BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Bensonhurst Paper Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages •Vol.28, No. 29 BRZ •Saturday, July 23, 2005 • FREE PICTURE THIS Rendering of a-park-ment tower ignites firestorm of angry e-mails By Jess Wisloski The Brooklyn Papers Proving that a picture is truly worth a thousand words, a com- munity activist and longtime sup- porter of the plan to build a Brooklyn Bridge Park set off a flurry of anxious e-mails this week when he distributed a com- puter-generated image of what he believes a planned 30-story con- dominium tower at the park’s Hall Borough southern end would look like. Borough President Marty Markowitz, pictured last month with Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary-General, is Roy Sloane, a member of the Cob- building bridges that may result in the international agency setting up permanent offices here. ble Hill Association who owns a small advertising agency and special- izes in graphic design, circulated an e-mail with an image he created de- picting how the park would appear from a western-facing view at At- lantic Avenue. U.N.-BELIEVABLE “My goal was to get an accurate picture out there and have an open discussion,” said Sloane, who oppos- es plans by the park’s state-appointed Seek permanent office development corporation to finance the annual $15.2 million operating budget by building five luxury resi- dential buildings. Unlike most parks in the city, space in D’town B’klyn Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is planned for the waterfront roughly be- By Jess Wisloski say, even if they don’t decide upon “We went to the U.N., we made tween the Manhattan Bridge overpass The Brooklyn Papers Brooklyn as a temporary facility, our pitch and came home,” he Below, left, Cobble Hill Association member Roy Sloane’s rendering of what he believes a proposed 30-sto- and Atlantic Avenue, is mandated to be they still would consider Brooklyn said. ry tower at the entrance to the planned Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront development would look like. The self-sufficient, paying for its own cost- Borough President Marty for a full-time expansion,” said Adams told The Brooklyn Pa- Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation subsequently released its version of the tower view (below, ly maintenance. The city and state Markowitz has been lobbying Greg Atkins, Markowitz’s chief of pers this week that the U.N. was right) and also overlayed what they believe to be more accurate dimensions onto Sloane’s rendering (above). have agreed to finance the estimated United Nations officials to relo- staff. also eyeing Brooklyn for a perma- $150 million it will cost to develop the cate to Downtown Brooklyn Atkins noted that the July 12 nent relocation of some type. open space, commercial and housing during the planned reconstruc- meeting, which included Brooklyn “I think the thing that struck me development. tion of the international body’s Chamber of Commerce President about the meeting was first, that Since the plans for the housing general headquarters in Man- Kenneth Adams and Downtown the undersecretary made it clear were introduced to media and select hattan — and the effort may be Brooklyn Council Director that Downtown Brooklyn is cer- community groups late last year, sub- paying off. Michael Burke, did not include tainly still on their radar screen sequent meetings held by the Brook- any real estate developers. [for the temporary relocation], but lyn Bridge Park Development Corpo- Word out of meetings between Markowitz and U.N. Undersecre- “In fact, we aren’t even ready to the thing that was a surprise was ration (BBPDC) and its lead designer, be talking to developers in Brook- that he also mentioned his interest the landscape architecture firm tary General Christopher Burnham lyn, but we took a delegation of in Downtown Brooklyn long- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates this week was that Brooklyn is not business, educational institution term, that it is a possible site for (MVVA), have shown attendees vari- just being looked at for the seven- ous renderings of what the park year relocation of their headquar- and community leaders to go talk some function of the U.N. perma- would look like from a multitude of ters and General Assembly, but is and we went to speak to Chris nently,” he said. viewpoints as well as a model. also being seriously considered for Burnham about why Brooklyn Crain’s New York Business re- None of the images showed pro- a permanent relocation of some would be a great possibility,” ported Monday that the U.N. had posed luxury high-rise residential support staff. Atkins said about the half-hour narrowed the potential sites for the “Undersecretary Burnham did meeting. See PICTURE SPARKS on page 17 See UN MOVE on page 13 Bloomie bucks MTA won’t pave way for show hand Moose Lodge Refuses to release bid info By Jess Wisloski the 8.4-acre site likewise would not The Brooklyn Papers be made public until after the MTA By Ajla Grozdanic went more than a mile away, to a basement Despite mounting pressure from board review of the bids. for The Brooklyn Papers space at the Angel Guardian Home, on 63rd Forest City Ratner, the develop- Street between 12th and 13th avenues, in community groups, the Metro- ment company with whom the MTA It’s taken three years of political Borough Park. politan Transportation Authority posturing and name-calling, but has been negotiating for more than a Left without a center in Bensonhurst, said this week it would not make year, and Extell Development, a Man- Bensonhurst seniors will soon get a Jerry Speier many seniors, who had to travel more than public the details of two bids sub- hattan-based company that submitted new center at the Loyal Order of the 20 blocks to get to the new center, protest- mitted by developers seeking to a last-minute bid, both hope to secure Moose Lodge on 18th Avenue. ed that decision. build over the Atlantic Avenue rail development rights for the site. The Mayor Michael Bloomberg this week Not everyone is showing unreserved op- Potter’s field storage yards until the authority’s rail yards stretch east into Prospect announced $133,000 allocated from his ex- timism towards the new center opening this Brooklyn Public Library librarians Marilyn Ackerman, Michael Santangelo and Alli- fall, especially considering the two-year de- board had completed its review of Heights from the intersection of At- ecutive budget towards operational costs of son Henden surrounded by the latest Harry Potter installment, “Harry Potter and the new satellite senior center at the frater- lay that followed the closing of the Narrows them. lantic and Flatbush avenues. the Half-Blood Prince.” BPL set a new record with its initial purchase of 1,155 nal lodge. It is scheduled to open this fall. Senior Center, which had been deemed un- Aspokeswoman for the state au- Both Forest City Ratner and Ex- The Bay Ridge Paper first reported back fit by the city and not in compliance with copies. Online reservations for the book topped 1,150 copies before last Satur- thority also told The Brooklyn Pa- tell officials have declined to make in January the mayor’s funding commit- the Americans with Disabilities Act. day’s release. Reservations can be made at www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org. pers that an independent appraisal of See REFUSAL on page 17 ment for a senior center at the Moose “[The senior center will open] just before Lodge, 7707 18th Ave., which Bloomberg the election, so that [Bloomberg] can come announced this week. and cut the ribbon,” said Assemblyman Pe- “Moose Lodge Senior Center is another ter Abbate this week. wonderful addition to our 329 centers A political tug of war between the De- across the five boroughs,” said Bloomberg mocrat Abbate and Republican Golden Ridge body artist dies on bike path on July 15. “Our centers are vibrant places over funding for the Moose Lodge began for seniors to socialize, stay informed about near the end of 2002. Golden, who accord- their community and receive nutritious ing to sources was instrumental in the cen- By Ariella Cohen It was Alexander’s passion May acknowledged unsafe, meals. Bensonhurst seniors will now have ter moving to Borough Park, announced for The Brooklyn Papers for bicycling and speed that led crowded conditions along the during his campaign for Senate in late 2002 to his demise — he was killed Bay Ridge waterfront on Shore one more place to go and meet friends.” If one thing is certain in the State Sen. Marty Golden, chairman of that he had secured $225,000 in matching July 11 in a biking accident on Parkway’s “narrow” bike and funds from Senate Majority Leader Joe wake of the tragic death of the Shore Parkway path along pedestrian path and was looking the state Senate Aging Committee, who has lifelong Bay Ridgite Keith been involved in the Moose Lodge funding Bruno, and $100,000 in annual operating the waterfront in Bay Ridge. for funds to finance its repair. saga since its inception, said as part of a costs from the city, for a center at the Alexander Bonanno, it is that According to eyewitnesses, “The accident is so senseless. joint release with the mayor, “Today, the Moose Lodge. his memory will live on, and Alexander, who did not wear a Keith crashed while trying to senior citizens of Bensonhurst have been See MOOSE on page 8 under, the skin of many of helmet, hit the guardrail that avoid hitting a kid,” said his granted a gift, and I am very grateful to those who knew him.