MTA, EDC Seek Developers To Purchase, Re-Use Excess Properties

March 30, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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2 Brooklyn Sites in Midwood, East New York

CITYWIDE — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) are seeking to dispose of — and reactivate — seven properties, including two in Brooklyn, which the MTA no longer requires for its transit network.

In Brooklyn,  developers are sought “to purchase, and possibly redevelop” the following two sites:

 • 851 East 15th St., between Avenues H and I in Midwood, a two-story former electrical substation. The approximately 7,920 square foot property is zoned for residential use.

379 Van Sinderen Ave. in East New York, a 4,200-square-foot property that is currently used for parking. This site is located within the East New York Industrial Business Zone.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued for each, in a move that is part of an ongoing collaboration by the city and MTA to reduce overhead, maximize revenue and foster the re-use of properties without cost to the MTA or NYC.

The RFPs and further information about information sessions are available at www.nycedc.com/RFP. They are described as “open RFPs,” which allow respondents over the course of up to approximately one year to submit proposals for EDC and MTA review at 4 p.m. on the following quarterly submission deadlines: Fridays, June 29, Sept. 28, Dec. 21 and March 29, 2013.

“Given the current financial picture facing the MTA, we have an imperative,” said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota. “We must do anything and everything we can to raise revenue and reduce costs in order to minimize the need to turn to fares, tolls and taxes. Our real estate department is pursuing that imperative by thoroughly reviewing our real estate holdings and identifying properties that we could potentially offer for sale or lease.

“Finding properties that we own but don’t need in order to operate service is not an easy task. In fact, most of the properties that fell into that category have been sold off long ago by our public and private predecessors.”

 Said Robert K. Steel, deputy mayor for economic development, “We are eager to hear from respondents about their plans to transform these sites.”

Added EDC President Seth Pinsky, “Today’s RFPs are the result of a coordinated effort by the city and the MTA to identify underutilized sites throughout the city and repurpose them to both further the city’s economic development goals and assist the MTA in generating new sources of revenue.”

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