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Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park infographics: what's built/what's coming/what's missing, who's responsible, + project FAQ/timeline (pinned post)

Design charrette Saturday for Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park middle school: facilities, common space and street design

From the backers of M.S. OneBrooklyn, Help envision a new middle school in District 13 at the M.S. OneBrooklyn Design Charrette:
When a new public school begins construction in Prospect Heights at the Atlantic Yards site later this year, community members will already have put forward a vision for how the facility can best meet the needs of the middle school students of Brooklyn’s District 13 today and for the future.
At this event hosted by the organizers of the M.S. OneBrooklyn campaign and the Brooklyn Public Library, District 13 community members, designers, planners, and representatives from the New York City Department of Education will come together to imagine a new middle school to be located at the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Dean Street. Breakout sessions will allow attendees to explore requirements for facilities, common space and street design to create a 21st century learning environment, as well as to identify and address safety concerns in the environment where the school will be situated. The results of the charrette will be compiled into a report for presentation to the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority.
The M.S. OneBrooklyn Design Charrette will take place on Saturday, April 2 at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch from 1:00PM to 3:00PM.
Marvel Architects; arrow added by AYR points
to row houses; unseen arena at left
The school will be located in the lower floors--and below-ground space--of 664 Pacific Street, aka B15, a 27-story market-rate residential tower east of Sixth Avenue, between Dean and Pacific Streets. Developer Greenland Forest City Partners is building the shell for the school, which will be funded and outfit with public funds.

The closest neighbors, as well as two community boards, raised questions about the school's location, given that it's across the street from the Barclays Center and very near both police and fire stations.

As I reported in December, when asked where buses would pull up without curb cuts, architect Jonathan Marvel said that city education agencies "aren't planning how the buses are going to arrive. It's not part of the design of the layout of the school. It's going to have to happen as a management issue."

"That can evolve over time, as the building gets occupied and used," he said, suggesting onlookers "take a leap of faith."

That prompted some skepticism, given the track record of the nearby arena loading dock, which has not operated seamlessly as promised.

So the discussion on Saturday regarding the issue of safety might be particularly interesting. (I can't make it.)

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