NYC Vacant Space: Temporary Uses and Urban Solutions

Introduction

According to the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Dutch traders established farming communities and villages east of Manhattan around 1652. One such village, Vlackebos, literally translated as the "wooded plain." This wooded area at the time consisted of virgin thick forests coupled with flat terrain, so it eventually came to be called Flatbush. The area remained in this overgrown natural state for nearly three centuries. "But in the 1920s, the new Interborough Rapid Transit linked Flatbush to the rest of the city, sparking new developments that began welcoming successive generations of immigrants. As with the Dutch traders, these newcomers built homes and roads, only more quickly and densely. Riding through East Flatbush today, there are still trees that line its quiet residential sidewalks. But the area's open space is virtually gone." (NYC Department of Parks & Recreation)

Today, New York City is home to over eight million people, and space is still as precious as it once was in Flatbush. The problem today is not open forests but retail spaces, depots, vacant lots, and underused properties. Although the city can claim the largest urban park system in the United States, the need for and use of space continues to be a growing concern for real estate developers, nonprofits, and the citizens of the metropolis. "Over the last five years, the City has added more than 300 acres of new parkland, much of it by reclaiming stretches of the waterfront that were abandoned by industry decades ago." Because space in NYC communities and the efficient use of those spaces is so vital to the city's quality of life, it is essential to understand how well — or how poorly — these spaces are being utilized. (NYC Department of Parks & Recreation)

In this highly economically motivated and highly technical globalized world, saving is rarely a priority. Our world is one where resources are wasted every few seconds, even though we all understand that this way of life is not sustainable. The obvious answer is that we must work together to capitalize on our natural resources as efficiently as possible. Most people, however, would only think of oil, electricity, or water when discussing natural resources. That is because historically, throughout the United States, there has been a virtual laissez-faire attitude toward other great natural resources such as land and space. The nation's farmers and other agricultural users do pay attention to land as a resource, but the vast majority of people remain blind to this issue because of the seemingly infinite abundance of land across the country. The prevailing purpose of land, therefore, has been simply to exploit it for economic gain.

New Yorkers, however — specifically the urbanites of the five boroughs — have long understood that land is not a limitless commodity. NYC's ever-increasing population, coupled with industrial expansion, has been the foundation of urban sprawl. The city has experienced, more than any other American city, how thousands of vacated retail spaces, depots, vacant lots, and rooftops go unused. This paper addresses what is happening in NYC with regard to vacated and available space. It examines existing projects and how they currently make use of temporary space around the city, and it aims to brainstorm new potential uses while exploring how the economic downturn has hurt this aspect of the real estate market.

Problem Statement

This paper aims to understand and examine the problem of current vacant retail space in NYC, particularly in Manhattan. In many cases, these are depots or spaces waiting for reconstruction and are therefore only temporarily empty as they await resale or rental. The concern is that property owners keep these places empty. Research shows that in some situations, companies donate their spaces to nonprofit organizations that use them temporarily.

There are ways to make use of these spaces and transform them into efficient and lively areas. But first, it is necessary to understand the demand for available temporary-use projects. Consider how nonprofit organizations have faced challenges in finding facilities and working space at affordable and appropriate sites in NYC.

For example, consider the art community of NYC. Artists and curators are always in need of viable locations for shows and for producing their work. Nonprofit arts organizations and curators have regularly followed commercial endeavors throughout NYC in an attempt to find space during recessionary times. Storefronts and the wave of "pop-up" galleries are one clear example of how to utilize the plethora of available vacated retail spaces, depots, vacant lots, and rooftops — especially during real estate market downturns.

The city's art industry is just one example of how nonprofits have gone out of their way to forge strong partnerships with realtors and lease managers. "Recent nonprofits using empty spaces include: No Longer Empty, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Drop: Urban Infill Project, X Initiative, the Downtown Brooklyn Alliance, and veteran nonprofits Creative Time, the Art Production Fund, and Chashama, which have long worked with underused sites. One new outfit, Smartspaces, has carved out a special niche — showing art exclusively in the windows of developing properties, thereby promoting both artists and real estate with minimum liability." (The Art Newspaper)

According to The Art Newspaper, even established institutions such as the PS1 Contemporary Art Center in Queens are getting involved. "Under the rubric 'Free Space,' it is offering unused galleries as studios for artists — Marina Abramovic and Kalup Linzy among them — and large-scale events such as the NY Art Book Fair and the show '100 Years,' organized by Performa and Electronic Arts Intermix." (The Art Newspaper) The center was also said to be working with Creative Time to present a one-weekend open call where artists could receive feedback from PS1, MoMA, and Creative Time curators. With strong institutional backing, many new nonprofit artists and curators are looking for viable locations to set up shop.

According to Andrew Tangel of the Hackensack Times, real estate executives and prominent investors gathered in New York to discuss the tectonic shifts underway in the commercial real estate market — asking when the market would hit bottom, which real estate investment trusts would survive, and how commercial mortgage-backed securities would again pump capital into the market. (Tangel) The economy has affected New York, and the retail, office, and living space industries have all felt the impact. Empty buildings remove local foot traffic from surrounding businesses. The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation notes that New Yorkers use sidewalks as primary transit corridors, and neighborhoods with too many vacant buildings are less pleasant and do not encourage walking, browsing, or shopping. (NYC Department of Parks & Recreation)

The Manhattan retail vacancy data illustrates the scale of the problem. Current vacant retail space totals approximately 1.25 million rentable square feet, with projections showing growth to approximately 2.58 million rentable square feet over the following two years, according to Optimal Spaces. Filling these vacancies will help bring life to each neighborhood. However, the current situation is that sales prices exceed replacement costs, leaving owners unable to sell or lease their properties. This glut is projected to grow over the next several years, leading to foreclosure and additional open commercial space as assets return to lending institutions or are auctioned off. "Average quoted asking rental rates in the New York City retail market are down over previous quarter levels, and down from their levels four quarters ago. Quoted rents ended the third quarter 2009 at $78.93 per square foot per year." (CoStar Group, Inc.)

Case Studies in Temporary Space Use

One successful example of temporary space utilization in the city is the Illy Push Button House. "Illy collaborated with artist and architect Adam Kalkin to create a dramatic work of living art — the Illy Push Button House, a five-room home with a kitchen, dining room, bedroom, living room, and library constructed within a standard industrial shipping container. The home, which transforms at the push of a button, is created from recycled and recyclable materials and is the physical representation of Illy's dedication to sustainability, art, and innovation." (Illy Push Button) This idea utilizes vacant lots and parking lots while creatively recycling older containers into something useful. These recycled space-fillers serve as homes, temporary quarters, or holding areas. They are practical and environmentally friendly, and they embody the creativity needed to best utilize vast unoccupied real estate.

One highly successful temporary venture was the storefront library in Boston's Chinatown. Utilizing available vacated storefronts, the neighborhood — which had no official library — established a short-term storefront library that created a community buzz and built momentum for a permanent facility. "The Chinatown Storefront Library has transformed one of Boston Chinatown's vacant, commercial, street-level spaces into a temporary public library. Operating for approximately three months, the project is creating a memorable event for Chinatown, while providing a selection of urgently needed services for a community that has been without a library since 1956. The library offers: books, Internet access, newspapers, a children's reading area, and a mix of programs and activities — all furnished within an innovative architectural design." (Storefront Library)

"The current standard for park space in New York is 1.5 acres per thousand people. For playgrounds it is 1,250 children per playground. In contrast, East Flatbush's 56,000 residents have access to a total of 4.8 acres of open space, or 0.09 acres per thousand people. The neighborhood's 12,000 children share three neighborhood playgrounds. More than half the population, or 29,000 people, lives farther than a quarter-mile from publicly available open space." (NYC Department of Parks & Recreation) There is little doubt that New Yorkers need their parks. Brooklyn Bridge Park is often referred to as the "Main Street Lot" because it used to be a parking lot. The city now manages this park area and playground. (Brooklyn Bridge Park)

One survey provided by the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation shows that 82% of New Yorkers cited open space as one of their most cherished city assets. The development of Brooklyn Bridge Park along the Brooklyn Heights waterfront — featuring picnic tables, grass, trees, and food vendors — stands as an excellent example of a successful commercial space redevelopment project. "Brooklyn Bridge Park is now a reality and the beginnings have already become a treasured urban oasis. Offering spectacular views of downtown Manhattan and the New York Harbor, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park and the Brooklyn Bridge Park 'Main Street lot' are attracting thousands of visitors." (Brooklyn Bridge Park)

"Chashama was founded by Anita Durst in 1995 with the central purpose of keeping artists in New York by giving them the space to create. Durst realized that the lack of affordable space was the greatest threat to sustaining a diverse, dynamic, and provocative cultural environment in New York City. Her strategy was to find a way to connect artists with vacant real estate, redistributing the untapped resources available in New York's urban landscape by partnering with private and corporate property owners." (Chashama) The organization has supported local artists in New York through its window program by providing space for a variety of artistic uses. Artists access Chashama through an application process, and the program's success has enabled the organization to expand into Queens, Midtown, Downtown, and across NYC.

Durst's vision proved brilliant when considered in the context of the city's vacancy problem. She converted empty storefronts and offices into lively, arts-focused hubs of activity. As the idea gained traction, Durst was able to establish relationships with New York City's biggest and most powerful developers and property owners. These partnership agreements demonstrate that nonprofits can utilize unused office or retail space on a temporary basis in order to convert outdated parking lots and vacant storefronts into reusable assets. "Chashama's space recycling program adds value to properties, keeping spaces and neighborhoods active and vibrant, and benefiting owners, neighborhoods, and artists. Chashama has converted more than 40 locations, giving 7,500 artists access to subsidized space, which supported approximately 10,000 public presentations for over 500,000 viewers. By partnering with community organizations and neighborhood development groups, Chashama produces outdoor art festivals throughout the New York City area." (Chashama)

Conclusion

New Yorkers, specifically urban city dwellers, understand that land is not a limitless commodity and that, if it can be utilized for the benefit of the community, it should be. NYC has an ever-increasing population coupled with industrial expansion that has been the foundation of urban sprawl. The city has experienced, more than any other American city, how thousands of vacant retail spaces, depots, and open lots remain available and unused. As the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation notes, "even where facilities and open spaces exist, demand for them far outstrips supply. In certain seasons, and after sundown, some of these facilities are largely unusable. Still others are limited by design to a narrow set of uses, and stay empty too much of the time. To better meet the growing demand for recreational space, we must maximize the use of our existing assets and equip them to most fully meet the needs of New Yorkers." (NYC Department of Parks & Recreation)

This paper attempted to understand existing projects and how they currently make use of vacant retail and commercial space around the city. The goal was to document how these spaces are being used today, to generate new potential uses, and to understand how the current economic downturn has hurt this aspect of the New York City real estate market. The examples of Chashama, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Illy Push Button House, and the Chinatown Storefront Library all demonstrate that creative, community-driven approaches can transform idle properties into valuable urban assets — at least until the market recovers and permanent solutions become viable.