The focus of a series of failed proposals, a 20-acre corner of Brooklyn Navy Yard known as the Naval Annex Historic Campus is set to be converted into a $400 million media, technology and film hub in a plan announced this week.
Julie Satow reports on the redevelopment plan being proposed by the nonprofit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and a private developer, Douglas C. Steiner, which, contingent upon city, state and federal financing, could transform "20 acres of abandoned grassy hills, crumbling Greek Revival mansions and
Second Empire structures that few New Yorkers have ever seen."
Seeking to take advantage of a growing demand from technology, new media, and entertainment companies for work space in New York, the project, "would use the nine historical
buildings on the site and create five new structures for a total of
328,000 square feet, housing media companies and academic programs.
There would also be 100,000 square feet of new stages for film and TV,
including the first underwater stage in the country and the first back
lot on the East Coast to feature a New York City streetscape," notes Satow.
Securing public financing to the tune of $37.5 million, "To make the plan viable and to build out the site's infrastructure," is an essential element for moving the project forward.
FULL STORY: From Weeds and Bricks to Media Hub in Brooklyn

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