Tonight: Help Shape the Future of Fort Greene’s Fowler Square

There just aren't many reasons to drive on the block of South Elliott Place between Fort Greene Park and Fowler Square. Image: Google Maps

NYC DOT, Council Member Tish James, Community Board 2, and the Fulton Area Business Alliance are hosting a community workshop tonight to gather ideas for a new plaza at Fowler Square — the triangle formed by Fulton Street, Lafayette Avenue, and South Elliot Place in Fort Greene. In addition to lending your expertise as the new public space takes shape, this is an important one to turn out for because a handful of project opponents have managed to commandeer past meetings.

The Fowler Square plaza would reclaim a short, lightly-trafficked block of South Elliott in front of the Smoke Joint. Community Board 2 overwhelmingly approved it, but opponents have disrupted workshops for this project before and they will probably try again. Their complaint seems to boil down to two things: 1) If they happen to be driving on the one block of South Elliott Place between Fort Greene Park and Lafayette, they’d have to drive one block out of their way to reach Fulton Street; and 2) New York is not Amsterdam.

So if you live in the neighborhood and you’re of the mind that New York is not Parsippany or I-95, tonight’s workshop is a good place to share your vision for a city where streets do more than just move cars. Here’s where to go:

Lafayette Ave Presbyterian Church – Jarvey Room
85 South Oxford Street (between Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue)
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Eyes on the Street: Fowler Square Plaza Opens in Fort Greene

|
Fort Greene’s newest public plaza opened today and Brownstoner was on the scene to capture the moment. The plaza, which reclaimed space for pedestrians on a short, lightly-trafficked block of South Elliott Place between Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue, connects the sidewalk to an existing public triangle. Even though construction only finished today (because the […]

Public Takes to Plazas in East New York and Fort Greene

|
This weekend, three Brooklyn plazas became hubs of neighborhood activity. In East New York, Saturday evening saw a community tree lighting, along with local performers and community organizations, at New Lots Triangle on Livonia Avenue. In prior years, the tree was situated in a tiny patch of asphalt between three streets, but in 2011 DOT expanded the plaza […]

Eyes on the Street: Checking Out Books at Putnam Plaza

|
When Putnam Plaza opened nearly two years ago in Clinton Hill, it was welcomed with a dance party. Last Friday, the dancing continued as the Fulton Area Business Alliance, the local business improvement district, held one of its FAB Friday events in the plaza. The space featured games, live music, and a portable library allowing people to sit […]

Brooklyn CB 2 Endorses Fowler Square Plaza, With Evaluation Period

|
In a meeting Wednesday evening, Brooklyn Community Board 2 endorsed plans to try out a new pedestrian plaza at Fort Greene’s Fowler Square. A short, lightly-trafficked block of South Elliott Place, between Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue, will be reclaimed for pedestrians, allowing the existing square to be connected with the adjoining block. The vote […]