The new glass towers that keep popping up in Brooklyn have been accused (not unfairly) of stripping the neighborhood of any culture and character, but that's turning out to be especially true of one of the latest additions. A 19-story residential building is planned for 1 Flatbush Avenue, at the corner of Fulton Street, and for it to rise, the two buildings currently occupying 1-17 Flatbush Avenue and 558 Fulton Street need to come down. Demolition permits have already been approved, and the Brooklyn Paper reports that the tenants, which include the Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance, have to be out by the end of the year.
Ironically, the development site is located within what's known as the Downtown Brooklyn/BAM Cultural District, but now Cumbe must find a different home. Cumbe Signed a ten-year lease for the space at the beginning of 2012 and invested a significant amount of money in outfitting the studio. Now they are fundraising for a new space and working with local officials to try and find a site in the area. The tower that is replacing Cumbe will hold 157 apartments and have ground floor retail, but permits do not indicate space for community or cultural uses.
· Caught fleet-footed in Fort Greene: African-dance studio getting the boot [BkP]
· 1 Flatbush Avenue coverage [Curbed]
· All BAM Cultural District coverage [Curbed]
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