Last week I spent time in Brooklyn with David Ehrenberg, CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation a mammoth facility at the center of New York’s emerging maker economy. They have 3.5 million square feet to provide Maker pros and their projects not only with a physical space to build and grow their business, but also an opportunity to learn and collaborate with each other. During World War II the navy yard was the epitome of the industrial city — turning out war ships and employing tens of thousands.
Today the new navy yard is a living laboratory of a contemporary maker city — serving start-ups, design firms that make products, advanced manufacturing companies, as well as traditional industry. The place is so popular that they will soon add another 2 million square feet. And because it’s organized as a non-profit the leases are long term, predictable, and affordable — just what’s needed to support this emerging economy in New York. Come meet David Ehrenberg at MakerCon in New York on September 24th and learn more about this economic development renaissance.
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