At Times Plaza Saturday, pop-up plaza; DOT meeting next Wednesday on Atlantic/Flatbush safety; what about impact from Site 5?

Here are three important things to remember about the fraught intersection of Atlantic, Flatbush, and Fourth avenues.

First, this Saturday 3-7 pm, Transportation Alternatives’ People First on Atlantic Avenue campaign hold a Pop-Up Plaza, aiming to "transform lonely Times Plaza into a fun space with music, art, and food — and make it a safe place to cross!"

Then, next Wednesday, Aug. 3, the New York City Department of Transportation, which is already working on a plan to upgrade the plaza (but was told it had to come with safety improvements) is holding a workshop from 6 to 8 pm at the YWCA, 30 Third Avenue.

Finally, I'm wondering whether that workshop can address the unofficial--but, I'd bet, very much pending--plan (as I reported in City Limits) for a huge two-tower Pacific Park Brooklyn project at Site 5, currently occupied by the big-box stores Modell's and P.C. Richard.

What might be coming to Site 5

The proposed plan, as shown in the slides below, involves 1.1 million square feet, including 188,000 square feet of retail, possibly a large hotel, and large amounts of residential and possibly office space. Servicing such a building requires trucks and possibly buses, and the residents/visitors/workers would also be factored in.

(The developer says the plan is outdated but wouldn't answer more specifically about what elements were off the table.)

In other words, safety improvements at this intersection surely must address the Site 5 project.




Notice how green the not-green Times Plaza is portrayed. Ditto for the arena plaza.