Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Thursday, March 9, 2000

Release #089-00

 
Contact:

Sunny Mindel / Michael Anton (212) 788-2958

 

Denise Collins (DCAS) (212) 669-7140

MAYOR GIULIANI RELEASES REQUESTS FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
TO BUY BOARD OF EDUCATION HEADQUARTERS

City Takes First Step Toward Selling 110 Livingston Street and Reducing Education Bureaucracy

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani-joined by Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner William J. Diamond, Economic Development Corporation President Michael Carey, City Planning Commission Chairman Joseph Rose, Deputy Mayor Anthony Coles, Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, and Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra-today announced that the City has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking a buyer for the Board of Education (BOE) headquarters at 110 Livingston Street and two other buildings in Downtown Brooklyn. All three buildings are owned by the City, and are under the jurisdiction and management of the BOE.

In his State of the City address, the Mayor announced that the City would sell 110 Livingston Street, and move the bureaucracy to a headquarters approximately 25% the size of the current facilities, thereby encouraging the BOE to reduce its central staff. The RFEI seeks proposals from potential buyers interested in acquiring one or more of the three buildings. Proposals can include the re-use of existing buildings or demolition and new construction. Permitted uses under existing zoning include office, commercial, residential and community facilities.

"Our school system should and must be a system that puts the education of children first-and not the protection and expansion of bureaucratic jobs," Mayor Giuliani said. "Selling the Board of Education headquarters, and moving a leaner bureaucracy into a much smaller space, will send the right message to a system in desperate need of reform, and will enable us to redirect vital resources into the classroom where they belong.

"As I announced in January, the City is going to move ahead with selling these facilities. This RFEI, issued by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, is the first step in a process that will hopefully culminate in the collection of substantial revenue for the City, the creation of exciting new developments in Downtown Brooklyn, and a new era of accountability for our public schools."

DCAS Commissioner William J. Diamond said, "Of all the real estate projects in our portfolio, acquiring better and more practical office space for the Board's headquarters will represent a major accomplishment and one that I hope will help the Board better serve the children of New York City's public schools. We expect that this RFEI will generate many exciting ideas regarding the future of these sites, and that the responses will give the City a strong basis for issuing a Request for Proposals to finalize the sale as soon as possible."

The RFEI will be advertised to notify interested and qualified developers of the opportunity to develop the site. All submissions will be reviewed by DCAS. Also, the City Planning Commission will begin the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) which is required by the City Charter for any sale of City property. Appropriate proposals will be forwarded to EDC, which will conduct the actual sale. Sale of the facilities will occur after the Board of Education votes to declare these properties surplus real estate and no longer needed for educational purposes.

The properties included in the RFEI are 11O Livingston Street, 65 Court Street, and 131 Livingston Street, all in Downtown Brooklyn.



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