One of Brooklyn’s busiest transit hubs may be poised for a facelift if a few city officials have their druthers, The New York Times reported Monday.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is in the midst of a $200,000 study into possible development ideas for the borough’s third-busiest station, and plans could include making the station and surrounding neighborhood a destination with retail, office and educational space.
Additionally, a group of city officials is also working with the EDC to update the area around the multi-level Broadway Junction station, spearheaded by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Councilman Rafael Espinal Jr.
“This is the time to think about how we can take advantage of this transit hub and turn it into a hub for the whole city,” NYCEDC President James Patchett told the Times.
Broadway Junction serves around 100,000-weekday straphangers, the Times reported, citing the MTA. It houses six subway lines — the A, C, J, Z, M and L — as well as buses and the Long Island Rail Road. Construction on the station began in the late 1800s, and it was last renovated in the late 1990s.
Broadway Junction is bordered by six Brooklyn neighborhoods — Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York, Cypress Hills, Ocean Hill and Bushwick, which have historically been home to low-income and working-class black families. However, with the city’s population and rents continuing to climb, the area is seeing an influx of new New Yorkers.
More than 200 blocks in East New York have been rezoned for affordable housing, and city officials have designated more than $267 million to upgrade parks and infrastructure in the neighborhood. An existing industrial area also received a $16 million investment to entice more companies to come to the area.
With the 15-month L train shutdown coming in April 2019, Broadway Junction is expected to become more crowded as riders will need to transfer to other trains at the station.
While it’s unclear if the hulking station will be renovated as part of the revamping around Broadway Junction, MTA spokesman Shams Tarek told the Times the agency is working with the city and is “committed to ensuring that our infrastructure and facilities in East New York continue to keep New Yorkers moving.”
“It looks exactly the same as when I was a kid,” Espinal told the Times. “It’s been a long time coming. I think this is going to be a turning point.”
