The most recent newsletter of the Center for an Urban Future has an article [that’s a pdf] by Steve Hindy, the founder of Brooklyn Brewery, bemoaning the plight of small manufacturers like his. As Hindy points out, the squeeze of rezonings, gentrification and legal non-manufacturing uses in manufacturing zones (such as hotels) is driving up rents to the point that many manufacturers can’t afford New York any more.

This is about more than beer. It is having an impact on our parks and open space (both the MTA and CitiStorage are having trouble finding places to move to, and until they move, Barge Park and Bushwick Inlet Park can’t be completed). Its also having an impact on affordable housing (part of the MTA is one of the city-owned sites slated for new affordable housing). Most importantly, it has an impact on jobs – good paying jobs with benefits. For all the promise of new jobs to come from the rezoning, most of those are temporary construction-related jobs or low-paying service sector jobs. The jobs provided by light industry have supported many Williamsburg and Greenpoint residents for generations, but they are for the most part a thing of the past. The new wave is Ikea, Whole Foods and Duane Reade.

Despite claims of its demise, New York City (Brooklyn in particular) has a thriving manufacturing sector. Its not the leviathan of past centuries, or even of the years immediately after World War II. And its not the traditional sectors we nostalgically think of. It is lighter industry, industry that often benefits from a close proximity to the city, such as food processing, set construction and custom woodworking. Its also specialty manufacturers like Brooklyn Brewery, Aurora Lampworks or IceStone. Industrial enclaves such as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or GMDC have waiting lists for new tenants. This is not the industrial base of your grandparents, it is one that lives more easily with mixed residential and commercial uses.

Of course Williamsburg figures prominently.

Allegations that a testing company isn’t necessarily doing the testing to determine the structural integrity of all that concrete being poured in the city. Does anyone else get the feeling that every link in the construction chain is broken?

He was here a minute ago.

With DOB under the microscope, now is probably not the best time to be bribing inspectors. Hell, any inspector taking a bribe in the current environment is an even bigger idiot. Too bad judges can’t add time for stupidity.

If a house was built in the 1830s, 150 years after the Dutch ceded control of New Amsterdam to the English, it is not a “Dutch Farmhouse”.

(Which is not to say that this building shouldn’t be a landmark.)

More fallout from the wall collapse that killed laborer Lauro Ortega, and more self-certification shenanigans. Turns out the engineer who pulled the plans authorizing construction at the site had lost his self-cert privileges. So he signed his partner’s name to the documents.

The contractor/developer of the project has already been charged with manslaughter. The engineer – Abraham Hertzberg – is charged with 9 felony counts of offering a false instrument.

Its good to see DOB and DOI going after the bad actors, but at some point the structural deficiencies in the system itself need to be addressed.

One line that had been scheduled for more service in the original proposal last December but was not included in this round of improvements was the G. Riders on the G often complain of long waits between trains. Officials said the G did not exceed the loading guidelines.

No love for the L, either.

Williamsburg Walks* – the proposal to close down a stretch of Bedford Avenue for 4 Saturdays this summer – looks as if it is going to happen. The proposal is to make Bedford from North 3rd to North 9th pedestrian only starting on 19 July and for the three Saturdays following. Stores and restaurants will be allowed to expand into the street.

(* The information on this link is out of date – check back soon for updates.)