Landmark Independence B’ldg Plans Move Ahead

Developer Two Trees Management is moving along with their plan to build a six story apartment building on the current site of Sovereign Bank’s (the old Independence Bank, left) parking lot, on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Court Street in Cobble Hill. The Brooklyn Eagle's Dennis Holt reports that the the apartments will be rentals, and the building will have stores at the street level. Two Trees is now looking for a major retailer to occupy the interior of the bank space. See the Eagle story for more.

The Only Constant is Change

Pictures of Coney Island then and now,set to "Brooklyn Roads" by Neil Diamond (by YouTuber Jennert).

'Face-Off' Between City and Coney Island Developer

Neither party looks like they're going to budge in the face-off between the city and developer Thor Equities over the inclusion of residential towers in Coney Island’s amusement district, says Sarah Ryley of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

CIDC board member Dick Zigun said the city never anticipated that long-time amusement owners would sell their property. “The city and the CIDC, we never expected to see things like Astroland sold. That was a big surprise,” he said. Many more details in the Eagle story.

'No Problem' at Belltel Lofts

And how do future tenants of the Belltel Lofts (365 Bridge Street in Downtown Brooklyn) feel now that their developer's "sordid legal history" has come to light? Some were surprised to learn that their developer is the same David Bistricer whose group (Clipper Equity) won the bidding for the thousands of apartments at Starrett City, prompting Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to expose Mr. Bistricer's “long and troubled history of tenant abuse” in the city.

Most have no problem with that, if you go by the Belltellofts blog (the "blog for owners or people who'd like to be owners at Belltel Lofts"). Guyfromdobro, for example, says, "That might be a problem for some folks; in and of itself, it doesn't especially bother me..." Other posters were more interested in the bigger questions. Like, "Does anyone know if there will be any storage in the building at no fee?"

Theater in "Real-Life" Heights Apartment

The Brooklyn Heights Blog gives us the heads up on The Sublet Experiment, a romantic comedy by Ethan Youngerman that will take place in a "real-life apartment" on Willow Street between Pierrepont and Clark Streets, from April 12 - 29 .

This reminds us of Ed Schmidt's noted apartment dinner- theater/church service "The Last Supper" which we experienced a couple of years ago, after it moved from his Brooklyn home to a Manhattan apartment. Schmidt is now hosting Dumbolio, a monthly variety show performed in the powerHouse Arena in Dumbo. The March 10 event will features singer-songwriter Taylor Mac; Scotty the Blue Bunny; corporate motivational speaker Thomas L. Bolster; the nude self-portrait photographer NakedGuyNYC; and painter Marina Pavlutskaya. Sounds like quite a party. (http://dumbolio.com/index.html)

A Plea for Help from Bay Ridge

On the Bay Ridge Talk discussion board, there are more than 230 postings about a house on 93rd between 3rd and 4th Ave that's become quite the problem in the neighborhood. "Everyone's talking about the fighting and drug deals going down in the driveway of this house," says AlwaysaNYer. Seems that the neighbors can't get any official action. "I have lived on this block almost my whole life," says LewisJ, "and I have never felt as threatened as I do now ... I have done everything I can, and I know some of my neighbors have also on their own. People have [gone to] Gentile's and Golden's office, and filed several complaints with the 68..."

Lawsuit Update: Brooklyn Bridge Park

A Town Hall Meeting will be held tomorrow night at 7 p.m. to bring Brownstone Brooklynites up to speed on the lawsuit against the inclusion of luxury condos in the proposed 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park. Lawsuit proponents write, “In the current configuration, the greatest part of the ‘park's’ acreage is dedicated to rolling lawns for the delight of the condo purchasers …We have to fight to restore the ice rink, the swimming pool … a performance venue, stores, and restaurants.” The meeting, sponsored by The Sierra Club and The Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund, takes place at Founders Hall, St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street.

According to Empire State Development Chairman Charles A. Gargano, "The BBPDC has committed to building only the minimum amount of development necessary to sustain the park.”

Judge Blocks Atlantic Yards Plaintiffs’ ‘End Run’ Around State Laws

A Brooklyn magistrate judge recommended Friday that the federal court should dismiss the eminent domain challenge filed by opponents of Forest City Ratner’s Atlantic Yards Project. The lawsuit is one of three ongoing legal battles over the proposed development project for Central Brooklyn. In a 42-page decision, Magistrate Judge Robert Levy found that the issue belongs in state court, not federal. Elizabeth Stull of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle presents a detailed breakdown of the judge’s decision.

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