Markowitz Sworn In For Third Term; Touts Progress

BROOKLYN, NY [NY1] — After being sworn in for a third term Wednesday night by Mayor Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz outlined his commitment to several high profile projects.

During his state of the borough address, Markowitz discussed his desire to transform the armories in Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant into recreational community centers.

Markowitz said he will be allocating $1 million in capital funds for each to get the projects started.

The borough president also talked about the progress of a project close to his heart, the Atlantic Yards-Nets arena.

“In 2009, confident investors also rushed to buy bonds for Atlantic Yards, meaning they believe Brooklyn is the future. Soon we will have affordable housing, union jobs and the downtown cultural center that the fourth largest city in America deserves with a state-of-the-art arena hosting everything from music and theater to pro basketball and maybe a hockey team called the Brooklyn Islanders,” Markowitz said.

Markowitz also wants to help rebuild 4th Avenue into a magnificent boulevard. He says he will be teaming up with New York University urban planning graduate students for help in planning his strategy for the project.