mapping; a street-level survey of 310 peo- for social networking as for are important constituencies in and around ple – some chosen randomly, others tar- shopping. Fulton Street Mall that do not see the Mall geted in order to gain representative sam- as primarily an historic place, and do not ples of individuals according to variables of have a voice in its management even age, race, and ethnicity; and ethnographic

20 FINDING THREE research, consisting largely of detailed in- forced by the Mall’s continuing economic terviews with more than 60 people “on the viability. Household income ground,” including a special study of ven- 30 dors sub-letting commercial space in store- One important aspect of our research con- 25 20 fronts along the Mall. sisted of a survey administered to more 15 than 310 people encountered within the 10 5 Data gathered through these varied means eight blocks of Fulton Street Mall last 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 suggest that the contemporary social value spring. We asked a series of questions respondents survey % of 00 ,00 ,00 27,00 65 of Fulton Street Mall – its value as a gather- about how people use the Mall, whether 0-$ 0-$43,00 0-$52,00 0-$65 an $20, 0 ,0 0 s th re than $ ing place, a place of exchange in all various aspects of the place are important $20,00 $28,0 $44 $53,00 o Les M senses – is just as compelling as the value to them (public space, aesthetics), and household income of its historic and cultural significance. It is what kinds of change they would welcome not merely a shopping district. The place or object to. Some of the most interesting supports social networks that consist of findings include: economic activities such as shopping, sell- 71% of our respondents considered Fulton ing, cultural expressions, wearing the latest 82% are from Brooklyn; only 13% of respon- Street Mall, “an important place that could be fashions; pursuing the American dream of dents came from surrounding neighborhoods, improved”; a further 17% considered it, “an im- portant place that should continue just as it is.” financial success; and everyday sociability indicating the significant numbers come from distant neighborhoods as well; of seeing friends, going out with family, and Ethnographic research, through which we hanging out. These different uses or activi- 84% came to Fulton Street Mall to shop, but spoke to fewer people but in much greater ties are interwoven: shopping activities that’s not all they came to do: depth, revealed a number of different kinds have cultural meaning and reflect complex of social networks: among shoppers, social networks; historic values are rein- 26% also came to socialize, 35% to eat, 27% to window shop; among families, between specific busi- nesses and customers, among different 51% came to the Mall with friends and/or kinds and configurations of businesses, and family; for people who work and/or hang out.

33% thought in terms of coming to “Fulton Of particular note is the social value of Ful- Street Mall” while 56% referred to coming ton Street Mall to the black community. Of “downtown.” Only 11% said their destination our survey respondents, 58% described was particular building or store; themselves as black, African, African- 41% “always” or “often” ran into someone American, Caribbean, or Caribbean- they knew when they visited Fulton Street; American. The in-depth interviews con- ducted for the project’s ethnographic report 43% had been visiting the Mall for more than provide the detail and individual stories to 10 years; illustrate the many kinds of social relation- ships on the Mall. For example, we heard 55% of respondents answered a question from a young Trinidadian woman about the about household income: there is a diverse significance working, hanging out, and range of incomes among shoppers with half of respondents at or above median income for shopping on Fulton Street Mall, all filtered NYC; through youth culture’s focus on clothes

FINDING THREE 21 and fashion; we heard about the symbolic im- African- or Caribbean American, 10% are portance of the Mall as a place where African white; 9% Latino/a; 7% “other”; 6% Asian; Fulton Street Survey Group Americans and Caribbean immigrants assert and 6% “European”. Thus the active con- Home Neighborhoods “the presence of the black middle class,” in tributors on the street and social life of the their own words. From these data we draw Mall is more diverse than it may at first ap- Bedford Stuyvesant 12.6% the conclusion that social values attached to pear. The varied nature of the social net- Prospect Heights 7.5% Fulton Street Mall are an important public re- works, personal narratives and historical con- Fort Greene 7.5% source. These contemporary social values texts surfaced in our ethnographic research a should be an important consideration in plan- clear picture of thickly layered contemporary Park Slope 6.3% ning for the future. social values, many of them linked with both Brooklyn Heights 6.3% the history and the future of communities of Williamsburg 5.4% color in downtown Brooklyn. Crown Heights 4.6% Sheepshead Bay 4.6% Flatbush 4.2% Ditmas Park-Prospect Pk S. 3.8% Windsor Terrace 3.8% Brownsville 3.3% Carroll Gardens 3.3% Bushwick 2.9% Canarsie 2.9% Luis Gispert Public Art Fund Fulton Mall Improvement Association Sunset Park 2.9% Consumer culture, fashion, and other artistic The visibility of hip hop as a theme on the East Flatbush 2.9% expressions of the African-American commu- Mall – expressed in the fashions, music, and East New York 2.5% nity and other communities of color have long street lingo seen and heard on Fulton Street – Brighton Beach 2.1% been associated with the Mall, but in the past connects the contemporary Mall to its 19th Brooklyn - Not specified 1.7% twenty years have found new levels of artistic century ancestor. Popular entertainment of and cultural expression. Many consider the that era found its expression in Schraffts Beer Downtown Brooklyn 1.7% Mall to be the Brooklyn headquarters of hip Hall on Smith and Fulton, a bowling alley on Flatlands 1.7% hop, the international music and cultural the corner of Red Hook Lane, and in the dime Ocean Parkway 1.7% genre that has uniquely urban-American roots museums and vaudeville theaters that occu- Bay Ridge 1.3% not unlike jazz. pied upper floors of many Fulton Street build- ings. The entertainments of that time re- Bensonhurst 1.3% The Mall puts on display some important flected the culture of the people who shopped Borough Park 0.8% achievements of African-American culture as and gathered downtown in much the same Prospect Lefferts Gardens 0.4% a dominant force in the American urban way that hip hop expressions reflect many TOTAL number of Brooklyn residents 239 scene. Of the 42% of Mall survey respon- contemporary Fulton Street Mall users. dents who did not describe themselves as

22 FINDING THREE While the social networks fostered by the Our observation of the use of Fulton and its Mall are by all accounts vital, the physical side streets revealed a number of hotspots space itself does nothing to accommodate and dead spaces, and it is clear from our FINDING 4: people wanting to gather, socialize, and sit. field data that the side streets are less trav- An observer needs no more than a few eled than the blocks along Fulton Street minutes on the Mall to see that in the ab- (with the exception of Jay and Bridge sence of suitable seating, shoppers stop to Streets). Visual analysis quickly revealed The Mall functions significantly rest in any and all locations and perch on that a Metrotech worker looking down Al- but poorly as a public space; the edge of planters. Young people gather bee Square West toward the Mall will see a deficiencies include the quality in the open space between the Dime Sav- long stretch of barren pavement and the and quantity of standard ameni- ings Bank and the Gallery Mall, but stand in unadorned solid brick wall of the Gallery ties, as well as foreboding side small huddles and don’t stay long. Workers Mall at Albee Square. A Boerum Hill resi- streets leading to and from Ful- and others can, in warm weather, be found dent looking up Hoyt Street from State or ton Street. sitting on the sidewalk on folding chairs Livingston will see a dark, foreboding corri- that we presume they supply for them- dor with little retail beckoning northward. selves. This finding is significant: large populations of potential shoppers work and live in the vicinity around the Mall. These unappealing views frame people’s perceptions of the Mall, and the message they send is not a positive one.

People use Fulton Street Mall as a public space, even though it is not designed to serve as one. Blank walls and dead spaces threaten the overall sense of vitality. Ad- dressing these issues will enhance the ex- perience for current Mall users, and poten- tially attract new users from surrounding While Mall users have adapted to poor areas. urban design conditions, and appear to make do without the customary amenities we expect to encounter in popular gather- ing places, our survey findings reveal a pro- nounced desire for streetscape and urban design improvements. Additional seating on sidewalks and in public spaces was de- sired by 85% of respondents, and 71% wanted to see new lighting fixtures, plant- ers, bus shelters and street signs.

FINDING FOUR 23 Our study and outreach tapped the impres- sions and ideas of close to 400 people, from i There is an impression among those city agency representatives to sidewalk who don’t frequent the Mall that all of FINDING 5: vendors and shoppers. The Fulton Mall Im- the stores are national chains or 99 provement Association also made available Cent shops, and that their are no local to us the video-taped focus group sessions independent businesses left. However, it held in 2004, which we transcribed and a retail analysis conducted in August analyzed. When we compared the focus 2005 shows that 45% of businesses are Misperceptions of the Mall among groups to various other data we collected, independent stores, 41% are regional non-users present a significant we learned that the assumptions made or national chains, and 14% are local challenge to preserving the about the Mall by non-users were fre- chains in the five boroughs only. And contemporary culture of the Mall quently incorrect. Perhaps most fascinating while there are a handful of deep bar- and nurturing its future. to us throughout all of our outreach was gain stores on Fulton Street, none of the clear picture we got of the very differ- them refer to themselves as “99 Cent” ent views self-described “non-users” of the shops. Thus there is far more retail di- Mall have from those who are frequent visi- versity than is assumed by non-users, tors to the place. and the Mall supports a number of

i It is a commonly held belief that Mall Retail Tenants at Fulton shoppers are almost exclusively “low- Street Mall Summer 2005* income.” Our survey reveals a fairly Business Categories diverse range of household incomes Independent 5 4 45% among respondents, with half at or (includes Vendor Outlets) Local Chains 16 14% above median household income for Regional/National Chains 49 41%

New York City. The Mall is apparently By Specific Type more “middle-class” than is commonly Independent Stores 34 29% Vendor Outlets 20 17% assumed. Local Chains 16 13% Regional Chains 12 10% National Chains 37 31% i We were told to expect to hear from *Survey did not include vacant spaces, doc- Mall users that “price” and tors’ offices, schools, and other non-retail “convenience” are there only reasons uses for spending time on Fulton Street, and Independent stores: sole location of the store Vendor Outlets: stores host multiple that they don’t like the place but have independent entrepreneurs no other shopping options. This was Local chains: two or more store locations within the five boroughs of New York City thoroughly contradicted by the views of Regional Chains: store locations in multiple New York counties or states but not shoppers themselves. Many expressed nationwide that they like to visit the Mall and it National Chains: store locations in most or all holds an important place in their lives.

24 FINDING FIVE small businesses, including those of African-Americans also used the term the indoor vendors discussed in the “ghetto” to describe the merchandise, but finding on economic strengths. when probed they explained that they meant this as a compliment. i Many non-users, particularly those in the focus groups conducted by the Improvement Association, expressed that safety is a reason that they won’t shop on Fulton Street. The perception that the Mall is unsafe is contradicted by steadily falling crime rates for this area and the city as a whole, the rig- orous efforts by the Association to maintain a security presence on the Mall, and, perhaps most significantly, the fact that Mall users themselves While we don’t believe the racial and class don’t cite safety as a concern. conflicts at play here are easily solved, we do feel the support of a local constituency The negative perceptions of the Mall for the Mall will be a positive step. The among those who don’t go there fre- Mall can’t thrive in the future if it is dis- quently – or at all – emerged in our study liked by the growing population of resi- as one of the Mall’s biggest problems. It dents and workers all around it. Broaden- is hard to avoid the fact that many of the ing its appeal to non-users from the down- people who hold negative views are white. town area and surrounding neighborhoods Though a number of African-Americans we will be useful in meeting two important spoke to who don’t shop at the Mall also goals – it will enhance economic opportu- hold similar beliefs. nity for current and new business stake- holders, and it will serve a population of There is a social divide between those who people who feel they are not being served shop the Mall – a majority coming from by their nearest shopping district. neighborhoods outside the downtown Brooklyn area – and the more local popu- But in broadening its appeal, planners and lation of residents and workers who do decision makers must be vigilant in ensur- not. This divide appears to be based as ing that the current Mall users, whose ties much on economic class as on race, as we to the Mall’s commerce and social net- frequently heard non-users criticize the works are strong and longstanding, are merchandise at the Mall, saying it was not displaced. “cheap” or “ghetto.” Interestingly, young

FINDING FIVE 25 1. Address the physical appearance of the Mall with innovative and culturally sensitive façade improvement, building conservation and new building design techniques that embrace the aesthetic theme of “old meets new.”

2. Better utilize buildings by activating STRATEGIES their vacant upper stories and carefully planning a mix of uses (retail, arts/ cultural, residential) that supports the dynamism and diversity of the Mall and To respond to these findings we makes it more of a 24-hour place. recommend five strategies to build on Fulton Street Mall’s strengths, address 3. Promote and enhance the current retail its deficiencies and fill the gap between themes found on the Mall: urban wear, perception and reality. Given the level of Hip Hop fashion and music, uniquely user enthusiasm for the Mall, and its brisk Brooklyn. commerce, the strategies are aimed at improving the Mall for its current users 4. Improve the public realm and enliven and broadening its appeal to workers the side streets – through urban de- and residents in the areas immediately sign, streetscape amenities, and cul- adjacent to it while ensuring that its tural programming – to enhance the historic and cultural significance are experience of shoppers and visitors on preserved. Fulton Street, as well as workers and residents to the north and south.

5. Engage a broad and diverse group of stakeholders in the planning process from this point forward.

STRATEGIES 27 As has been pointed out, the Mall is cover the Mall's hidden assets, like some of “valued” by many different constituents for the historic facades that are now covered STRATEGY 1: many reasons. Its historic value is certainly by signs, and the vacant upper floors, and important, and it is clear that the character heeding the full range of both historic and of the Mall is partly defined today by the current values. visible remnants of its past. But it is as im- Address the physical appearance of the portant as a contemporary place as it is Mall with innovative and culturally valuable for its history, and it would be in- sensitive façade improvement, building appropriate to adopt an approach that conservation and new building design seeks to pristinely preserve the Mall or re- techniques that embrace the aesthetic turn it to the way it looked at a time long theme of “old meets new.” gone. We urge the adoption of a very de- liberate campaign to mix the old with the new. Change can and should come to some of the buildings on the Mall, and when it does it should reflect contemporary culture. We believe this can be done with an administrative approach, without requir- ing a zoning change.

At the center of this approach is the need to address the physical appearance of the historic buildings. The “visual anchor” build- ings referred to in Finding 1 are architec- tural standouts and great candidates for conservation. Former Oppenheim Collins & Co., Built in 1916 Photo credit: Suzanne Cooke, 2004 Listing on the National Register of Historic Places would make anchor buildings eligible There are other incentives for better care for tax credits that would assist property taking as well. Design guidelines could be owners in paying to have them restored. developed and keyed to existing low- The visual anchor buildings may qualify for interest loan programs or tax incentives, NYC landmark designation, and our re- possibly by coordinating them with the ef- search provides background information on forts of groups that provide financial advice them. But the key to preserving the Mall's and assistance to immigrant owned busi- history and culture is not simply in desig- nesses. The guidelines should be carefully nating these buildings. Instead, we urge a devised to respect the “taste culture” of the thoughtful blending of old and new to un- ethnic groups represented by merchants

28 STRATEGY ONE and shoppers on the Mall. Approached Next Steps: with cultural sensitivity and an awareness of the diverse range of design preferences x Address building conditions with new x Explore partnerships with social ser- among different ethnic groups, the guide- design guidelines and/or a vice organizations that provide finan- lines could be extremely innovative in im- “conservation district” overly using the cial assistance to immigrant business proving the overall appearance of the Mall area’s existing Special District provi- owners: ACCION, Bed Stuy Restora- without making it look inappropriately his- sion. tion, AAFE. toricist. x Model façade improvements that take x In the absence of new guidelines, Fulton Street has a long history of being creative and culturally sensitive ap- work with Department of Buildings energetically commercial in appearance. proach to signage, storefront design, and other agencies to ensure enforce- The exuberant signage seen today is not façade maintenance. ment of existing regulations is more totally out of context, and the right design rigorous. guidelines will be able to balance the con- x Identify soft sites for redevelopment tinued expression of Fulton Street’s char- by private initiatives and model types acter with increased visual presence of of new designs that would be desir- historic buildings and features currently able. covered by signs. Signage enforcement would be required as well. x Create financial incentives to reward compliance with design guidelines. Another option is to create a “conservation district” overly using the area’s Special x Explore creating a revenue stream by District provision. The conservation dis- allowing billboards on certain build- trict would address the need for continuity ings; a portion of the proceeds would between existing historic patterns and go into a fund for use by those who structures, and new construction likely to comply with guidelines. come in the future. It could be specifically constructed to be regulatory or advisory, x Assist property owners in taking out as needed. A conservation district with façade easements for a preservation associated regulations under the Special purpose; explore use of easements to District might allow for the enforcement of restore interior ground floor stairs. design guidelines by a sponsoring entity such as the Fulton Mall Improvement As- x Create a National Register Historic Dis- sociation. The precise nature of the regu- trict or individual listings. The listing lations – and the extent to which the Asso- will not require regulation for private ciation or other private sponsor can en- development, and offers a 20% tax force them – needs further exploration. credit for restorative alterations of commercial properties approved by the State Historic Preservation Office.

STRATEGY ONE 29 The underutilized upper stories of many of upper floors. Current property owners are the Mall’s buildings present remarkable eco- becoming interested in capitalizing on im- STRATEGY 2: nomic opportunity, and finding ways to use proving residential and commercial market them will greatly improve the appearance conditions downtown; Mall shoppers want of the Mall and help create a desirable 24- more retail choices and community centers; hour atmosphere. This can begin with residents and workers from surrounding Better utilize buildings by activating their demonstration projects that model particu- neighborhoods would like restaurants and vacant upper stories and carefully plan- lar upper floor uses at appropriate loca- arts facilities; students from the area’s ma- ning a mix of uses (retail, arts/cultural, tions. jor academic institutions expressed the residential) that supports the dynamism need for housing; artists from no-longer- and diversity of the Mall and makes it affordable Brooklyn neighborhoods are more of a 24-hour place. looking for suitable live/work space.

With hundreds of thousands of square feet of unused or underutilized space on Fulton Street, all of these choices can and should be supportable under current market condi- tions. But a one-size-fits-all approach would endanger the vibrancy and diversity of the Mall today. Blanket conversion of all vacant upper floors to residential use would compromise the future of ground floor retail activity, as the street life attracted by the retail does not create a wholly desirable residential environment. In addition, a number of buildings host upper-floor office tenants that we would not want to see dis- placed.

We believe the emphasis of developing the

376 Fulton Street, built c1890 upper floors should be on commercial use. Photo credit: Piia Heive, 2004 But commercial use alone may not create a 24-hour place that is more welcoming to In investigating potential uses and discuss- non-users. A goal to use all the space for ing them with diverse stakeholders, we de- arts and cultural activity would be impossi- termined that there is no one answer to the ble to finance. Varied uses will enhance the question of what uses should be seeded on dynamism, diversity, and economic strength

30 STRATEGY TWO of the place so that all its stakeholders – the Mall a 24-hour place, and are compati- x Work with existing incentive programs current and potential – see some benefit. ble uses to those found here currently. to identify financing options: NHPA Tax credits, J51 Enhancement pro- This mixed-use strategy will allow a logical Next Steps: gram, New Partners Program, Partici- tailoring of new uses to buildings in which patory Loan Program. those uses are appropriate. In studying x Commence three to five pilot projects the variety of building configurations and to explore and model best upper floor x Explore possibility of special Tax Incre- conditions, we observed that a small num- uses for individual buildings and block ments Financing program or forgivable ber of the large former department store fronts. Five sites have been identified loans for upper floor residential. structures appear suitable for residential that will allow exploration of the suit- use, while other structures could easily be ability of building typologies for differ- x Coordinate with Department of Cul- adapted for upper floor retail, restaurant, ent upper floor uses, including mixed- tural Affairs and Brooklyn Academy of and nightlife facilities. One or two of the income housing, artists live/work Arts Local Development Corporation architectural standout buildings are in ap- space, cultural facilities, and multiple regarding artist space initiatives. propriate locations for cultural use. floor retail, and Class B office space. Decisions about feasibility of these pi- The mixed-use approach also lends itself lot projects should be based on the to the creation of innovative partnerships, needs/desires of stakeholders, finan- tapping the local universities, the Brooklyn cial feasibility using existing funding Academy of Music and other Brooklyn arts programs, and architectural compati- and cultural organizations, and many other bility with existing structures. Potential potential partners. pilot sites:

At the moment there are relatively few i Cast-iron block (Fulton Street, eating and entertainment establishments north side, Dekalb Avenue to on Fulton Street, a surprising finding given Flatbush Avenue) the prominence of theaters, restaurants, i “London Character shoe” block gaming rooms, etc., on Fulton Street his- (Fulton Street north side, Jay torically. Our data indicate that the esca- Street to Lawrence Lawrence) lation of ground floor rents and the re- i Offerman building, 505 Fulton moval of access stairs to upper floors in Street order to accommodate more ground floor i Fulton Street, south side, from retail have conspired to create a climate Elm Street to Hoyt Street inhospitable to restaurant operators. (including 446 Fulton Street, While the challenges of developing suit- former Rothchilds) able space for new restaurants and night- i Fulton Street, south side, Flat- life venues appears daunting, we believe bush to Bond these are essential ingredients to making

STRATEGY TWO 31 One of the key findings of our study was young children, teenagers, and fashion con- the strength of the Mall as a center for ur- scious parents. ban wear, Hip Hop music, and the latest STRATEGY 3: fashions for the young and not so young The Mall’s niche strength is one that can be alike. This is both a cultural and economic enhanced and built upon with promotional resource. These themes – embodied by in- activity, retail recruitment, and public dependent and local chain stores like Jimmy events. Attention should be paid to the Promote and enhance the current Jazz, S&D Underground, Dr. Jay’s, Beat current balance of independent businesses retail themes found on the Mall: Street, and others – are so well established and national chains. The chains offer mer- urban wear, Hip Hop fashion and that the Mall appears in numerous foreign chandise and brand names that people music, uniquely Brooklyn. guidebooks to New York, directing tourists want, but the local businesses are unique to Fulton Street where they can find what’s and help combat the impression most “in” and get it at a good price. American consumers have today that every shopping street is the same.

We heard from Mall users and non-users alike that “uniquely Brooklyn” is the most desirable theme of all. Certainly the defini- tion of “uniquely Brooklyn” differs by race, ethnicity, and economic status, however because there is so much underutilized up- per floor space on Fulton Street, recruiting businesses that meet the needs of a variety of consumers seems highly achievable. New developments being discussed and planned nearby – namely, the Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural District and the Brooklyn Atlantic Yards plans – are likely to bring additional new retail to the area. By enhancing its appeal as a niche shopping

Built 1977 district, Fulton Street Mall can remain Photo credit: Renee Dessommes, 2004 unique and different in an increasingly com- petitive market. Somewhat surprisingly, the strength of the urban theme neither diminishes nor is di- Independent businesses are important as- minished by the equal popularity of family sets that should be supported and nur- shopping venues on the Mall like Macy’s, tured. This can perhaps best be done by Children’s Place, and Toys R Us. To shop- promotional activities, which the Improve- pers, Fulton Street Mall is a place that of- ment Association has already begun to fers everything needed by a family with work on with considerable expertise and

32 STRATEGY THREE enthusiasm. The kinds of activities hap- x Promote Hip Hop music and cul- pening in Jamaica, Queens, where the lo- ture with cultural/arts events. Ex- cal business group markets shopping day- plore partnerships with BAM Cul- trips to suburban organizations, churches, tural District, Celebrate Brooklyn, and schools, would bring welcome atten- Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and other tion to the stores on Fulton Street. cultural institutions.

Finally, there are a number of retailers that would be compatible additions to the Mall’s current mix, like H&M, which has emerged over the past few years as a unique crossover brand that is offers something for everyone, and all of it con- sidered hip. Several of the Mall’s buildings appear suitable for conversion for a re- tailer like H&M.

Next Steps:

x Market the Mall based on its existing cultural strengths and retail mix.

x Approach to retail recruitment with a “something for everyone” strategy – build on existing diver- sity where businesses like Chil- dren’s Place, Jimmy Jazz, and Heart & Sole Shoes can thrive on the same block; recruit “crossover” retailers like H&M.

x Market the “urban wear” theme beyond Brooklyn to attract day trips from the suburbs.

STRATEGY THREE 33 There is an obvious need for innovative space are there – the triangle of Fulton, thinking about the public realm on Fulton Dekalb and Bond Streets is a generous size STRATEGY 4: Street, and we are encouraged by the re- but very poorly used at present; there is cent Request for Proposals process that has considerable space along the former Fleet selected an excellent landscape and urban Place, between the landmark Dime Savings design firm to design improvements to the Bank building and the Gallery Mall; and the Improve the public realm and enliven Mall. The addition of seating and better irregular configuration of this strange inter- the side streets – through urban quality outdoor lighting will go a long way section affords sweeping views of some of design, streetscape amenities, and toward satisfying the complaints of current cultural programming – to enhance the Mall users who have done without these experience of shoppers and visitors on basic amenities for too long. There is also Fulton Street, as well as workers and a great opportunity here to plan initiatives residents to the north and south. that bring the level of urban design on Ful- ton Street up several notches and provide something exciting and new to downtown Brooklyn. This will facilitate the public gath- ering that takes place in this vibrant mar- ketplace.

Google Earth

Fulton Street’s most prominent structures. We urge the designers think about bold steps that could truly transform this space. Consideration should be given to closing the leg of Dekalb Avenue and the bit of Bond Street to create a venue for events Forgotten New York website like performances and festivals that can serve current Mall users and attract resi- Activating Albee Square and transforming it dents and workers from surrounding into a great public space is the highest pri- neighborhoods. Partnerships with organiza- ority. The ingredients for a great public tions like Celebrate Brooklyn and Brooklyn

34 STRATEGY FOUR Arts Exchange could be forged to plan an- x Create better public spaces for current nual events that would help brand Albee shoppers and visitors – add seating, Square as a new Brooklyn location for lighting, plantings that make a more great events. Anchored by the prominent appealing gathering space. and handsome Dime Savings Bank, this is a premier public plaza waiting to happen. x Revitalize side streets that lead to Metrotech campus (north) and new Another urban design priority is enlivening residential developments (south), spe- the corridors along Albee Square West go- cifically Albee Sq. West and Hoyt ing north to MetroTech, and Hoyt Street Street. going south to the new residential devel- opments along Schermerhorn and State x Transform Albee Square into central Streets. These two streets make impor- public square that can be used by cul- tant connections between the Mall and tural organizations for arts and per- surrounding communities, and are particu- formance. larly unappealing from a pedestrian per- spective.

Next Steps: x Address streetscape issues.

STRATEGY FOUR 35 After an intensive year of study, are deeply convinced there is a strong inter- STRATEGY 5: est in the future of this place among the people who use it. The many people con- tacted for this study consider themselves stakeholders in the Mall’s future, and we Engage a broad and diverse group of hope to see them brought to the table in stakeholders in the planning process from this point forward. a meaningful way. The potential level of engagement among user constituencies is very high, and should be taken advan- tage of. For the non-users of the Mall, there is more reluctance about what the future holds, but their interest should be activated. Recent signs of improvement to the appearance of the Mall have not gone unnoticed by area residents and workers, and with continued positive change, these potential shoppers would join the large constituency the Mall al- ready enjoys.

Next Steps:

x Create a diverse taskforce of stake- holders to work with planning con- sultants and government agencies on a planning effort for the Fulton Street Mall.

x Property owners and business lead- ers should reach out to merchants, shoppers/visitors, workers and com- munity members to ensure multiple values and diverse opinions are con- sidered.

36 STRATEGY FIVE Fulton Street Mall is valuable in many of dif- the Mall is not in any way supported by ur- ferent ways, as seen through the eyes of its ban design features, and adding new different stakeholder groups. We believe amenities will enhance social interaction that the considerable historic and cultural and open up new possibilities for cultural values of Fulton Street Mall cannot and and arts activities. To realize both the cul- should not be segregated and divorced tural and economic values we believe it is CONCLUDING from the other, contemporary values of this essential to involve a wide range of partici- place. The history of the Mall is a contin- pants and values in planning for the future uum; important meanings and experiences of the space – the untapped resources must REMARKS are accumulating as vibrantly today as they be pressed into service for the benefit of did in the heyday of the downtown Brook- the many, not of the few. lyn of the last century. We believe our findings and strategies will By weighing the contemporary values of be useful to the many stakeholders who will Fulton Street with its historic meaning and have the opportunity to shape Fulton Street significance, we built an understanding of Mall’s future. We look forward to seeing the importance of consciously mixing the further exploration and initiatives unfold, old with the new. The dynamism of the led by the city in partnership with the busi- place today is supported by the history re- ness leadership in downtown Brooklyn and flected in some of the street’s architecture, with the important input of professional but only when seen in juxtaposition with planners and the constituents to whom this signs – literal and symbolic – of the Mall’s place matters. present day commercial vitality. Other his- tories, less well represented in the remain- ing buildings, are nevertheless part of the place’s legacy and deserve to be re- searched, interpreted, and memorialized.

We learned that there are significant un- tapped assets in the physical and social space that is Fulton Street Mall. Thousands of square feet of unused or underutilized upper floor space offers great opportunity to property owners and developers to serve current and future consumers with more retail, new arts and cultural space, and even housing. The gregarious social life of

CONCLUDING REMARKS 37 Contributors:

Paula Crespo, Pratt Center Allison Dean, City University of New York ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Elizabeth Dwoskin Michael Flynn, Pratt Institute Eleni Glekas, Pratt Institute Mannix Gordon, Pratt Center Carly Greto Alison Hirsch, University of Pennsylvania Michael Hirsch, Pratt Institute Courtney Leborious, New School University Maki Okage, Pratt Center Vlada Smorgunov, Pratt Institute Rosten Woo, Center for Urban Pedagogy Pratt Institute GCPE Documentation Class, Fall 2005 Pratt Institute GCPE Planning Studio, Spring 2005 Pratt Institute Undergraduate Architecture Planning Class, Spring 2005 High school & graduate student surveyors

Special Thanks:

Michael Burke, Downtown Brooklyn Council Brad Lander, Pratt Center Laura Hansen, J.M. Kaplan Fund Leah Krauss, New York Community Trust Kirstin Sechler, Minerva Partners John Shapiro Vanitha Venugopal, Surdna Foundation Michael Weiss, Metrotech BID

38 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1) For more information on the background issues and practical implications of values-based preservation issues, see: Randall Mason and Erica Avrami, “Heritage Values and Challenges of Conservation Planning,” in Teutonico and Palumbo, eds. Proceedings of the Corinth Workshop on Archaeological Site Management Planning (Corinth, Greece, May 2000). Los Angeles: Getty Conser ENDNOTES vation Institute, 2002. 2) http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/dwnbklyn2/dwnbklynintro1.shtml

3) Fulton Mall Improvement Association.

4) Information for this essay comes from building and neighborhood research con- ducted by Pratt Institute graduate historic preservation students during the Fall 2005 course Documentation and Interpretation of the Built Environment. The students used a variety of sources, including NYC Dept. of Buildings records, archival materials from the Municipal Archive, historic maps and census data from the New York Public Library, and periodicals such as Brooklyn Daily Eagle articles from the late 19th century. Additional information came from excellent essays in Downtown Brooklyn: An Architectural and Urban History, published as Times, Preservation Working Paper No. 2, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, Fall 1991.

5) “City Plans Fulton St. Mall in Brooklyn,” New York Times, October 29, 1973.

6) “Small Merchants Hail Brooklyn Mall,” New York Times, October 30, 1973.

7) “Federal Government Grants $2.9 million to Build Fulton Street Mall,” New York January 20, 1977.

8) http://www.metrotechbid.org/history.html

9) Fulton Mall Improvement Association.

10) Ethnographic research, including a study of independent vendors was con- ducted and reported to the project by Allison Dean, CUNY.

ENDNOTES 39