Work Stopped on Yards
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CF:8C :C8JJ@=@<;J @EJ@;< Jan. 5, 2014 Your Neighborhood — Your News® Jan. 5—11, 2014 Work stopped CONEY on Yards BY MEGAN RIESZ Mega-developer Forest City Ratner has taken this whole win- ter holiday thing extra-seriously by stopping the installation of GREEN modular apartment units at the only Atlantic Yards building cur- rently being built — immediately after the work started. Three weeks have passed since the developer began the sec- ond phase of construction on the modular B2 skyscraper to great fanfare, but only three of the PLOWED building blocks have been hoisted into the tower’s steel frame, de- spite claims that the operation would be around-the-clock, with Garden cleared for Childs venue eight apartment modules being plunked into place every day, the BY WILL BREDDERMAN been on guard against the destruc- Ratner critic website Atlantic Gardeners had hoped to bury tion of their vegetable patch next Yards Report fi rst reported. Other Borough President Markowitz’s door to the landmarked Childs longtime opponents of the project planned Coney Island amphithe- Building, which is slated to be- say they told us so. ater — but instead got plowed un- come a new music venue , since “The delay in delivery and in- der themselves. the afternoon of Dec. 26, when stallation of B2 housing modules Mr. Mayor Backhoes sent by a developer they said several men claiming is just the latest in an unending Bill DeBlasio was inaugurated as the 109th New York City mayor at City destroyed the Boardwalk Com- to be construction contractors string of broken Atlantic Yards Hall on Jan. 1. The oath was administered by former US president Bill munity Garden in Coney Island came and warned they were going promises,” said Eric McClure, in the early-morning darkness on to uproot the garden overnight. founder of Park Slope Neighbors, Clinton, and in attendance were former US secretary Hilary Clinton, for- Dec. 28, in order to make way for a The planters put up a tent in front pointing out that the developer mer mayors Mike Bloomberg and David Dinkins, Gov. Cuomo, and former permanent home for the outgoing of the garden and camped out in scrapped its 2016 project dead- governors Mario Cuomo and David Peterson. Photo by Paul Martinka Beep’s summer concert series . shifts. But they found themselves Continued on page 10 The gardeners said they had Continued on page 10 Hungry horticulture City’s fi rst 2014 baby born in Bklyn BY COLIN MIXSON on meat-eating plants, who BY SHAVANA ABRUZZO the precious infant girl’s tha Nieves, while doting The Brooklyn Children’s will bring his carnivorous Oh baby! buzz-worthy entrance dad Shannon Willis hov- Museum is turning into a collection with him. Shannon-Lee Willis of made her Gotham’s first ered protectively over his “Little Shop of Horrors.” “My interest in carniv- Crown Heights stole the newborn of 2014. family. As part of its “Icky Fest orous plants was always spotlight from the ball The doe-eyed dar- There was plenty of 2014” weekend — a celebra- about role reversals,” said drop at Times Square on ling tipped the scales at back slapping among the tion of all things creepy, Jonathan Kui, and Sheep- Jan. 1, when she arrived 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and triumphant staffers. crawly, and covered in shead Bay resident and the at the stroke of midnight embraced her star power “We were delighted slime on Jan. 11–12 — the owner of plant nursery Mid- BABY GIRL: Samantha to high fives and pumping by snoozing peacefully to welcome the first New Crown Heights museum is town Carnivores. “Usually, Nieves and Shannon Willis fists at New York Method- in the arms of exhausted- York City baby born in hosting a talk by an expert Continued on page 7 greet Shannon-Lee Willis. ist Hospital, which said but-ecstatic mom Saman- Continued on page 8 A CNG Publication Vol. 3 No. 1 UPDATED EVERY DAY AT BROOKLYNDAILY.COM 2 . 5, 2014 AN , J EEKLY W ROOKLYN B !!# &! !!# # $"!#&&! LUSH LIFE: Brigham Park will have plenty of trees and grassy picnic areas as well as a well-stocked playground. New York City Parks Department '&#&!'$ !& $ $ !"'&# $$$ ! #! #($ ' ! !## New park by the Bay BY COLIN MIXSON expect any trouble. bles and winding footpaths, 14$ '/2# %* # %*+( &&11 The city has plans to “The design phase is ending with a fi ne view of %" * ,& 04 -4-4 3 * ,& 04 -144 turn a blighted spot in complete except for the ex- Jamaica Bay. ,& 04 -1-- +!#%1)%" Sheepshead Bay into a lush pected approval at the Pub- The park will also fea- new park with a playground lic Design Commission, ture a thick grove of trees for the kids. which will probably come separating the playground The shabby, overgrown next month,” said Fidler. from the dilapidated build- lot at Brigham Street and After the park’s plans ings on the other side of Emmons Avenue will get a are approved and a contrac- Brigham Street, which are $3.65 million makeover to tor selected, work should labeled in park’s design as transform it into the long- get underway in late 2014 or “Unsightly Structure(s).” awaited Brigham Street early 2015. The lot on Brigham Park to serve the boom in Construction of Street has always been a families moving into the Brigham Street Park is park, although people not neighborhood. planned for two phases, di- familiar with the area back C.O.D. “Many kids have moved viding the northern and in the 1960s wouldn’t know into the high rise buildings southern halves, but Fi- it, according to Bay Im- in the immediate vicinity dler said that work on both provement Group president and it is critical that we should get underway simul- Steve Barrison. fi nd a safe venue for them taneously. “There was always a to exercise and play,” said The northern half of the park there, but it’s been ne- departing Councilman Lew new park, located just south glected, and we’re going to (718) 354-3834 Fidler (D–Canarsie), who of Emmons Avenue, will bring it back to life,” said funded the project from his have all the fun stuff, with Barrison. *Mention this ad Refer a new customer discretionary budget. a playground featuring the After the park fell into The Parks Department Evo and Playbooster equip- ruin, efforts to renovate when you place your to us and take an says the park’s design is ment that’s been popping and reinvigorate the city- order and receive an additional 3¢ off only a draft, but Fidler up recently in parks such owned property began in additional 3¢ off per gallon described the designs as as the recently unveiled the early 1990s, when the “complete,” except for one Canarsie Park Playground, city promised to pay the per gallon on your next order hurdle — the approval of which also received most of land some attention. the Public Design Commis- its funding through Fidler. According to Fidler, he sion, expected in January. The play set will be was able to rope Bloomberg PAY C.O.D. PRICES & SAVE!!* The councilman has on joined by a sprinkler sys- into giving the project $1.5 occasion had harsh words tem — for the kids, not the million in funding, after for the commission — the grass — and a climbing con- bringing up an old promise Prompt Delivery • Easy Online Ordering agency that must sign off traption, which is called a made by the mayor’s prede- on any “permanent works “space ball” in the designs, cessors. Metered Delivery • Premium Heating Oil of art, architecture and but seems more appropriate “I arranged for the landscape architecture” for monkeying around. Mayor to give $1.5 million, www.CODOIL.com proposed for construction There will be a path since, as I told him, this on city-owned property — from the park’s entry was the promise that the *Cannot combine with any other offers. as it has frustrated Fidler’s plaza leading past the play- city made to this commu- Lic. #74-1810078 park projects in the past, ground and a modest lawn, nity over 20 years ago,” the but in this case, he doesn’t to a woody area of picnic ta- councilman said. 3 J Sample sweets at AN . 5, 2014, B this tasty shindig ROOKLYN BY DANIELLE FURFARO milk chocolate to 100 per- W This golden ticket cent cacao — as well as by EEKLY will get you into a room bean origins, fl avors, and of chocolate — and you types of truffl es. won’t have to go search- Attendees will also ing through Wonka Bars have the opportunity to to fi nd one. try chocolate that has On Jan. 14, an assort- been made from scratch ment of fancy chocolat- in Brooklyn, via Wil- iers will host a bash to liamsburg’s Fine & Raw. celebrate some of the most The company is a part of adventurous chocolate the the nascent “bean to bar” city has to offer — and you movement, in which choc- can taste all of it with one olate makers create their $20 ticket. product directly from the “Brooklyn is so into cacao bean itself, rather chocolate and so recep- than relying on a middle- tive,” said Jean Francois man to provide chocolate Bonnet, head chef at Tum- couverture. bador Chocolate, which is “It allows us to make based in Sunset Park. “We fl avor combinations that will have so many things would not have been pos- to try, because they want sible a few years ago,” to try everything.” said Daniel Sklaar, Fine & Piano man “Chocolate Party!” is Raw’s owner.