The scaffolding has finally come down at 268 Wythe, revealing the facade of MDIM Architecture’s latest project. The building, at the corner of Wythe and Metropolitan, will certainly contrast with its neighbor to the south, the very dark and brooding 80 Metropolitan. 268 Wythe definitely wins the design competition there (the actual product is much better than this cell-phone photo might lead you to believe).
UPDATE: Gowanus Lounge saw it too, and has a better photo (Bob likes it too).
Speaking of good reporting with no web presence, the Courier’s YourNabe web portal actually manages to be less useful as time goes on. Time was you could find some articles on their antiquated Web 1.0 site, but no more. A click through to the neighborhood pages shows no articles, and an archive search gets no hits.
Which is too bad, because the Williamsburg and Greenpoint Courier reporters do a really good job – they cover a lot of stories, and they cover them well. You should go out and pick up a copy. Or wait for their publisher to get a clue.
Reid Pillifant has a very good article on last month’s CB1 meeting and the events that lead up to Teresa Toro being removed as chair of the transportation committee. A well-balanced look at both parties in the dispute.
Unfortunately, you’ll have go out in the bitter cold and pick up a copy for your self. W/G News + Arts does not publish online.
From Greenline, and update on last week’s Broadway Triangle Community Coalition (BTCC) [warning: registration required]. Although the article is hardly objective, the basic facts are true – there was a huge turnout (500 or so) for the second in the “alternative” Broadway Triangle charettes. As with the other group vying to have a say in the development of the Broadway Triangle and Pfizer area, BTCC is a coalition of different ethnic and religious groups.
Both groups are fighting for affordable housing (and a place at the table); the main difference is that BTCC is pushing for the maximum number of affordable units, regardless of how dense or how tall the overall development has to be. It remains to be seen if BTCC can make the case that this area can handle the density that would come with an R8 or higher zoning density (certainly there is a lot of public transportation right there). Of if there is a market for huge numbers of market-rate units on Flushing Avenue.
In case you missed it, last night’s CB1 Parks/Landmarks Committee meeting to discuss the McCarren Pool renovations was cancelled. Instead, Parks and the project architect will make a presentation before the full CB1 Board next Tuesday (10 February) at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the usual location, the Swingin’ 60s Senior Center, 211 Ainslie Street (corner of Manhattan Ave.). As always, sign up before 6:15 if you want to speak.
As for the pool, less will probably more. Or less.
The drive to turn the People’s Firehouse into the People’s Community Center is picking up steam. Expect to see a lot more announcements in the near future (and a lot more requests for help to make this worthy project a reality).
From a wonderful series of photos at the Times’ Abstract City blog, a 11211-specific slide.
Today’s unseasonably balmy temperatures made it a perfect day to head down to the river and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. Of course you can’t do that in a state park in Williamsburg, so we had to head to Gantry State Park in Long Island City.
Back here in Williamsburg, the State saved another $444.44 by keeping our state “park” closed for today – the only state park in the city that is closed this winter. The least the state could do is start a shuttle bus service to DUMBO and Long Island City.
(And I bet if our state park was open today it would have had a lot more people than the handful we saw at Gantry.)
