Concerted Effort Ball Before It’S Too Late, According to Residents of 238 President St
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UP Brooklyn Heights Association not appealing Pier 6 ruling By Julianne Cuba cision could be “undone.” Brooklyn Paper Workers nearly finished con- What’s almost done is done. structing the shorter tower at 15 Opponents of the two in-prog- Bridge Park Drive by the time St. ress towers that a judge in February George ruled, and now the 15-story ruled could legally rise at Brook- building is fully topped out with a lyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 — months scheduled spring 2019 opening, a after developers started building rep for the developers said. them — will not appeal the deci- And contractors have completed sion, according to the head of the civic group that sued to stop the 16 f loors of the 28-story high-rise development back in 2016 . The at 50 Bridge Park Drive, chris- Brooklyn Heights Association will tened Quay Tower, which builders instead divert its attention to other expect to top out later this spring issues in the nabe, said its exec- before welcoming its first occu- utive director, who took one last pants next summer, according to swipe at park leaders in his an- the rep, who said the 126 luxury nouncement. condominiums inside it — which “We will not pursue an appeal, include two-bedrooms starting at and our legal challenge to the Pier $1.9 million and five-bedrooms at 6 development has ended,” said $5.5 million — will go on sale in Peter Bray. “We hope that the Photo by Caleb Caldwell the coming months. Brooklyn Bridge Park Corpora- The Brooklyn Heights Association will not appeal a judge’s The leader of the Brooklyn tion will be more respectful of its decision to let the Pier 6 towers — which are fast approach- Bridge Park Corporation said commitments to the community ing completion — rise in Brooklyn Bridge Park. the group looks forward to com- in the future.” pleting the Pier 6 towers, and will Leaders of the Heights Associ- Project Plan, which permits de- And on Feb. 16, seven months work with locals to ensure their ation took park bigwigs and their velopment within the green space after the case’s first public hear- needs are met as the green space chosen builders RAL Develop- only to rake in moolah needed to ings began in a Manhattan court- evolves. ment Services and Oliver’s Realty maintain it. room, Justice Carmen St. Victoria “We are pleased to put the liti- Group to court after the real-es- gation behind us and move ahead But meadow attorneys dis- St. George ultimately ruled in fa- Photo by Stefano Giovannini tate firms filed plans for the 15- missed that charge, arguing that vor of the semi-private corporation with this essential project,” said and 28-story towers at the foot the high-rises would generate that oversees the meadow in con- Eric Landau. “We look forward of Atlantic Avenue — the shorter money the cash-strapped park junction with the city, green-light- to working closely with the com- of which will contain 100 units needed to repair Pier 6’s support- ing the towers that her predecessor, munity not only throughout con- Sign of spring of so-called affordable housing ive timber pilings from the 1950s, Justice Lucy Billings, allowed the struction, but beyond, as we con- — charging the project violated which are being gnawed away by developers to start building last tinue to make Brooklyn Bridge Julie DeLaurier stood an egg up on its fat side at during an annual event at Grand Army Brooklyn Bridge Park’s govern- wood-eating crustaceans called July on the condition that what- Park one of the city’s most pop- Plaza to usher in the Spring Equinox — the day before a massive snowstorm hit the bor- ing document, the 2006 General marine borers. ever went up ahead of the final de- ular public open spaces.” ough last week. For more egg-citing springtime celebrations, see page 10. the one-time kindergarten and its neighbor for protection, in order to save the former from the wrecking Concerted effort ball before it’s too late, according to residents of 238 President St. Avo Construction officials have yet to file the necessary paperwork Joan Baez joins push to save former school to demolish the old classrooms and build the seven-story complex — By Julianne Cuba at the Manhattan-based real-es- ident St. more than four decades the tallest height allowed by current Brooklyn Paper tate firm Avo Construction are in earlier, in 1853, and it later served zoning laws — but a deal is in the They shall overcome! contact to scoop up the old school as housing for teachers before be- works, according to Bankoff, and The city must landmark a Car- — known in its Gilded Age hey- coming living quarters for locals the city must landmark it and the roll Gardens building where some day as the Hans S. Christian Me- including the folk singer’s kin, ac- next-door residences before the De- of Kings County’s youngest learned morial Kindergarten — and plan to cording to a history buff. partment of Buildings issues any their ABCs before a developer de- bulldoze the ancient classrooms to “These two buildings are linked permits to the developer. stroys it to build condos, demanded erect a seven-story apartment build- together,” said Simeon Bankoff, the “The issue is that 236 has re- a pack of preservationists including ing in their place. executive director of private preser- cently been sold, the paperwork a legendary folk singer and activist The two-story, 1897 structure vation group, the Historic Districts hasn’t gone through,” he said. “It’s whose family lived next door. between Clinton and Court streets Council. “One actually served as the Associated Press / I. Lopez very imminent.” “I was disheartened to learn that served as the borough’s first free- residences for the teachers.” Baez wants to save the Landmarks members are review- there is a possibility of demolition,” standing kindergarten before public The properties sit just outside of building that her grandfa- ing the proposal to preserve the two musician Joan Baez, whose grand- schools offered classes to such young the Carroll Gardens Historic Dis- ther once preached in. structures after receiving requests father once lived adjacent to the for- tykes. And it later became home trict, which the Landmarks Preser- from Baez, a 238 President St. res- mer learning house at 236 President to parishioners of Brooklyn’s first vation Commission established in and 77-year-old Baez — who was ident, and local pols including Car- St., wrote in a letter read aloud to lo- Spanish-speaking house of worship, 1973 to preserve some 134 buildings born on Staten Island and gained roll Gardens Assemblywoman Jo cals who rallied for its protection on the First Methodist Episcopal con- on Carroll and President streets be- notoriety for championing the civ- Anne Simon and Councilman Brad Photo by Caroline Ourso March 23. “The building is of unique gregation, where Baez’s Mexican- tween Smith and Hoyt streets. il-rights movement and criticizing Lander, who stressed the urgency Locals, pols, and Joan Baez are calling on the city to land- social and historical significance, born grandfather preached. And now, current and former the Vietnam War during her nearly of saving the schoolhouse. mark this President Street building before it gets demol- and it should be protected.” Builders erected the school’s residents of the schoolhouse-adja- six-decade career — are calling on “If we don’t act now, a treasure ished and replaced with apartments. Neighbors claim that bigwigs next-door neighbor at 238 Pres- cent building, along with local pols the landmarks agency to designate will likely be lost,” Lander said. Bad news for some business owners Shopkeepers blast city’s new parking regulations on Flatbush Avenue By Julianne Cuba Greg Yerman, who runs Burrito Bar and the evening window on the Prospect Park places, and the Prospect Heights– Brooklyn Paper Kitchen on Flatbush Avenue between Heights–bound side. bound side between St. Marks Avenue This traffic plan is giving business Park and Prospect Places. “Small busi- The increased regulations are part of and Prospect Place as well as between owners road rage. nesses are shunned once again.” a six-month pilot program Mayor De- Park and Sterling places. Flatbush Avenue mom-and-pops are On March 19, the Department of Blasio introduced under his so-called But the dedicated loading zones make already suffering after the city nixed Transportation installed “no standing” Congestion Action Plan, an initiative it even harder for car-using customers to parking on a stretch of the commercial signs on both sides of the thoroughfare announced last fall that he claims will find spots outside stores, according to a corridor last week in a scheme officials all the way from Tillary Street in Amer- reduce traffic throughout the five bor- local business booster, who argued that claim will calm congestion, because the ica’s Downtown to Grand Army Plaza in oughs. eliminating all of that parking for such a loss of curb space complicates deliveries Prospect Heights, which prohibit park- The Transportation Department also large chunk of the day is excessive. at many shops and leaves patrons with ing from 7 am to 10 am and 4 pm to eliminated one-hour metered parking “Our businesses deserve to have load- less spots to pull up outside them.