Brooklyn's Progress
June/July 2009

BY JILL D’AMICO

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will present the 2009 winners of the Building Brooklyn Awards™ at its annual awards ceremony on July 15 at Abigail Kirsch at Stage 6, Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

In addition to twelve construction projects that have enriched Brooklyn’s landscape, the Brooklyn Chamber will also honor two leaders in the real estate and development field for their contributions. The private sector honoree is famed architect Richard Meier and Joanne Oplustil, executive director of CAMBA, will be honored for her work in the non-profit sector.

“This year’s honorees truly highlight the best of Brooklyn,” said Carl Hum, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber. “As exemplified by our private sector honoree, we are a borough that can compete with world-class cities on every level, including in the quality of our architecture and our ability to draw those attracted to the highest levels of design to live and work here. Our non-profit honoree portrays another side of Brooklyn’s best, in which we care for those less fortunate by providing affordable, well-designed supportive housing where it is needed most.”

“The Chamber’s Building Brooklyn Awards is delighted to celebrate our distinguished honorees, and are looking forward to thanking them for their contributions to Brooklyn’s quality of life,” said Chris Havens, co-chair of the Chamber’s Real Estate and Development (RED) Committee and president of Creative Real Estate Group.

Mr. Meier, of Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP, is world-renowned for a modern, sweeping style that adorns performance halls, civic buildings and private residences around the globe. His first Brooklyn project, On Prospect Park, is an 102-unit luxury residence and was completed in 2008 and anchors its corner across from the Grand Army Plaza Arch, the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and within sight of the Brooklyn Museum. On Prospect Park will also receive a Building Brooklyn Award in the Residential: Multiple Dwelling category.
 
The non-profit honoree is Joanne Oplustil, executive director of CAMBA, who has overseen its growth in her 30-year tenure from a merchants association into the major economic development and social services agency it is today. Based in Flatbush, CAMBA provides a variety of social services and education to individuals and families. In 2005, CAMBA Housing Ventures started as an affordable housing developer, and completed two projects last year including Morris Manor, this year’s affordable housing winner.

The 2009 BBA judging committee, made up of architects, developers, planners, government officials, economic development experts and business leaders, convened in April to select this year’s twelve winning projects from a slate of nominated submissions.

The 2009 Building Brooklyn Awards winning projects are: Galapagos Arts Space for Arts and Culture; Brooklyn Children’s Museum for Institutional Building; 221 McKibbin Street Industrial Center for Historic Preservation; The Block Building for Industrial Building; Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Improvements for Landscape and Open Space; NYPD Tow Pound Operations for Office Building; Morris Manor for Affordable Housing; Carroll Gardens Row House for Residential: One to Four Family; On Prospect Park for Residential: Multiple Dwelling; Atlantic Gardens for Mixed Use Property; Triangle Junction Mall for Economic Development; and The Perry Building for the National Grid Award for Energy Conservation.