Two Leading Park Slope Organizations Announce Merger and Reaffirm Commitment to Civic Engagement
The Park Slope Civic Council and Preserve Park Slope announced today that the two organizations have merged to create a more powerful voice for civic engagement, advocacy and neighborhood preservation. The merged organization will continue to be known as the Park Slope Civic Council.
Formed in 1896, the Civic Council is the oldest civic association in Brooklyn and sponsors important neighborhood activities such as the Park Slope Halloween Parade, semiannual clean-up events, house tours, and community forums. It is active on a wide range of policy issues including street and sidewalk safety, improved mass transit, and neighborhood beautification. The Civic Council also gives annual scholarships to college-bound graduates of the John Jay Educational Campus.
Preserve Park Slope was formed in 2013 in response to the plans of what was then Methodist Hospital for the construction of a new building that raised serious concerns among nearby residents. PPS succeeded in negotiating significant modifications to the Hospital’s plans, including reduced building height; relocation of entrances and certain facilities; adoption of a traffic management plan developed by Sam Schwartz Engineering; and a façade, developed in collaboration with local Park Slope architects, that was more in keeping with the architectural context of the neighborhood. PPS and Methodist, which has now merged with the New York-Presbyterian hospital system, have since developed a collaborative relationship which will continue under the umbrella of the Civic Council.
Following the completion of the Hospital’s construction project, PPS suggested a merger with the Civic Council, and the merger has now become official with approval by the State Attorney General’s office and the New York Department of State.
Jarrett Brilliant, President of Preserve Park Slope, stated: “After achieving significant success in our negotiations with the Hospital, it was a logical next step for Preserve Park Slope to merge with the Civic Council, the most prominent and influential civic association in Park Slope, and to join in its broader civic engagement mission.”
Timothy Gilles, President of the Civic Council, stated: “We in the Civic Council have enormous admiration for the accomplishments of Preserve Park Slope and respect for the organization’s committed members and leaders. With this merger, we welcome numerous active and engaged Park Slopers who share our commitment to promote and advocate for the neighborhood.”
Gilles and Brilliant said current and upcoming priorities for the Civic Council include a continued focus on street and sidewalk safety, improving the health of neighborhood trees, encouraging installation of sustainable technologies in residential and commercial buildings, and continuing to discourage development projects that are out of scale with the existing neighborhood.