Council Approves G/W Contextual Zoning

07/29/2009 | Comment

The Council made quick work of any potential last-minute finger abuse – this afternoon they approved the 175-block Greenpoint/Williamsburg contextual rezoning. No more of this. Or these.

444 Graham Avenue – The Race is On

07/29/2009 | Comment

444 Graham Avenue
Photo: Curbed

Yesterday, the City Council held its first hearing on the Greenpoint/Williasmburg Contextual Rezoning. That rezoning would eliminate, once and for all, finger buildings in most of North Brooklyn.

But there are a few sites that are trying to get in under the gun. One of those is 444 Graham Avenue, the former Marino Tile building. The owner would like to erect a 14-story 69-unit building on a site that, under the new zoning, would only allow a 4 to 6 story building. (The block, by the way, is mostly two and three-story row houses.)

You would think, with a stop-work in order in place since July 15 that 444 Graham would have a tough time beating the clock (which could ring any day now). But the SWO is only partial – the owner is allowed to dig test pits, load-test an existing beam and remove a “non-load bearing CMU wall by hand”. According to neighbors who have been watching the site, this allowed work requires numerous trucks going in and out of the site with stacks of cement mix and many, many, many workers.

DOB, for its part, says that they are inspecting the site a few times a week, and that all work is in compliance with the SWO.

We’ll see when the vesting application comes through.

33rd District Council Forum

07/27/2009 | Comment

Tomorrow night, NAG will host a forum for the candidates for the 33rd Council District seat. You can submit your own questions for the candidates here. Come out tomorrow and hear what those would succeed CM Yassky have to say for themselves.

When: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Willamsburg Northside Preschool
152 N 5th Street between Bedford and Driggs

Manhattan Bridge in Motion

07/25/2009 | Comment

Also via Animal, watch the Manhattan Bridge bounce up and down as subway trains pass over. Lovely video, albeit a tad bit disconcerting.

Bonita to Close

07/24/2009 | Comment

Via Brooklyn Based, word that Bonita on Bedford Avenue is closing on August 15. According to BB, the Diner crew has always had a contentious relationship with their landlord, and has been hampered by the fact that they can’t get a full liquor license for the space (its next to a church).

I lived on that block of Bedford all through the 90s, moving out a few months before Bonita opened. Bonita was one of the early new Southside establishments, and definitely one of the restaurants that supports my theory on the general superiority of the Southside dining experience.

No word on whether Mark and Andrew plan to reopen Bonita in a new location – I certainly hope so.

On the good news side – BB also reports that Pies ‘n’ Thighs is finally set to begin construction on their new Driggs and South 4th location, and that the founding chef of Diner and Marlow & Sons is teaming up with the chef at Egg to open a new restaurant in the former Cheeks bakery on Metropolitan and Havemeyer.