(EDITORS NOTE: Above Rendering by Marvel Architects via DNAinfo)
According to DNAinfo, a new 616-seat school middle school is coming to Atlantic Yards. This is excellent news!
Organizers behind the M.S. OneBrooklyn vision for an intermediate school to occupy space being built at the Atlantic Yards site expressed enthusiasm over the news. In a statement, the group said, “On behalf of the more than 1,000 people who have signed the M.S. OneBrooklyn petition, we are delighted that the Chancellor has committed that the Atlantic Yards facility will be a dedicated middle school. We look forward to working with the Department of Education to leverage the arts and tech resources of Brooklyn, and incorporate dual-language curricula at this new school. Together, we can deliver an outstanding middle school experience accessible to all students of District 13.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, “The residents of Prospect Heights have been heard, and our children will benefit from their advocacy in the form of a brand-new middle school that furthers their academic journeys. I am proud of the M.S. OneBrooklyn campaign and thankful that Chancellor Fariña has responded favorably to our call for dedicated middle school space in Pacific Park. The planning process to come should be an exciting and robust dialogue that includes a focus on infusing STEM curriculum and dual-language studies into high-quality classroom experiences. Congratulations to the families of District 13!”
The school will be in the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, according to the School Construction Authority. It will be in Brooklyn’s School District 13. Work will begin to build it this summer. Residents are encouraged to provide feedback during the 45-day public comment period beginning May 15, and can also be mailed or or emailed to the SCA. It will be in the base of a 26-story tower at 664 Pacific Street.
Greenland Forest City Partners are the developers of the project, and agreed in 2009 to build the school as part of their 22 acre development.
The school building, known as “building B15” in plans for the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project, will replace five separate properties. Four of them are being seized through eminent domain by the state.
Having a dedicated middle school in the area instead of a K-8 is huge news. It will be a 100,000-square-foot school, and will be a much needed addition to the area which has been expanding at an incredibly rapid rate.
District 13 residents can attend a public hearing held by Community Board 8’s education committee on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. at 520 Prospect Pl., according to committee co-chairwoman Sharon Wedderburn.
“I applaud Chancellor Carmine Farina and the New York City Department of Education for their decision to ensure all 616 seats at the proposed new public school in Prospect Heights will be dedicated to a middle school. As Brooklyn’s population continues to rapidly grow we must plan for the future, and that future includes more schools to match the ever-growing demand. I pledge to continue to work with the city administration to ensure the need for more educational facilities are met so that Brooklyn continues to be a place where families will want to live, grow and work for generations to come,” said Assembly Member Walter Mosley.