SATURDAY • AUGUST 14, 2004 Including The Bensonhurst Paper Brooklyn’s REAL newspapers 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 • © 2004 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages • Vol. 27, No. 32 BRZ • Saturday, August 14, 2004 • FREE DERELICT RAILROAD TRACKS BENEATH THE BAY RIDGE TOWERS IS RIDGE’S HOMELESS HAVEN As authorities pass the buck, residents demand removal By Jotham Sederstrom The Brooklyn Papers EXCLUSIVE A group of more than 40 frustrat- ed Bay Ridge Towers residents Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez and Bor- marched to the 68th Police Precinct ough Park state Sen. Seymour Lachman stationhouse Sunday to demand ac- represent the towers. tion against what they call a grow- “It’s like a city under the city,” said ing homeless problem that no one Edgar Ramirez, a Towers resident who wants to take responsibility for. gathered with others in front of the police “There have been countless complaints precinct on 65th Street to ask for stepped- from both buildings,” said Barbara Gre- up efforts to battle the homeless problem. bin, who lives in the Towers at 260 65th Officer Robert Pinnisi, a community St. “But nobody does anything and we affairs liaison with the 68th Police end up getting bounced around until we’re Precinct, told protesters that the area is finally forced to call 311.” often patrolled. But unless police catch The problem, say tenants, is that someone committing a crime, such as homeless men and women are residing public drinking or urination, arrests are below the 30-story towers, in a cav- avoided. ernous space owned by the Long Island “The homeless problem exists in Rail Road that is currently leased to the every community in the city practically,” New York & Atlantic Railway. said Pinnisi. “What we do is we have an Meanwhile, a swath of Leif Ericcson ongoing initiative to make contact with Park just behind the buildings, which is the homeless and give them an opportu- also swarming with homeless people, is nity to be relocated to a shelter.” / Greg Mango / Greg overseen by the Department of Parks But Pinnisi said that because the area and Recreation — and the bike path under the towers is owned by the Long there is overseen by the Department of Island Rail Road, the railroad — a state Transportation. agency — should be responsible for de- To make matters worse, many tenants ploying its own police force. The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn believe that Councilman Vincent Gentile “It’s private property and technically Democratic District Leader Ralph Perfetto (center) joins Bay Ridge Towers residents Charlie Neil, Bill McCormack, Toni Smith and Joanna Lucas in pleading with and state Sen. Marty Golden represent private property is not within our juris- transients in an area behind the Towers to go to a shelter and get cleaned up. the towers when in fact, Sunset Park See HOMELESS on page 3 Mayor: Coney Sportsplex alive despite Olympic snub By Jotham Sederstrom Bloomberg insisted Thursday that de- way for a new 20,000-seat arena in The Brooklyn Papers spite a revised Olympics bid that shifts Downtown Brooklyn,” said Falk. “In Mango / Greg indoor volleyball from the proposed EXCLUSIVE place of the Sportsplex, the administra- City officials say that a recent Coney Island Sportsplex to the Conti- tion has committed to developing a reshuffling of Olympics venues nental Airlines arena in New Jersey, an in Downtown Brooklyn would not plan for a multi-use sports facility for for the 2012 Summer Games amateur facility is still on the table. threaten the proposal either, said Jen- the youth and residents of Coney Is- will not jeopardize plans for a Plans to convert the Park Slope nifer Falk, the spokeswoman. land much like the project announced Papers The Brooklyn proposed amateur athletics facil- Armory into an athletic center and “It is unreasonable to expect a for the renovated Park Slope Armory.” Borough President Marty Markowitz is in the driver’s seat and Rep. Jerrold Nadler is on the run- ity in Coney Island. those by developer Bruce Ratner to 10,000-seat arena to be built at the But members of the Brooklyn ning board of a Gray Line bus in front of Nathan’s in Coney Island Thursday. Later this year, Gray A spokeswoman for Mayor Michael build a professional basketball arena same time as plans are already under- See CONEY on page 4 Line will carry tourists from Manhattan to the world-famous amusement area by the ocean. NOT JUST NETS • THE NEW BROOKLYN • NOT JUST NETS CITY AGENCY: WE WILL PROBE RATNER’S PLAN By Deborah Kolben The Brooklyn Papers The Independent Budget Fiscal watchdog must rely Office will conduct an eco- nomic study of Bruce Rat- ner’s $2.5 billion Atlantic on developer’s cooperation / Greg Mango / Greg Yards development, the city- funded fiscal watchdog “We have decided that we will tends to finance its contribution. reaching as high as 620 feet. An agency announced this week. take a look at it, but we don’t “Those are two very large initial presentation of Ratner’s Responding to requests from know what that means as far as open questions at the heart of project included designs by elected officials and opponents scope and timing,” said Doug Tu- what we would typically look renowned architect Frank Gehry. The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn of the project, which Ratner esti- retsky, a spokesman for the IBO. at,” said Turetsky. Opponents of the massive proj- mates will cost $2.5 billion to The developer is expected to Ratner is proposing to construct ect have been urging the IBO to complete, the agency agreed to seek both city and state subsidies a 21-acre, arena, office tower and undertake a study ever since Rat- Housing at the Fort undertake the study, but said it but has not yet disclosed the residential village starting at the in- ner released an economic analysis must receive detailed financial scope of his request. While May- tersection of Atlantic and Flatbush he commissioned. Sen. Hillary Clinton, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Geoffrey G. Prosch, assistant secretary of the Army, at Fort information from Ratner’s com- or Michael Bloomberg has avenues and stretching six blocks “It is a victory,” said Prospect Hamilton Army base where they broke ground Wednesday on 222 new homes for service personnel. pany, Forest City Ratner, before pledged support for the project, it into Prospect Heights. Heights Councilwoman Letitia it can go ahead. is still unclear how the city in- The plan includes 17 buildings See PROBE on page 7 Construction Exterminators Stairs See more FLOOR LEVEL ONE Cee Dee SANDING CONSTRUCTION CORP USA EXTERMINATORS PROFESSIONAL ALSO AVAILABLE HOME ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN • INTERIOR RENOVATIONS TERMITE, RODENT & INSECT CONTROL SPECIALISTS CONTRACTORS Residential • Commercial COMMERCIAL $100 OFF $15 OFF Broken or Missing IMPROVEMENT ANY “Safest Methods Used” ANY RESIDENTIAL TERMITE SVC SERVICE Baluster/Spindles CUSTOM RENOVATION SPECIALIST WITH THIS AD 718-832-0900 WITH THIS AD Weak or Broken Steps services LICENSED & BONDED #0836623 A Service Company You Can Depend On (Treads, Stringers or Risers) FULLY INSURED Licensed & Insured on the back page 1 (917) 847-8307 Call: 718-893-4006 ©The Brooklyn Papers. Established 1978. Phone 718-834-9350. Celia Weintrob, Publisher (ext 104) • Neil Sloane, Editor (ext 119) • Lisa J. Curtis, GO Brooklyn Editor (ext 131) • Vince DiMiceli, Senior Editor (ext 125) • Ed Weintrob, President (ext 105) 2 BRZ THE BROOKLYN PAPERS • WWW.BROOKLYNPAPERS.COM August 14, 2004 #SPPLMZOT-BX4QFDJBMJTU “You can rely on 1FSTPOBM*OKVSZ3FBM&TUBUF Sprays a Hurst –––––– our quality and •Automobile Harbour integrity for all of Accidents man with Mace Abstract your title needs” •Premises Liability Agency, LTD By Jotham Sederstrom Rhea M. McCone, PRESIDENT Linda J. Cappabianca, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR The Brooklyn Papers –––––– •Real Estate 62/68 BLOTTER Michael P. Donohue, DIRECTOR OF SALES A thug used Mace and his Colleen Symon, PRODUCTION •Landlord/Tenant fists to attack a Bensonhurst 7617 Silvana Nasso, SALES ASSOCIATE man afflicted with cerebral of nowhere with a baseball boy refused, the bully promised bat. After striking the man on that he only wanted money, and Third Avenue •Property Disputes palsy last week. Preparation of all Acris E-Tax Forms Police say the victim was the head and his right elbow, not his cell phone, before lung- standing near Bay Parkway and the goon fled east on Kings ing a black stick toward him. Real Estate closing facilities available in Highway. Police arrested the Although he was not hit, •Civil Litigation 86th Street at 7:10 pm on Aug. (718) 491-6505 Bay Ridge, Downtown & Midtown Manhattan suspect later that night. the boy handed over $10. But 'SFF/P0CMJHBUJPO 2 when he was jumped from fax (718) 491-6508 •Wills / Estates behind. Without a word, the at- What a hangover the delinquent fled with $20 Members of the New York State Land Title Association $POTVMUBUJPO tacker sprayed the man with the A drunken man coming more after rummaging through •Matrimonial Mace and began punching him home from a late Saturday his pockets. in the ribs before throwing him night of clubbing in Manhat- to the ground and kicking him tan was helped into his Bay •Family Law in the chest. Ridge apartment by a per- The 38-year-old Asian man, ceived good Samaritan. When XXXDPTUFMMPDPTUFMMPDPN •Bankruptcy who required an interpreter to he awoke Sunday afternoon, THE report the crime to police, sus- however, it was clear the per- tained injuries to his ribs and son was anything but. NARROWS left forearm. Police say the 21-year-old FREE Costello & Costello, P.C.