Flatbush Residents: Brainstorm How to Spend $1M in City Money at Oct. 26 Meeting

FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN — If you had $1 million, what would you do to improve the neighborhood? Residents living within City Council District 45 — covering the majority of Flatbush, East Flatbush and Flatlands (map here) — will have the opportunity to present their ideas at a 7 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the Kingsway Jewish Center (located along Kings Highway near Nostrand Avenue).

This brainstorming session is part of the district's ongoing "participatory budgeting" process, in which neighbors nominate — then, eventually, vote on — local projects they think should receive city funds.

District 45's elected representative, Jumaane D. Williams, reminded neighbors to attend Wednesday's meeting in an email blast the day before. (Flyer below.)

"Join an upcoming neighborhood assembly to brainstorm ideas with your community on how you would spend $1 million in your neighborhood," Williams said in the email. "You can help decide how to spend public funds on community improvements to parks, schools, libraries, streets and more."

Participatory budgeting is a citywide program, now in its sixth cycle, in which New Yorkers decide how to spend a chunk of the city funding allotted for their respective districts. (Read more on the program here.)

The deadline already passed this cycle for residents to submit their ideas online — so all future brainstorms will be held in person.

The sixth cycle's winning projects will be announced in spring 2017.

In Williams' district last year, residents voted to put $350,000 toward installing new cement strips at bus stops along Nostrand Avenue and Kings Highway — which would "prevent the weight/heat of the bus from softening the asphalt which damages the street & increases need to resurface" — and another $400,000 toward renovating the cafeteria at Midwood High School.

Pictured at top: The Kingsway Jewish Center, where Wednesday's meeting will be held. Image via Google Maps