City Hall: What is the renaissance of Brooklyn? Is that the right term to be using?
Marty Markowitz: Well I think it is. It’s an unbelievable feeling among Brooklynites, of really being really proud of their borough. Really having that extra enthusiasm that, what I call, having a Brooklyn attitude, in terms of their everyday life in the borough. Our employment record rates are up dramatically. Our housing starts are unbelievable. Our property values are through the roof. There’s good and bad in that. And from one end of Brooklyn to the other, in especially in Brooklyn’s traditionally low economic communities, the rate of new housing being built, new retail being built is just phenomenal. And that’s important: that every part of Brooklyn shares in the renaissance. That’s not to say we don’t have challenges. We have plenty of challenges. But the good news is, is that the days of people running out of Brooklyn are over. People used to leave Brooklyn seeking a better life. Today, the people that leave Brooklyn are those that can’t afford the life we have here. And that’s another challenge that we’re trying to face with the best of our ability. In terms of manufacturing jobs and preserving manufacturing districts, expanding affordable housing and job creation, tourism, the arts, and every category I can share with you, we’re doing very, very well.

CH: How much of that is a result of what you have done? How much of that is Marty Markowitz and Marty Markowitz’s administration?
MM: I’m going to say that my role has been modest in that, to be perfectly candid, I think what I bring to the table, I bring an enthusiasm, an aspect of talking up the borough, promoting the borough, advocating for the needs of the borough and that trickles down in giving those that are in the investment community and the development community and the economic community, an incentive to want to expand in Brooklyn.

CH: Of what you set out to do what didn’t work that you thought was going to?
MM: I am very unhappy that there is still too much gang activity in our schools and we have not solved it. The Department of Education has not solved it, and I have not solved it, even though I don’t have the power of police forces or whatever. Nonetheless, that’s an issue that faces us dramatically. Another campaign that I initiated in Brooklyn that has not succeeded to anywhere near I hope, was to get Brooklynites to respect themselves. To keep the streets clean. And that is still a challenge to keep it quiet and that is still a challenge. And though we constantly reemphasize that, our streets are still too dirty and too noisy, there’s no question. Those are quality of life you can minimize. And I guess the other area where I’ve not succeeded, both personally and professionally, is the campaign against obesity. Although I started a great Lighten Up Brooklyn, and it really involved thousands and thousands of people. Sad to say, a lot of folks including myself fell off the wagon. I got back on the wagon now, but I have to tell you, obesity and the issue of obesity is the one that really is a significant factor because it leads to great incidences of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some of the other – some of the other dreaded diseases. So there have been—not everything I’ve done is a home run. Some have been singles and doubles. Every now and then I’ve had a strike out for sure. But the one thing is, in order to do anything, you got to keep on pitching. You can’t—if you’re at bat, you got to keep on pitching and you can knock it out maybe.

CH: When it comes to Atlantic Yards, have you been surprised by the process?
MM: Well I have to tell you, this is my first experience at it. You understand, when I was a state senator for 23 years, out of 62 state senators, you’re pretty much hit by the group.  Then you become borough president or mayor and you’re one out of one. And it really came as a significant surprise that for the first time in my professional life, I was not able to bring people together. I have to tell you, I tried my best. I really did. I have to tell you I tried my best, my support of Atlantic Yards and my enthusiasm for Atlantic Yards is based on my true, sincere, full belief that it’s for the best of this and future generations of Brooklynites, there’s no question about it. And yet in the first time of my life, I’ve run into a number of people, significant number of people, feel that anyone who’s for Atlantic Yards is a sellout, is being schtupped, is being bribed, is being corrupt, and those are nice words. And never in my life have I met a group of people that if you’re not with them, you’re the enemy. I’ve never had that. I’ve had many disagreements when I first started Albany. Gay rights, abortion rights, those were contentious issues, believe me. But never with the hostility and hate that I’ve experienced during this process.

CH: The design has changed a lot. Do you like where it is now?
MM: Listen, from day one I always and continued to maintain that, the promised numbers of affordable housing units, which is approximately 2,250 units of affordable housing, must be guaranteed. And indeed, Forest City Ratner has not wavered one bit from that commitment. Now, in terms of the other part of the project, the market rate housing, obviously a lot of that is going to support the subsidized housing. And some of it is rightfully going for a fair return for the men and women that are investing in this, which they have every right to do.

CH: Do you think that mega projects like that are appropriate else here in the city?
MM: Listen, the answer to that is market driven. For all these years, the issue of over development is a serious issue in many Brooklyn neighborhoods. And that’s why I enthusiastically support down zoning those neighborhoods to preserve the residential quality in those communities of Brooklyn that are single or two family homes, detached or semi-detached. For years, in many of those neighborhoods, developers could have built as of right. As of right. But the demand isn’t there. Today, the demand for the people moving into the city has never been higher. It’s incredible the demand of housing. Therefore, it is important that we find locations in New York City that we can grow and of course, because this city is running out of land, we have to consider those areas where we can build vertically and we can build the kind of housing that allows the max amount of open space, that’s very important, and how it knits in into the tapestry of the community of which it’s located. So my initial response to you is, yes there are areas of New York City. There are some areas such as in East New York, for instance, and Brownsville. The church community is building many single-family homes. And that’s a good thing because home ownership is very important in this city. Very important, especially for people of moderate income. To me, that’s the promised land: home ownership and owning a piece of New York. And in other areas it’s appropriate, especially near transit. And by the way, let’s go back to Atlantic yards for a second. The biggest hub of public transportation in Brooklyn and third largest in New York City is Atlantic and Flatbush Avenue. Exactly where Atlantic Yards will be built. Now some of the people that are against it want to move to the Atlantic Yards concept to the navy yard, although, there’s no land that’s available at the navy yard. That’s where they want it to move. And then when we ask them, “There’s no public transportation,” you know what they say? “Let them use their cars.” OK, so the bottom line is that where appropriate in the city, we have to build for tomorrow near public transportation hubs and where the project can be pieced in, because you have to make sure that there’s support services for the new residents, which means schools, which is very, very important.

CH: Some of your opponents have been members of community boards. Do you think community boards have too much sway over process of building in New York?
MM: No. The reason why, there’s enough checks and balances as the as the project moves through the land review process that could reverse decisions all a long the way. Community board votes, and then it comes to me. I could go a long with the community board, adjust it, amend it and reject it. From me, it goes to the city planning commission. Then they can change what I said -- and they have on occasion-- and then from there, it goes onto the City Council and, ultimately, they’re the ones that will make the decision. … In the case of Community Board 6, quite frankly, there are members of the board that have been there for over… over 20 years, 20, 22, 23 years. For some people, they think it’s a lifetime appointment. It is not a lifetime appointment anymore than my position is.

CH: When you’re picking community board members, do you look for them to share your vision of Brooklyn when it comes to things like the Atlantic Yards?
MM: No.

CH: What do you think of the mayor’s sustainability plan and specifically, congestion pricing?
MM: First off, I commend the mayor and his team in terms of looking at the future of New York City and that’s a good thing. … I haven’t closed the door to congestion pricing. But I have some conditions. I do have conditions if I can just briefly share them with you. Number one, for those communities that are closest to Manhattan in Brooklyn, what assurances will we have that those that live in other places in Brooklyn where there is no public transportation? And by the way Queens is very similar to Brooklyn on this as well. Lots of Manhattanites don’t understand that there are large parts of Brooklyn and Queens, not to say Staten Island, that have no public transportation. So therefore, those folks will drive their cars downtown Brooklyn, will park, and then take the subway, cross, to be closest to Manhattan. What assurances do we have that those communities will be overrun with unbelievable amounts of motorists looking for parking?
Secondly, for those that live in those communities of Brooklyn where there is no public transportation, before you implement congestion pricing, I think the city is obligated to provide a dramatic increase of express buses to Manhattan. …
Next, most Brooklyn hospitals feed into Manhattan hospitals. What do you do with that person who’s mature, which I guess is my age and older, who may be ill or whose wife or husband may be ill, and they have to visit their loved one and cannot navigate the subway system? All of us know people that absolutely cannot navigate. If you take a look at our subways and the number of escalators that are working, they still can’t figure out how to get those escalators working. In London and Japan, they work like a charm. But here they can’t get it working most of the time. And the steps, they go up and down, are incredible. So therefore, you got loads of people that must go to Manhattan and can’t use a subway and yet we’re going to penalize them because of someone being ill and I think that’s—that’s bad.
What do you do about the small business person-- by the way I was a salesman many years ago, and I had to carry in the trunk of my car, how do you say, demo… demo kits. How do you make sure that the person who is a small carpenter a small electrician or whatever, as well as the salesman or a… a, what do you call it, an advertising person who has to show their easels with their art or whatever. How do you help them? Because they don’t get reimbursed by their companies for the cost of coming into Manhattan to do their work. How do you reimburse them? …
Listen, you have a right to own a car but if you live in Manhattan, if you think about it, if you live in Manhattan, you really don’t need a car. You really don’t, because where ever you live in Manhattan, you got public transportation. And if you don’t have public transportation, you got cabs waiting for you in every corner or executive car in every part of Manhattan. Yet they’re only going charge them four dollars -- four dollars -- if they drive their car from 85th Street downtown Manhattan. Yet it’ll cost us eight dollars and we’re closer in terms of distance to downtown Manhattan. It’ll cost us eight dollars. So there has to be equality, there has to be exemptions and, by the way, what they did in London, and you can correct me if I’m incorrect, they exempted-- they gave free bus service to all seniors in London. Now that’s a good thing. In other words they recognized how this would impact mature people and they gave them, not only they bought huge fleets of buses and they exemted them from the cost of a bus ride so that’s a good way. So before we rush into congestion pricing, let’s take it step-by-step.

CH: Let’s talk about your own future a little bit. You have a parrot, an African gray parrot--
MM: I sure do.

CH: Named Beep.
MM: That’s my son, Beep.

CH: So that’s for borough president. What are you going to name your next parrot?
MM: I don’t know if my wife and I can handle a second parrot but I know what you’re getting at. … Anyone that knows me knows I’ve never been indecisive in my life. And at this moment I’m indecisive and that is, I recognize the great opportunity that someone who becomes mayor can do for this city. Great opportunity. And then I say, “Am I out of my mind?” That’s what I say: “Am I out of my mind? Do I need the agita?” On the other hand, it’s a great opportunity that you can really make the city, as Michael Bloomberg has, you can make this city a better place for so many people. So that’s, so I’m pondering it. I’m considering it, but I got something that’s good, that I’m very proud of. I’ll be 65 years old almost by the time my term is up. Just imagine if you’re 40 and you want to continue in public service. You want to continue to be an elected official. These term limits are the worst thing that ever happened to New York City in my humble opinion, the worst thing.

CH: Is it mayor or nothing? Would you consider the other two citywide offices?
MM: I think the job of comptroller would not interest me whatsoever. Because I think you have to have some experience in finance to really- in my opinion to be effective. … If I was in my 40s or early 50s, the possibility of public advocate would certainly be something that I would review but truth of the matter is—the public advocate is, without no disrespect to its current occupant, is meant for someone who wants to be mayor in eight years and you use that position to raise your profile, your persona citywide and build up a resume that you can then present, which means that every day or almost every day, you got to wake up and challenge the mayor or his agencies. You got to—that’s how you do it in order to be an effective public advocate. And that is not me personally. Also the eight years, frankly, I don’t have in terms of that. And also borough presidents have a greater impact in the city than public advocate I’m sorry to say. We have an opportunity to really help shape decisions for our boroughs, public advocates do not. We are able to share resources in terms of capital funds and really help outstanding organizations grow in Brooklyn and public advocates don’t. So… so the answer would be the only one position that I would consider and I am considering is the possibility of running for mayor.