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                                    PHOENIX, Page ThreeBrooklyn Center:D _ 1 A I ____ L ,o e g m v v u r kOn SecondBuildingforThe pile-driver was already at work when Mayor Lindsay and a host of; local %u2022 dignitaries arrived to formally launch construction of the second new building of the Downtown Brooklyn Center renewal project at noon on Friday, March 23.The new six-story structure, to be located in the triangle bounded by Flatbush, Fulton and DeKalb Aves. is expected to provide local jobs for 2,200 people the Mayor%u2019s office said, and will house offices of the New York Telephone Co.Climbing up on a piece of construction equipment that became a stage for the proceedings, the Mayor hailed the Downtown Brooklyn renewal as %u201c the fastest, most rapid new business c o n s tru c tio n program of any urban downtown in the country.%u201d Other officials present for %u00a7! the event included:%u2022:> Borough President Sam g Leone; Telephone Company jv Vice President Arthur J. %u00a7: Deenan; Stephen andg; George Klein, the %u00ab developers of the project;Donaid E. Moore, President & of the Downtown Brooklyn g D e v e lo p m e n t A s s n .;IS Kenneth Patton, AdS ministrator of the Economic :%u00a7 Development A d - i-j: m inistration; and City$interCouncil M ajority Leader Thomas Cuite.Ttie overall Brooklyn Center project program will provide 4,000 construction jobs the Mayor said, and when completed will create 15,000 permanent jobs in office, commercial and industrial categories. The development plan also includes provisions which will be of direct benefit to minority groups.The new building, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, will have 400,000 square feet of office space, and stores along the street level. Contractor is Diesel Construction Company, which also built the Con Edison Building at Flatbush and Fulton Sts.The overall concept for the redevelopment of the Downtown Brooklyn Central Business District , was announced in October, 1969. It includes a lease with the Brooklyn Center Development Corporation, which guarantees the construction of a minimum of 1.8 million square feet of office, commercial, retail and light industry space within the Brooklyn Center Urban Renewal area within 5 years. In addition, a second level pedestrian circulation system %u2014 connected by upper levelH ole in ground will become new Phone Com pany b u ild in g( M a rg o W elling ton Photos )bridges %u2014%u2022 will be built to house a concourse of retail stores. The development corporation has posted a $1 million letter of credit to insure the completion of this project, which is centered around the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street.The second phase of the lease calls for the construction of an additional 2.5 million square feet of commercial building space, a 300-room hotel and large catering facilities. The developers w ill also be required to provide new subway entrances, street level arcades, parking and landscaping in conformance with their overall plan.The Mayor said: %u201c Downtown Brooklyn is one of the few inner-city business cores in the United States which has registered consistent growth. For example, retail sales in the department store, variety and home furnishing shops grew from $275 million in 1967 to $325 million in 1972. The tremendous demand for retail space here is reflected in a vacancy rate of only 1 perD eveloper G eorge K lein (R)and Borough President Sam Leonecent. More than 60,000 persons are employed in this area.\Center project has served as a spur to further development in and around the area. A number of new housing projects are rising on the periphery. Institutions of higher learningwhich already have more than 31,000 students are expanding w ith new buildings and facilities. Culture and art have been rejuvenated.\project is testimony to what can be accomplished in a partnership between the City and the private sector.bled Kids Need CenterBY CORRINE COLEMANSanto Matarazzo, a CarrollGardens sculptor, knows about thecurrent day care crisis. He isaware of the struggle to hold on toexisting and after school centers inthe midst of the recent federalcutbacks. During this shaky timehowever, Matarazzo wonders whatwill happen to children like hisdaughter, children who weren%u2019teven considered when the currentcenters%u2019 applications were taken.Matarazzo%u2019s daughter, Tina, iseight-years-old. Suffering after afall at the age of two and a half, shelost the ability to speak, and now,categorized by the public schoolsystem as one of the children forwhom they do not have a program,she wanders about the house,walking back and forth, back andforth, each day, her father says.%u201cShe needs a place to spendsome time every day with ateacher who cares and with otherkids,%u201d says Matarazzo who isappalled by the Willowbrook kindof placement and who wants Tinato remain at home in any case.On his own block, Matarazzosays, there are four children likeTina, and there must be at least 200such children in the area. Whycan%u2019t we start a place for them,right here, in the neighborhood, heasks?Mark Usdane, assistant administrator of the Long IslandCollege Hospital Children%u2019s Centerfor Developmental Disabilities,directed by Stanley Lamm, M.D.,agrees with Matarazzo. Working atthe center with about 600 childrenfrom the South Brooklyn area,Usdane believes that at least 250 ofthem could use a community daycare place for pre school or%u201cschool excluded%u201d children.The LICH DevelopmentalCenter, Usdane says, provides firstof all a %u201ccomprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation%u201d for eachchild, and then offers such servicesas speech therapy, psychiatriccare, and case wo.k. A nurserygroup meets twice a week and a%u201cdressing%u201d group of three and fouryear olds learns basic skills.Basically, Usdane says, thecenter serves to provide sufficientsupport so that the children can bemaintained in the community.However, he adds, day care services are essential, as atherapeutic need for the child, andto provide relief for the parents.%u201cParents who search out theWillowbrooks,%u201d he says, %u201care attheir wits end.%u201dWith the need for day care sooverwhelming, the city hasrequested that tax money be usedfor this purpose. However, thereare now few such services in theborough, and only two centers inSouth Brooklyn provide day carefor %u201cretarded%u201d children. The two%u2014 Low Memorial Center onMonroe Place and the BrooklynHeights Montessori School, lx)thhighly regarded %u2014 have a combined capacity for 28 children adrop in the bucket as Usdane says.Matarazzo is ready to begin t hecampaign for a local center forchildren like Tina, and he isanxious for contact with otherparents sharing his need. He isksthat they phone him at UL 8-1265between 8-10 p.m. or write toPhoenix, 132 Clinton St., Bo.. 10.$1.5 Million to Health CenterCongressman John J. Rooney%u2019s office announcedin W a s h in g to n on March 2 2that the Office of Economic Opportunity has approved a grant of $1,500,000 to the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Council, Inc. for a nine-month continuation of comprehensive Health Services. The grant, whichwill begin on April 1, 1973, will enable the Neighborhood Council to continue services currently provided by their programs.The Grant will enable the project, begun in 1967, to continue to provide medical and dental care, mental health and social services, health and nutritioneducation and training for more than 11,000 South Brooklyn residents in health care fields.The Project, now in it' sixth year, is designed as a com prehensive, fa m ily oriented health service program and is conducted with the cooperation of Long Island College Hospital.
                                
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