Broadway Triangle Certified; Domino Not

Via WG, the Observer reports that the Broadway Triangle rezoning has been certified by the City Planning Commission. Expect the application to be before CB1 at the June public hearing, with a vote by the Board in July (also expect CB1’s July vacation to be cancelled – maybe we’ll get August off).

The Domino Sugar rezoning was not certified in Monday’s round of mass certification (theoretically, Monday was the last certification date to guarantee that a project would be reviewed by the current administration and council). WG says it has a line on another possible hold up for CPCR, Domino’s developer, but we’ll have to wait for the new issue to hit the newsstands (and the interweb) to find out what this delay is.

For opponents and proponents alike, Domino and Broadway Triangle have some parallels. Domino seeks to supersize the allowed height and density of recent rezonings in exchange for more affordable housing; many community activists would like to see Broadway Triangle do the same, while the proposal that was certified is more in keeping with heights and densities approved in recent rezonings.

Affordable Apartments on the Brooklyn Waterfront Still Far on the Horizon

I’ll have more on this in a day or two, but here’s an appetizer on affordable housing from the News. A lot of apples and oranges (as is common when trying to parse numbers on affordable housing), but no matter how you look at it, the 2005 rezoning has not delivered on its promise of affordable housing.

Williamsburg Flea Market

05/20/2009 | Comment

Fleas are everywhere these days.

The latest is the Williamsburg Flea Market, which is scheduled to run on Sundays beginning June 7th. The Willyb Flea will be on Wythe Avenue between South 2nd and South 3rd Streets (parking lot of Ss. Peter & Paul? or the Police Cars Unlimited lot across the street? they don’t say which).

Cleaning the BQE

05/20/2009 | Comment

The underside of the BQE got a steam cleaning this evening.

Photo of the Day: Havemeyer Street

05/18/2009 | Comment

Havemeyer Street
Photo: kurtrik via brooklyn11211 flickr pool

May 19: Council Debate

05/18/2009 | 1 Comment

Tomorrow evening (May 19th) New Kings Democrats is hosting a debate for the open seat in the 33rd Council District. In case you haven’t been paying attention (and you should be) Councilmember David Yassky is not running for reelection (he’s running for Comptroller). As of today, there are seven candidates looking to fill Yassky’s seat (which covers Greenpoint, parts of Williamsburg, Vinegar Hill, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and parts of Park Slope and Carrol Gardens.

When: Tuesday, May 19 – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Harry Van Arsdale High School (257 North 6th Street at Roebling).

OSA: Here’s Your Parks

05/18/2009 | 1 Comment

Photo: NAG

We were out of town for the weekend, so missed Saturday’s “Where’s My Park? Day” event (and the relatively nice weather – we were fogged in on Saturday). But as NAG reports, not only was the event was a success, but there is progress to show for it. Stephanie Thayer of Parks (and OSA) emailed NAG prior to Saturday’s event to make the following the promises on behalf of the City:

1. Manhattan Avenue Street end greening is open to the public as of [Saturday].
2. Northside Piers (at North 5th St/Kent Ave.) will be open 7 days per week within the next two weeks.
3. We will break ground on the first phase of Bushwick Inlet Park, a soccer field, between North 9th and North 10th, in June.
[We knew all of this already, but it gets better…]
4. Transmitter Park will be opened for use this summer, with interior fencing that provides as much safe site access as possible.
5. We are working to improve Newton Barge Terminal Park to provide waterfront views this summer.
6. Mayor’s office will proceed with an independent study to further the relocation of the MTA.
7. Parks Dept. will hold regular public listening sessions about the parks commitments of the rezoning [from what I’ve been told, there will be monthly progress updates].

Assemblyman Lentol looks for his park.
Photo: NAG

NAG attributes this progress to “the public attention that was brought to the promises from the 2005 rezoning going unfulfilled”, which has definitely ratcheted up in the past few weeks. Councilmember Yassky’s press conference on the MTA site last week and “Where’s My Park? Day” were the most conspicuous, but there was also a lot of press and a few blog posts to help things along.

Photo of the Day: Wrong Way

05/14/2009 | Comment

Grand Street, Spring 2009
Photo: Grifforama via brooklyn11211 flickr pool

Our inaugural photo pool entry, thanks to Grifforama. I guess if you own a car this fantastic, you get to park it backwards.

Almost a Park: Transmitter Park

05/14/2009 | Comment

So let’s see if we can end parks week on a (slightly) up note, by highlighting some of the good news out there.

Transmitter Park, original (2008) design.
Image via Newyorkshitty

First off, Transmitter Park, which is slated to go in at the former WNYC transmitter site at the foot of Greenpoint Avenue. The property is owned by the City, so acquisition is not an issue. A design (above) was issued more than a year ago. That has required some modification to comply with NYState DEC regulations, but that has all been worked out, and the fish are protected. So everything should be poised to move forward, right? Well sort of – the Daily News reported this week that Transmitter Park is expected to be completed in Summer 2011. And it’s not clear to me that the money for this capital project has even been allocated. Which in this economic environment spells trouble.

McCarren Park Pool, preliminary design
Rogers Marvel Archtiects

One project where the money has been allocated and construction has started is McCarren Park Pool. The Department of Parks & Recreation selected an architect over a year ago and held a successful series of community charettes to get ideas on programming, etc. That resulted in an exciting design, which the City has allocated funds to construct – $50 million in funds, in fact. Unfortunately, $50 million does not go as far today as it did two years ago, so the diving pool has been value engineered out of the project. But the main pool and the restoration of the landmarked pool house is going forward.

brooklyn11211 flickr Photo Pool

05/14/2009 | Comment

Because a blog can never have enough photos of Brooklyn, I’ve created a brooklyn11211 photo pool on flickr. Just click on the link in the masthead portion of this page (or this link here), join the group and upload your photos. Impress me.