· What is Stop BHOD?
· What have we accomplished since we started?
· What's our vision for the site at 275 Atlantic Avenue?


What is Stop BHOD?
Stop BHOD is an association of over 2000 residents from Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn, and other parts of Brooklyn. Our objective is to prevent the reopening and/or expansion of the Brooklyn House of Detention at 275 Atlantic Avenue. We were founded in June 2008.


What have we accomplished since we started?
We have been extremely busy getting the community involved since we started.

Our main accomplishments are:
  1. We have large and growing membership
      · We held a major membership and petition drive at the Atlantic Antic in early October that netted
        over 2000 members
      · We will continue to build an active member base that cares about the jail and wants a say in the
        future of Brooklyn and the city

  2. We have strong support from key elected officials
      · Already, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, City Councilman David Yassky, State Senator
        Daniel Squadron, and State Assemblywoman Joan Millman have signed on to support our efforts
        to prevent the reopening and expansion of the BHOD. And each of these elected officials is working
        actively on our behalf.
      · Expect further announcements soon!

  3. We have developed a multi-pronged legal strategy
      · We would prefer not to have to resort to legal means to get the city to work with us. However, the
        city has not engaged in a meaningful dialog with the community and is rushing to move prisoners
        back into the jail before the end of the year without meetings it legal obligations
      · As a result, we have retained Randy Mastro, former Deputy Mayor in the Giuliani administration and
        Jim Walden from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher as our legal counsel
      · We will shortly file a lawsuit in State Supreme Court; our suit argues that the City has broken State
        and City law by failing to properly conduct a review of community and environmental impacts of the
        proposed jail expansion.
      · Several other local community and business organizations have signed onto our lawsuit as co-plaintiffs
        (e.g., Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association, Atlantic Avenue Lower Development Corporation,
        Boerum Hill Association, Brooklyn Vision, 53 Boerum Place Condominiums, Councilman David Yassky).

  4. We are working with other community organizations
      · We have partnered with community organizations, (e.g., Brooklyn HOD Stakeholders Group, which
        represents the Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association, the Atlantic Avenue Local Development
        Corporation, Boerum Hill Association, Brooklyn Vision, the Cobble Hill Association, the State Street
        Houses Association, and 53 Boerum Place Condominiums),
      · We are finalizing partnerships with affordable housing groups who we will work with on the proposed
        redevelopment of the site
      · In addition, we are also finalizing a partnership with several well respected and visionary developers
        to develop a progressive vision for the site.

  5. We have developed a compelling vision for the site
      · We are developing a new vision for the site that includes affordable housing and a middle school
        (both of which are desperately needed in Brooklyn). For more detail, see below
      · This vision is based on hundreds of conversations with our members and interested residents in Brooklyn
      · We have already secured the support of key elected officials for this proposal (City Councilman
        Yassky, Squadron, Millman)

  6. We have the infrastructure in place to make a difference on this issue
      · We have a robust website in place to enable online community organizing
      · We have a Board, dedicated Executive Committee, and many volunteers; we have also hired a
        campaign manager o further engage the community
      · We have raised $50,000 so far from community to support this important cause


What's our vision for the site at 275 Atlantic Ave?
We believe that the city and Brooklyn have many important needs. In particular, there is not enough affordable housing for people who work in the city and keep it running. In addition, Brooklyn is grossly underserved when it comes to having enough public middle schools to serve the growing population of children in Brooklyn.

As a result, we propose a progressive plan that has 2 elements:
  1. Mixed income housing: we propose that site comprise workforce housing (e.g., for teachers, police,
      firemen, nurses), supportive housing (including critical social services), and middle income housing

  2. Public middle school: even the Department of Education acknowledges there are not enough public
      schools in and around Downtown Brooklyn; specifically, Downtown Brooklyn lacks middle schools for
      kids in grades 6-8. In addition, the NYC Department of Education has committed to (but not yet built)
      a dedicated Gifted and Talented School in Brooklyn. We would like to see a middle school and/or a
      Gifted and Talented School to meet the community's needs in this area.