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"The
program for the development of Bedford
Stuyvesant will combine the best of
community action with the best of the
private enterprise system. Neither by itself
is enough, but in their combination lies our
hope for the future."
Senator
Robert F. Kennedy
344
Monroe Street
Bedford Stuyvesant
In
1964, with the cooperation of Senator Jacob
K. Javits and Mayor John W. Lindsay, Senator
Robert F. Kennedy set into motion a round of
legislative action that created the Special
Impact Program, an amendment to the Economic
Opportunity Act of 1964. He announced a
seven point action plan that would serve as
a national model for community development.
The plan called for the formation of the
Bedford Stuyvesant Renewal and
Rehabilitation Corporation and the
Development Services Corporation, involving
assistance from some of the foremost leaders
of the American business community.
Under
the leadership of Judge Thomas R. Jones, in
1967 the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration
Corporation (Restoration) was formally
established to consolidate and carry forward
these efforts. Deputy Police Commissioner
Franklin A. Thomas, an original board member
of the Bedford Stuyvesant Renewal and
Rehabilitation Corporation and later to
become President of the Ford Foundation, was
elected as Restoration’s first president. Initial
funding support came from the Taconic
Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers
Foundation, the Edgar M. Stern Family Fund,
the J.M. Kaplan Fund and the Ford
Foundation.
One
year later, Restoration purchased an
abandoned milk bottling plant in the heart
of Bedford Stuyvesant, Sheffield Farms, to
serve as its new corporate headquarters.
Renovations soon began to create what
is now known as Restoration Plaza.
Completed in 1972, today this 300,000
square feet commercial plaza is home to
Restoration’s headquarters, the Billie
Holiday Theatre, the Skylight Gallery and
scores of local businesses, non-profits and
government agencies, including bank branches
of Chase, Washington Mutual Bank and
Citibank, Super Foodtown, the College of New
Rochelle and Assemblywoman Annette Robinson’s
office.
Since 1967,
Restoration has catalyzed enormous economic,
cultural, and educational improvements in
Central Brooklyn.
Just a sampling of our
accomplishments include:
- Housing:
Restoration has constructed or
renovated 2,200 units of housing,
including homeownership and rental. The
corporation has also beautifully
repaired the facades of 150 homes on 150
blocks and provided $60 million in
mortgage financing to nearly 1500
homeowners. As the height of its
activity, Restoration was the second
largest real estate owner in Brooklyn
after the City of New York and
controlled over $12 million in fixed
assets.
- Economic
Development:
Restoration's programs have
attracted more than $375 million in
investments to Central Brooklyn: placed
over 20,000 youth and adults in jobs;
and catalyzed physical and economic
improvements to Fulton Street.
- Arts
and Culture:
Our Youth Arts Academy remains
the only comprehensive arts education
institution in Bedford Stuyvesant,
offering classes in dance, martial arts,
music, visual arts, and theatre to
approximately 400 students ages 3-19
each year.
The Skylight Gallery continues to
feature artwork in all media produced by
up to 150 emerging and established
visual artists each year, and offers a
number of regular opportunities for
community artists to air and hone their
works. The
Billie Holiday Theatre is still the only
resource of its kind in the area,
serving 30,000 people annually over a
36-week season, and provides a training
ground for aspiring theatre
professionals.
Winner of numerous Obie and
Audelco awards, the Theatre is gaining
increasing recognition for its quality
performances
Read more about our history and
accomplishments here:
History
of Restoration
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History