After 25 years as a partner in Brooklyn Brewery, founder Steve Hindy is selling his voting shares in the company to his long-time partners, Eric and Robin Ottaway. Hindy is planning to stay on at Brooklyn Brewery in a managerial position and will remain on (and lead) the board of the company, but according to BeerPulse, he is looking forward to enjoying some well-deserved “fruits of [his] entrepreneurship”.
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Katan Loses Domino Suit
The Observer reports that Isaac Katan failed to secure an injunction against his partner in the $1.5 billion Domino development from selling a majority stake in the project.
The decision appeared to clear the way for the Community Preservation Corporation, a joint owner of the site, to proceed with a deal to hand the majority stake to the project’s senior lender, Pacific Coast Capital Partners, LLC… Mr. Katan secured the Domino Sugar Factory in 2006 in a whirlwind deal largely negotiated over a single weekend to buy the site with CPC for about $50 million from the sugar company, which decades ago [actually, less than a decade ago] used the factory as one of its largest sugar refineries in the world.
Which means that Katan’s (and CPCR’s) stake in the project drops from 50% to 8%. The difference between 50% of $1.5 billion and 8% of $1.5 billion explains why Katan, through his attorney, is promising to continue his legal fight.
[again, via Brownstoner]
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Even the Clergy Opposes Brunch Bans
Ann Kansfield, Pastor of the Greenpoint Reformed Church, weighs in on the Sunday morning sidewalk cafe ban:
The notion that sidewalk dining in some way restricts, inhibits or in any other way interferes with church attendance is utter hogwash. Consequently, I respectfully request that you not cite religious observance, specifically church attendance, as an argument against sidewalk dining… If there were so many church-going people in Greenpoint and Williamsburg that sidewalk seating would interfere with church attendance, all of our churches would be packed full of people. This is not the case… Sunday morning worship at the Greenpoint Reformed Church is so exciting and my sermons are so riveting and life-changing that sidewalk seating in no way keeps our congregation from attending services here. We simply traverse along the empty portion of the sidewalk and are able to get to church.
The pastor is right.
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Winning the Battle, Losing the War
Lokal and Enid’s have both been issued summons for operating a sidewalk cafe before noon on Sunday’s. In addition to 300 Enid’s customers who think this crackdown is bullshit, you can add Borough President Marty Markowitz.
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Landlord Trashes Tenant’s Apartment While She’s Out
A landlord with a history of harassing rent-stabilized tenants has demolished a tenant’s rent-stabilized apartment. In this case, the tenant did not have a lease, so the landlord is claiming “I don’t even know this person”.
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AG Sues Developer of 57 Maspeth
Shoddy construction from circa 2006, the real boom times in Williamsburg condo construction. Based on the number of condos that went up between 2004 and 2008, the fast pace of construction and low level of oversight, this is probably not an outlier.
Schneiderman is seeking $1.3 million in payback for unit owners – to cover the alleged damage and $75,000 in legal and professional fees – as well as an $85,000 penalty that would go to the state, and an order that would effectively permanently ban Schwartz from selling condos in New York State.
[via Brownstoner]
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New Taxicabs Are Green, Literally
Cute and all that on a Prius, but I’m withholding judgement until I see a chartreuse Town Car.
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Lingerie on Bedford
Northside Gourmet Deli – which replaced an old-line bodega only a couple of years ago – is gone, and in its place is a second outlet for Brooklyn Fox Lingerie.
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Ferry Operator Wants to Accept Metrocards
The East River Ferry wants to accept Metrocards. Other non-MTA services already accept Metrocards, so the idea is not that far fetched. But the real innovation would be for the ferry to accept Metrocard transfers – i.e., eliminating the two-fare structure that most commuters using the ferry face (by the way, it’s nice to see Second Avenue Sagas having a change of heart about the ferry). As it stands now, if you want to go from the ferry to an MTA bus or subway, a one-way trip will cost you as much as $6.50. Institute free Metrocard transfers, and the price drops to $4 (the cost of the ferry ride).
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Music Workshop on North 6th
Matt Chaban tells us what’s going on at the old sawdust factory at the corner of North 6th and Wythe (hint: it’s not another luxury condo).