Northside BID is Bad for Democracy
STOP the privatization of Williamsburg

After, Council Member Lincoln Restler and Executive Director of North Brooklyn Parks Alliance Katie Denny Horowitz went to several media outlets (see Brooklyn Paper and Greenpointers articles both full of misinformation) stating they have formed a "steering committee" of "over a dozen community members" we reached out in April 2024 for the full list of names. We also requested to be on the board. To this day they refuse to practice transparency or publish the names of members on their steering committee. We have not been to one of the weekly meetings held over the last year as they continue form the BID. 

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What we have unearthed:

 

Northside Steering Committee Bio
 

CM Lincoln Restler (non-resident of proposed BID and current council member) 

       An elected official who is working on city salary to privatize city services, Lincoln hired the consulting firm that is organizing the BID.  A council-member started the BID not residents. He is gatekeeping who is on the Board. 
 

Katie Denny Horowitz (non-resident of proposed BID)
North Brooklyn Parks Alliance aka Open Space Alliance of North Brooklyn which is tied Two Trees (they own the waterfront).  NBK Parks is advertised as environmental non-profit, but according to tax records they are an entertainment business. "Katie Denny Horowitz, Executive Director of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance and a member of the Northside BID steering committee, said she has been thinking about a new BID in Williamsburg for years (Brooklyn Paper)," but she will not be paying more in her rent!

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       Under Katie's leadership:

 

Residents living near "Under the K-bridge," a State park privatized by NBK Parks, have experienced noise pollution lasting until 4am, influxes of uncontrolled crowds, increased trash and increase in traffic and vehicles hazardously parked on sidewalks in front of peoples homes. This issue continues without resolve.

 

Before privatizing NYS property under the Kosciuszko bridge, NBK Parks threw concerts on the waterfront along Kent Ave.  Those concerts created the same health and environmental issues and were meet with just as much push back by residents as presently is the case under the K.

 

Berry St. Open Street, a city street privatized by NBK Parks for the "open street program," was organized behind closed doors during pandemic, excluding residents input.  Disabled and senior residents living on Berry St. were denied public participation in designing the Bike Boulevard outside their houses which causes hardship. They have been subjected to harassment and accessibility issues preventing them from to living their daily lives like able bodied people do. The Open Street-Bike Boulevard was created by and for able-bodied persons. NBK Parks Alliance a recipient of federal money and millions in city funding. NBK Parks is being sued for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They have institutionalized and practice discrimination against - a protected class of people - which is a civil right like race, religion, sext, etc. NBK Parks has been managing discrimination for 4 years. 

 

Katie is on the board of BID, but with such a damaging track record of exploiting our public space, light and air for entertainment and a select demographic of our community we feel she is not qualified to be given the power and authority in which a BID would award her in salary, privilege or power over the cost of our rent in Williamsburg. 
 

Felice Kirby (part-time resident and property owner)
A board member of North Brooklyn Neighbors (NBN) and North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

 

NBN board member, Ryan Kuonen, published the below violent and xenophobic post as a CB1 Transportation Committee Board Member (see published article here: Hate toward immigrants from Eastern Europe, including Polish-Americans, in Brooklyn.) NBN nor any local politicians spoke out or asked she be removed from CB1. Now they want this very demographic "Eastern European Immigrant Homeowners" to pay for their BID.

 

Felice has been an entrepreneur in Williamsburg for decades and led the rezoning which has lead to an over-saturation of bars and decreased quality of life for many.  She is the former owner of Teddy's.  
 

Peter Gillespie (part-time resident property owner)

His commercial tenants pay $25K a month. He testified at a Community Council Meeting he supported the BID becuase he wants to get rid of the illegal vendors on Bedford.  However, we don't need a BID to get rid of vendors that are bad actors which are a problem. We need the city to actually do its job and elected officials to hold the city accountable to residents and businesses. 

 

Empire State Reality A publicly traded real estate investment firm that has bought-up a lot of buildings in the heart of proposed BID area. They have ties to BIDS in Manhattan and are everywhere. Some of their tenants include Nike, Google, Sephoria, Northface, etc. 
 

Perch Advisors is the consulting firm hired by Lincoln Restler to astroturf the Williamsburg community

https://www.perch-advisors.com/

https://www.perch-advisors.com/team

 

Kayla Joyner (non-resident)
Perch Advisors Community Engagement Associate
 

Theo Boguszewski (non-resident)
Perch Advisors, Senior Director Community Workforce Development

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