Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Quicklinks: New York Daily News & Crains
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
As exclusively reported by the New York Daily News. Interesting quote/teaser:
“We’ve been working on this for years,” said Councilman Steve Levin (D-Greenpoint), who has been pursuing the park since he took office four years ago. “It’s nice we got this done before the mayor left office.”
…But Levin acknowledged one flaw in the plan: There is no money currently budgeted for construction of the $14 million park. And the city is banking on getting at least $8 million from the sale of air rights to an adjacent parcel at 77 Commercial St., where a 40-story tower would be built if approved by the City Council.
A few things to consider:
1. Perhaps there would have been money available to develop this space had the city not elected to lower the asking price? The original asking price was $12,000,000. However, in defiance of the overall trend hereabouts (skyrocketing property values), the city struck a deal for $8,000,000. Why?
2. 77 Commercial Street was represented at the last ULURP meeting by representative of Greenberg Taurig which, I noted, is a lobbyist. This is rather interesting when one considers the following:
Fascinating, isn’t it?
Closing on a related note, do take a moment to read this article from Crains regarding the onrush of plans being filed by developers so as to get them processed before Bloomturd leaves office. Here’s a teaser:
…Among the independent projects before the department, one of the biggest is Two Trees Management’s plan for the 11-acre Domino Sugar site in Williamsburg, which was already rezoned once, in 2010. The developer has decided to take the old plan, rows of 30- and 40-story towers, and replace it with a wild design of geometric buildings reaching as high as 60 stories, but that would allow more open space and light into the parcel.
The scheme deviates considerably from what Ms. Burden spent years crafting up and down the East River waterfront, and Two Trees is struggling to bring her around to its proposal, according to sources. Two Trees had hoped its 2,200 apartments on the site would have been certified by June—the first step in the six-month review process. Now, with negotiations ongoing, the developer hopes for a September certification. That would still leave enough time for Ms. Burden and the planning commission to approve the project, but it would fall to local Councilman Stephen Levin to shepherd Domino through the City Council next year…
Did I mention that Mr. Levin received a donation from Raymond Levin? This fellow just happens to be an attorney representing Two Trees Management?
Well, I just did.
Connect the dots, folks…
Quicklinks: More Coverage Regarding The Rally
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
- Bedford + Bowery
- Brooklyn Paper and last, but hardly least…
- GWAPP
Choice excerpt from the latter most:
…So, how can the 40-story towers in Greenpoint be stopped? The only way to reduce the height and density of the 2005 rezoning is rezone the rezoning. But that is a process that would be extremely difficult assuming that you had a sympathetic administration, and would take years of committed community activism to achieve. A “dezoning” would be fighting against billions of dollars of vested development rights and the entrenched interests of labor unions and affordable housing advocates. These are exactly the forces that came together to make the 2005 rezoning happen in the first place (and others–Domino, for instance). Certainly with the right mayor in office, a waterfront zoning redo is not completely out of the question, but even in that perfect-world scenario, it is a huge lift.
But then there is the question of time. In this best-case scenario, going through the environmental reviews and public review process for such an action would take at least two to three years. More likely, it will be a years-long fight to get to that two- to three-year process. Meanwhile, Greenpoint and Williamsburg will continue to develop, and the community will continue to suffer from growing pains (and, while the 40-story towers make nice lightning rods, the bulk of the density impact of development comes on the 150 or so blocks that are not on the waterfront).
Another idea that has been floated is to challenge the 2005 rezoning using Article 78 of the civil code. Article 78 petitions allow people to challenge administrative decisions made by government agencies–in effect to argue that an agency either exceeded its procedural bounds or refused to act when it should have. But Article 78 is not going to stop towers from coming to the Greenpoint waterfront for the simple fact that the statue of limitations for such petitions ran out almost 8 years ago (7 years and 359 days, but who’s counting?). Even if such a challenge could be mounted, it would be expensive ($100,000 or more), and would be at best, a delaying tactic.
As groups and individuals, we (emphasis mine — Ed. Note) worked very hard (and largely in vain) to get the 2005 rezoning right-sized, and worked very hard (and largely in vain) to get the even-bigger 2010 Domino rezoning right-sized. Those experiences–and many others–have taught us a lot about the land-use process, and why we take a pragmatic (emphasis mine — Ed. Note) approach to the idea of undoing the 2005 zoning…
New York Shitty Analysis:
- Exactly who/what constitutes “we”?
- Exactly what constitutes “pragmatic”? I really want to know…
Live From This Evening’s ULURP Meeting
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
All things considered this evening’s proceedings were quite well attended. I write “All things considered” because, once again, this meeting conflicted with another one pertaining to the subject of crime. In any case, I am pleased to announce (SPOILER ALERT):
- 77 Commercial has dispensed with the “poor door”.
- Ms. Meyer, the lady charged with representing Greenpoint Landing, assured us those who live in their affordable housing units will have (and I quote) “free access” to the parks developed on said parcels. Um, I thought that was kind of the point of having public parks? But I digress.
Without further ado here are tonight’s proceedings. Enjoy!
- 0:54 – 1:28 watch it. And REwatch it. I did. Here’s an instant replay— albeit of the “I am tired and am in no mood for annotating this sh*t” variety.
Listening to this the first time was bad enough. Hence a Hello Kitty* post-it note and my hand will have to suffice. To my credit, I refrained from using my middle finger…
- Jack Hammer the Director of Planning at HPD (Housing Preservation and Development) speaks. I am not kidding. His name really is Jack Hammer.
- “Mayoral Process”: one of the two ton gorillas** in the room, it was not mentioned (after all the public was not allowed to comment) but it was certainly there nonetheless. The reason this is being expedited— and Community Board 1 has never been this “active” during their summer break in my recollection— is so it will fly through before Bloomturd leaves office.
- So was the dude sitting next to me from the Department of City Planning or not?
- At 4:48 Del Teague, ULURP Chair, makes it clear she is NOT taking questions from “the public”.
The “vote” and next up, 77 Commercial Street…
This fellow represents via Greenberg Traurig LLP. In other words: he’s a lobbyist for “Clipper Equities”.
- At 3:18 he, on the behalf of 77 Commercial Street, dispenses with the “poor door”.
- Apparently the City of New York can only sell air rights from 65 Commercial Street to adjacent properties– and 77 Commercial was the only one to make a bid. So they got it.
Congratulations, Greenpoint! We’re getting more park space and it will even be available to residents of affordable housing! What’s more, we may very well have landed us a(nother) slumlord. Run a Google search of David Bistricer and Joseph Chetrit, the fellows behind 77 Commercial Street. This and this are my personal favorites.
I skipped out before the “school” presentation (at the end). But then again Del Teague, ULURP Chair, almost forgot about it too…
Cheers!
Post Script: I would encourage each and every one of you, gentle readers, to familiarize yourselves with the Sunshine Laws. Especially as they pertain to “Open Meetings”. In this respect let’s just say our local Community Board seems to be a mite bit inconsistent in its application…
*Hello Kitty neither endorses nor takes a position on this community matter. I simply felt lazy and the need to be a jackass. It happens.
**The other being “infrastructural” stress: policing. The fact of the matter is the 94th is presently under-staffed to protect and serve this community. It has never overcome the wave of “attrition”/”retirements” that came to pass several years ago. So, I ask:
How is the 94th Precinct going to handle the influx of new residents from Greenpoint Landing, 77 Commercial Street and all the Greenpoint Condo Corridor?
Given the current path we’re on they cannot. Plain and simple. It was noted in 94th Precinct Community Council meetings long before this “Crime Wave” that block watchers and neighborhood watch groups should be (re)implemented. They were not.
But what irritates the fuck out of me is the fact this is the second time a meeting/forum regarding “crime” has conflicted with a ULURP meeting regarding the development on Greenpoint’s waterfront. So we have to choose. Is Community Board 1 really that inept/out of touch?
Quicklink: From The New York Post
Thanks to a little “birdie” on the Interwebs I, on a lark, decided to run a quick Google search of the two fellows who wish to (over)develop 77 Commercial Street, with air rights courtesy of 65 Commercial Street in exchange for affordable housing replete with its own “poor door”! The above tome pretty much says it all. Here’s a choice quote/teaser:
But Bistricer’s track record in Brooklyn is notorious. As owner of the 59-building Flatbush Gardens complex, he had more than 8,100 open violations in 2010 and even ranked among the city’s biggest slumlords that year, according to a list comprised by Public Advocate Bill De Blasio.
Bistricer’s shoddy upkeep of Flatbush Gardens and other properties was also a key reason why in 2007 then-Attorney General Andrew Cuomo fought to block a $1.3 billion bid by Clipper Equities to buy the nation’s biggest federally subsidized housing complex, Brooklyn’s Starrett City…
And so we are going to trust this fellow to provide quality housing— be it affordable housing or otherwise— here? LMFAO…
Greenpoint To Get The “Poor Door” Policy?
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Wow, WTF
If the developers of 77 Commercial Street have it their way, that would appear to be the case. Read it and weep.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: ULURP Hearing Regarding Greenpoint Landing & 77 Commercial Street
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
For those of you who are not in the know next Tuesday, August 13th, a ULURP (Land Use Committee) meeting will come to pass at Automotive High School regarding Greenpoint Landing. GWAPP has pretty good, easily understandable synopsis of the progress of this endeavor. Please give it a read, show up and speak up!
ULURP Hearing Regarding Greenpoint Landing
August 13, 2013 starting at 6:30 p.m.
Automotive High School
50 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Closing on a related note…
- The following Tuesday, also at the Automotive High School, there will be a public hearing regarding 77 Commercial Street.
- The following evening, August 21, 2013, we have not only a meeting of the Executive Committee of Community Board 1, but also the “Battle of the Stephens”.
It is proving to be a lively August in the Garden Spot, folks…
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Community Workshop Regarding Greenpoint Landing & 77 Commercial Street
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Given the major implications these projects have for our community, I feel compelled to pass along this missive I received this morning from the folks at GWAPP.
At a casual glance this seems all well and good, yes? This brings me to the mailing address for GWAPP which I have highlighted— and not too secret fact known by quite a few Greenpointer: the mailing address for this organization is, in fact, that of the very attorney cum community activist who was hired by the Park Tower Group (whose endeavor Greenpoint Landing is) to advocate for the 2005 rezone in the first place.
From NY1 on April 4, 2005:
Here’s another corker courtesy of Amanda Burden.
It provides opportunities for new housing, including affordable housing for a range of incomes, while respecting the scale and mixed-use character that defines these vibrant neighborhoods.
Um, in the clarity that is 2013 hindsight, it did not exactly work out that way— but I digress. Now the New York Daily News on April 29, 2005:
It also interesting to note this same-said fellow is a board member of Open Space Alliance North Brooklyn— and the Park Tower Group was a “partner” at last year’s $150 a head fundraiser at the McCarren Park Pool.
Rather funny/sad/curious, isn’t it? In any case, any and all who are interested in attending this community forum can RSVP by clicking here.
Community Workshop Regarding Greenpoint Landing & 77 Commercial Street
June 27, 2013 starting at 6:30 p.m.
Newtown Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant Visitors Center
329 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
UPDATE, 4:57 p.m.: Oh, I forgot to mention this oldie but goody, also from NY1. It dates from July 29, 2002:
You can read the rest here.
Quicklink: Community Meeting Notes Regarding Greenpoint Landing & 77 Commercial Street
Filed under: 11222, Class War, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Yours truly opted not to attend this convocation (one can only stomach so much of this stuff— seriously). However a writer at Greenpointers, Peter, has authored an excellent summary. Do take a moment to give it a read!
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