Obi Anyanwu
Apr 27, 2017
2 minutes
New York City Mayor commits $136 million to Made in NY Brooklyn campus
Obi Anyanwu
Apr 27, 2017
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released on Wednesday the New York City Executive Budget for fiscal 2018, which includes expansion plans for the Made in NY factory campus in Brooklyn.
Mayor de Blasio first announced in February plans to open the factory campus, which is expected to be the center of production in New York City. Slated to open in 2020, the Made in NY campus will support 1,500 permanent jobs at a cost of $136 million from fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2027.
The new investment will be used to renovate a 200,000-square-foot garment manufacturing hub with 2,000 to 20,000-square-foot small white-box spaces for pattern making, cutting and sewing, and sample making, as well as a 100,000-square-foot film and television production facility with high-ceiling sound stages.
The massive Bush Terminal campus in Sunset Park will house could be seen as a saving grace for New York City’s fashion industry since manufacturing jobs have decreased by over 8,000 in a span of 15 years. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the campus will support 25 to 35 garment manufacturing tenants.
Coupled with the $136 million commitment is a $51.3 million investment from the NYCEDC and the CFDA to enhance the city’s garment manufacturing industry. The organizations announced in March the investment weeks after Mayor de Blasio first announced the Made in NY campus, and the NYCEDC in the same month announced a rezoning plan that would move businesses in the Garment District to Sunset Park.
The Garment District businesses and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer are resistant to the move saying that it will disrupt timing and add hours or days to production. Brewer is open to the idea but feels that designers and manufacturers must be in close proximity to maintain the fashion ecosystem.
The NYCEDC is committed to making the plan work by continuing to retool its rezoning plan and financial package.
Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
