The city's $3 billion Willets Point redo plan won its first key vote last night after a marathon community board meeting that lasted until 1AM. When it was all over, the board voted 21-15 to back the plan to transform the Iron Triangle from a tangle of business and chop shops auto-related businesses to a mega-development with hotels, offices, apartments, shopping and more. (A Land Use Committee voted in favor the plan last week.) The vote happened after the city promised to use eminent domain as "a last resort" (which it may have to do as many business owners are dead seat against leaving) and promised Community Board 7 it would be involved in planning and overseeing the project. The meeting may not have been as much knee slapping fun as last week's Coney Island free-for-all, but it had its moments, according to a tipster who reported the un-air conditioned room was stiflingly hot and that opponents of the plan were chanting "hell no we won't go." One of the more prominent anti-Willets Point plan agitators came dressed as George Washington. There are many more meeting and hearings to come before the plan can ever come to a City Council vote, which would precede the eminent domain lawsuits that are certain to follow.
· Community Board Backs Willets Point Plan [Crain's]
· Bloomberg Wins Early Community Endorsement for Willets Point [TRE]
· Willets Point Coverage [Curbed]
Even people who don't care about whether Coney Island is turned into a shopping mall by the sea with hotels or becomes a cool amusement park, would have to be amused by last night's Performance Art Scoping Hearing. That would be Rev. Billy above, uh, testifying about the Coney Island rezoning proposal. That is not to be confused with the chants of Coney-lujah. Or the singing of "Save Coney Island" as testimony. Or the Hunger Striking Mermaid Queen's appearance in a tiara. Coney Island USA's Dick Zigun, who resigned from the Coney Island and described his objections to the new plan as follows: "“It’s FAO Schwartz with a keyboard you can dance on. It’s Radio Shack with a demonstration video game. It’s a shopping mall by other names.” A few more of these, and the Rent Guidelines Board is going to have some serious competition.
· Coney Public Scoping Meeting Turns It Up [Kinetic Carnival]
· Lively Coney Island Hearing [Urbanite]
SOHO—Earlier today, we noted that Soho Mews is now looking abroad for buyers. So, it's no surprise that its website is now multilingual. Per a tipster: "The Soho Mews website now comes in English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and what appears to be Korean and Chinese. Also, included is a schedule of upcoming Soho Mews-sponsored cocktail parties in Milan and Rome. Looks like the new marketing strategy has the developers pulling out all the stops to get the international money. Very interesting. Is Soho Mews in trouble?" Well, it's definitely speaking many languages. [CurbedWire Inbox]
PROSPECT HEIGHTS—There has been some reaction today from Atlantic Yards biggest supporters to the Supreme Court decision not to hear the eminent domain appeal brought by opponents. From developer Bruce Ratner: '“We believe, and the courts have repeatedly agreed, that Atlantic Yards provides significant public benefits, including thousands of affordable homes and much needed jobs for Brooklyn. We are gratified that the Supreme Court has decided to put an end to this lawsuit. The opponents have now lost 20 court decisions relating to Atlantic Yards..." From Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz: "“The U.S. Supreme Court has correctly and wisely chosen not to hear the appeal from the lower court, thereby affirming the public benefits of the Atlantic Yards project for Brooklyn...This is a major victory for the futures of Brooklyn and New York City.” [CurbedWire Inbox]
Thought the Mermaid Parade this year was just going to be about people in costume and/or wearing very little at all? Not a chance, given the ongoing Coney Island redevelopment controversy. And so, this year's Queen Mermaid, Savitri D, (King Neptune is the Rev. Billy) is going to be, well, going on a mini-hunger strike after the parade to protest the redevelopment plan. Per an announcement on the Coney Island Message Board, "it is our freaky-monarchial DUTY to use this power to SAVE Coney Island from the gentrifying apocalypse of RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT HELL!" The Queen Mermaid is also going to be living in a window on Surf Ave and West 12th from the Mermaid Ball until a meeting about the revised Coney plan on June 24. Per the announcement: "She is fasting to draw attention to a destructive scheme to reduce 60 acres of amusements to 9. She is fasting so YOU will come to this meeting, where the fate of Coney Island may be determined." Oh, and there will be a Live Mermaid Cam starting Sunday at 10AM. Last year's event had some redevelopment color commentary too.
· '08 Mermaid Queen Savitri D Declares Hunger Strike [CI Message Board]
· Mermaid Queen Hunger Strike [revbilly.com]
Eminent domain may be coming to Willets Point, aka the Iron Triangle or iTri, the little corner of Queens near Citifield that the city wants to turn into a $3 billion mixed used development with hotels, apartments, retail and a convention facility. The Daily News got hold of 790-page "blight study" of the area. This is interesting in that such documents usually precede efforts to condemn and seize property. The study says that Willets Point is a "burden on the health of the city's residents and economy." In the meantime, a look at the New York Economic Development Corp. website reveals the city has issued an RFP for a Willets Point Relocation Services Specialist. It notes that "Approximately 60% of the land is occupied by owner-occupant business, with the remaining 40% occupied by tenant businesses. These businesses would need to be relocated." The deadline for submitting a bid to help relocate businesses is June 23. There is a long road ahead, including a city land use process and what are likely to be numerous and complicated lawsuits, before a single chop shop business moves a hubcap.
· Eminent domain bid seen as study slams Willets Pt. [NYDN]
· Willets Point Relocation Services RFP [NYEDC]
· Willets Point Rendered, Local Love Included [Curbed]
The "Brooklyn Day" Atlantic Yards rally sponsored by Forest City Ratner happened yesterday afternoon. Curtis Sliwa showed and spoke, but Rev. Al Sharpton was said to have been stuck in transit trying to get back to New York and was a no show. The developer's crowd estimate, quoted in the Daily Newswas 3,000 and it jumped to 3,500 in the Post, but Atlantic Yards Report noted it might actually have been 2,000 and suggested that it included people shopping at the Greenmarket. Many people working in the area might have been drawn by free food and Nets freebies. As for the party-like atmosphere, AYR writes:
Despite decent weather, free t-shirts, a full-page ad in the Daily News, an E-newsletter, requests from union bosses to attend, and promises of free food, free transportation, and “international recording artist Maxi Priest,” the disparate and soon-diminished crowd was often subdued, even bored, and a passel of Forest City Ratner operatives monitoring the event looked somber, despite the billing as a “fun day.”
One given over the last few years is that somewhere in New York City there will be an ongoing battle to save an historic church from the wrecking ball. Now that the Battle of St. Saviours in Queens has ended with a agreement to move the church to a new spot and the Fight Over St. Brigid's has concluded with a dramatic rescue, this leaves the War for Green Church as the current ongoing fight. Also known as Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, the building is on land slated to be developed as a condo and the graveyard out back has even been dug up so the tenants could be moved to Queens. Is there hope for "one final Hail Mary"? The Daily News reports that preservationists are "in a desperate scramble to find a buyer willing to save the beloved structure" and say "they are getting closer to finding a match." There are said to be potential buyers and the church's pastor says he's willing to talk to anyone that offers enough money for the property. The deal has to happen quickly, though, as demolition is supposed to start in the next few weeks.
· Bay Ridge United Methodist Church hopes for miracle [NYDN]
Two Trees Management is making the case for its condo/school proposal again at a community meeting tomorrow. When the Walentases first presented the plan, "the naysayers - and Brooklyn is the land of 'No' - went wild" because the 17-story building "would dwarf the Brooklyn Bridge and block iconic views of the span." But, for the love of God, putting up the Walentas building and the school that goes with it would "halt the march to Westchester." [NYP]
Yes, it's Memorial Day weekend and, yes, the beach at Coney Island opened yesterday. So, what are people opposed to the big redevelopment plan to do? Have a protest, of course, and shout things like "You Suck" at the local City Council Member, as well as "Save Coney Island" and "No More Thor." Coney blog Kinetic Carnival described the scene as protesters "chanting their usual slogans and rants to save Coney Island's amusements from being swallowed up by plans to bring mostly the same everywhere-else-America to Coney Island." And, the Parks Commissioner somehow managed to tell school children that the overcast, cold day was "sunny." In other news, the decrepit boardwalk might actually be replaced starting in September, and the "Dreamland" amusement rides on developer Thor's property are open this weekend.
· "Save Coney" Protesters Rain on City's Beach-Opening Parade [Runnin' Scared]
· Protesters: City's Coney Plans No Fun [amNY]
· Save Coney Island, Playground to the World [Weblicist]
The controversial building going up at 340 Court Street in Carroll Gardens, which has provoked many neighborhood objections, has gotten a name: The Collection at Court Street. This is not to be confused with The Collection 525, which is the name recently given to a Clinton Hill high rise on Washington Street (where a worker fell to his death earlier this year). This Collection is being developed by the Clarett Group and has been designed by Rob Rogers of Rogers Marvel. Some renderings were shown at a community meeting last month, but the developer has declined to release any non-murky images of the project. Signage is up at the development site and a placeholder website is up. The site proclaims the development "a collection of modern townhomes, maisonettes, duplex and single floor condominium homes thoughtfully designed by Rogers Marvel Architects." Our tipster, who does not appear to be a fan of the design, wrote: "The Collection of Bad Design"? Interesting graphic.
· The Collection at Court Street [collection-at-court-street.com]
· Clarett Group & Rogers Marvel Show Plan to Carroll Gardens [Curbed]
There was a time, up until a month ago, when this would have beendestructoporn. The scene is in Maspeth at St. Saviour's Church, the battle for which we returned to many times. What appears at first glance to be destructoporn in this photo sent by a tipster is actually a brand new genre: deconstructoporn. Per an agreement that was finally reached after a long community battle, St. Saviour's is being moved to a new location. Apparently it is being taken apart to be relocated. Condos will most likely eventually rise on the site, which used to look a little different.
So, how many protests, rallies and turns of events will there be in the Coney Island Redevelopment drama? There are many in 2007, culminating with the Joe Sitt is Toast bombshell lobbed in November. That was followed by the Maybe Sitt Isn't So Bad After All Rethinkinga few weeks ago. The byproduct of that reconsideration--a dramatic shrinkage in the Coney amusement park announced in November so that Mr. Sitt can keep a lot more of his land and, maybe, make nice with the city--is a demonstration now planned for "opening day" of the Coney summer season. What's interesting is that the protesters will be many of the same people that were cheering in November. In any case, the Post reports that "community organizations with 4,000 members" will be turning the May 22 opening of Coney Island's beach "into a freak show to protest the city's revision of a rezoning plan that reduces a planned 15-acre amusement park to nine acres." The Polar Bear Club and Coney Island USA are among the organizations involved. It's safe to say they're not fans of the redone plan.
· Coney Rally "Freak" Out [NYP]
· City Releases Coney Island V.3.1. Plan with Major Revisions [Curbed]
1) There's an interesting compare and contrast for those who like to do such things between the 2006 Atlantic Yards photo gallery and the current post-new renderings one. Atlantic Yards Report pulls them down and compares. (The 2008 gallery is the only one still online at the project's website.) [AYR]
2) Presumably Frank Gehry has put his battle helmet on or doesn't read the reactions to his buildings, but if he looks at today's Daily News he might feel sad. People are not loving his design. Reaction in Brooklyn ranged from "you're kidding" and "it's awful" to "ugly" and "a post-apocalyptic Earth." The News headlined it the 'Lego' Building. In our own Curbed poll, 29% percent said they liked it versus 19% that like the original Miss Brookliyn, with "non e of the above being the resounding winner with 52% [NYDN]
There is nothing like opening one's eyes to a new set of Frank Gehry renderings of the Atlantic Yards development. This morning brings the death of Miss Brooklyn and its reemergence as B1 or Building 1, a shorter, radical remake of the glass tower that would have dominated Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. In its place is a 511-foot steel-and-glass structure that the Daily News' Jotham Sederstrom describes as "an asymmetrical design that rises like a spiraling Lego structure, edges askew." It will hold 650,000 square feet of office space and none of the condos that were originally planned. Gehry says that he new design is "more festive":
"My enthusiasm for Atlantic Yards has grown and grown until arriving at our current design, which works better with the surrounding area than it ever had before. Miss Brooklyn, now called Building One, has been slimmed down and has become more festive, resulting in a very unique office building."
The city has posted a few renderings of its big plan for Hunters Point South in Long Island City. It would include up to 6,650 units of housing, with the definition of "affordable" in the plan being the subject of dispute. There's a huge Environmental Impact Statement out (available on the New York Economic Development Corp.'s website) and a large number of meetings coming about the plan, that have just started.
· Hunters Point South [NYCEDC]
· LIC Holds First Hearing on Hunter's Point South [Queens Chronicle]
The Coney blog Kinetic Carnival ran across some interesting renderings of Coney Island plans on the Arquitectonica website, which had been worked with the city to develop the master plan and zoning guidelines. They're interesting to look at, even if they're dated and were used by the city early in the process, and they may bear some resemblance to what the city will allow in terms of the height of buildings around the amusements after the little change in course a few weeks ago when it cut the planned amusement district from 15 acres to 9 acres. Note the tall-ish buildings that would adjoin the reduced amusement park. As for the tenants, well, think Hard Rock Cafe, Knitting Factory, AMC cinemas, Virgin Records, ESPN Zone, Madame Tussauds, Bliss spa, tattoo parlors, etc. per some documents that are floating around. (Virgin Records?) The city and developer Joe Sitt currently disagree about what kind of retail would be appropriate in the land that the city would no longer be trying to buy from him int the amusement district.
· Architecture Firm Dishes Up Designs For City's Coney Master Plan [Kinetic Carnival]
· City Envisions Hard Rock Cafe, Bliss Spa in Coney Island [Brownstoner]
If Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards project ever goes forward, it's safe to say these will not be looked upon as "the good old days" by the developer. Another lawsuit was filed against the project yesterday by tenants who say the drawn out schedule the state would allow is illegal. It gives Forest City Ratner 12 years to finish the first phase of the project. They say it violates the state's eminent domain law, which requires that a property be "materially improved" within ten years. Also, the suit argues that given that the stall--cancellation of some aspects of the project and delays--changes the public benefits that the Empire State Development Corp. has to hold another hearing. The suit was filed on behalf of 13 tenants in two buildings on Pacific Street and on Dean Street. In the meantime, there's a serious effort underway in Newark to possibly buy the Nets and move them to that city's Prudential Center. Heady times for the Atlantic Yards crew. Add the developments to the Timeline of Despair.
· Delays in $4 Billion Brooklyn Development Are Challenged in Tenants’ Lawsuit [NYT]
· ESDC’s long leash on Phase 1 provokes lawsuit from tenants [AYR]
First things first: Developer Bruce Ratner says he has fished in the East River and eaten the fish. Well, what he told NY1 last night was that "I have fished for striped bass in the East River with a great success on one occasion...I would say that I did eat it!" Which does leave some wiggle room. The Atlantic Yards developer also refers to himself as "progressive" a number of times, recalling the glory days of law school at Columbia in the 1960s: "I remember doing a march on a Wall Street," says Ratner. "It was all power to the people and workers – and the workers were on buildings throwing things at us. So I'm not sure, you know, whether we were really representing who we thought we were representing." And, then, come comments like "architecture is important, but it's not that important."
Okay, so the Washington Square project got a head start on digging up bodies, but a controversial project to demolish a historic church in Bay Ridge and replace it with luxury condos is actually unearthing a graveyard. The demolition of Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, aka Green Church, has been controversial, with preservationists trying to save it. In any case, part of making the St. Saviour's of Brooklyn into a luxe condo means that 211 bodies are getting to see the light of day again after being down there for about 100 years. Left in Bay Ridge writes of the process:
They put up a garbage bag wall so no one can see how well they're handling the human remains. I climbed a ladder to see this: a back-ho and some guy looking in a hole. Very very holy. Remind me not to have them handle my remains.
One preservationist trying to save the church calls it "outrageously disrespectful." So, if they're being dug up for luxe condos, does it mean they'll be reburied in luxe graves?
· Devil's Work [Left in Bay Ridge]
· Grave Insult [NYP]
The long battle of the Red Hook piers was actually over a while ago, after many twists and turns, but the formal triumph of the stevedores over waterfront cafes, hotels, a cruise port and other "attractions" came yesterday. American Stevedoring,which operates the Red Hook Container Port, signed a new 10-year lease on its waterfront property, formally ending the Bloomberg Administration's Red Hook Piers Remake Dream. The plan died an agonizingly slow death as individual pieces were nibbled away rather than receiving one short, sharp shock. First, the housing went. Then, the cruise terminal was chewed off. And, finally, the entire thing fell apart. The stevedores ultimately hung remarkably tough, mustering a long list of political supporters who threw wrench after wrench in the works. If there's any consolation for the planner of the remade waterfront, the plan might have collapsed of its own volition at the point, anyway.
· Lease Ends Uncertainty for Red Hook Cargo Docks [NYT]
· City OKs Red Hook port pact [NYDN]
Comments
Thought the Mermaid Parade this year was just going to be about people in costume and/or wearing very little at all? Not a chance, given the ongoing 
So, how many protests, rallies and turns of events will there be in the Coney Island Redevelopment drama? There are many in 2007, culminating with the Joe Sitt is Toast bombshell 
First things first: Developer Bruce Ratner says he has fished in the East River and eaten the fish. Well, what he 
The long battle of the Red Hook piers was actually over 