For almost twenty years, the Brooklyn waterfront has been experiencing a renaissance propelled mainly by residential development. However, there have also been some manufacturing rebounds, or at least stabilization. The history of manufacturing losses in Brooklyn stretches back to the mid-1950s. The declines continued into this century when, from 2000 to 2010, Brooklyn lost 55 percent (23,925) of its remaining manufacturing jobs. But since the current decade began, the decline has stabilized, and Brooklyn is no longer seeing decreases in manufacturing employment. Also, there has been a new vibrancy at manufacturing locations along the Brooklyn waterfront’s industrial corridor at places such as, the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Industry City, Liberty View Industrial Plaza, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

BWRC’s Fifth Annual Conference, “The Past, Present, and Possible Future of Manufacturing Along the Brooklyn Waterfront,” will examine whether these recent developments can lead to the growth of a new kind of manufacturing that will be sustainable, or whether they are just a slight interruption in an inexorable march toward residential development and service sector employment along the Brooklyn waterfront. Featured speakers will include Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna, Miquela Craytor of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, and Adam Friedman of the Pratt Center for Community Development.

“The Past, Present, and Possible Future of Manufacturing” conference will take place at Brooklyn Borough Hall on April 8th, 2016, from 8:30am–12:30pm. The event is free and open to the public; you can RSVP for the event here.

 

Conference Program : “The Past, Present, and Potential Future of Manufacturing Along the Brooklyn Waterfront”