New Public Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn at 300 Ashland to Be Unveiled Wednesday

Courtesy Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

A new public plaza at Two Trees' 300 Ashland will be unveiled on Wednesday, June 28th.

The celebration includes music by JahPan and special guests, food by Habana Outpost, and more on this 15,000 square foot landscaped plaza at the corner of Fulton and Lafayette.

The terraced plaza was designed by Enrique Norten of Ten Arquitectos and Grain Collective, and will be programmed by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

More on this event here.

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Brooklyn Heights Library Coming Down Piece by Piece

A small, beloved library in Brooklyn Heights is being demolished.

A few years from now, a luxury skyscraper will take its place.

The library was caught in the intersection of money and politics. A shiny, smaller library will be built into the base of the new tower. Photos by MK Metz

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RFP for Cross-Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel; Yes There Is a Brooklyn Avocado Bar; Foreclosure Cases to Be Dismissed; and More Brooklyn Briefs

.@Antnyhenry makes his Tier 1 Wrestling debut at BROoklyn on June 11th.

Tickets Available:https://t.co/jasMvGe7oW pic.twitter.com/E5VaOYsaL7

— Tier 1 Wrestling (@Tier1Wrestling) May 8, 2017

- Cops on alert after robberies surge around Brooklyn men's homeless shelter. [Daily News]

- RFP issued to study Cross-Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel connecting NJ and Brooklyn. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Kings County Supreme Court is about to quietly dismiss thousands of foreclosure cases on Tuesday -- and that could be bad for home owners. [DNAinfo]

- Supreme is said to be opening its second New York location in Brooklyn. [WWD]

- The 365 Bond apartment building in Gowanus has secured a $120 million first mortgage loan. [MHN]

- Brooklyn Republican Party holds first City Council debate. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn is home to "the world's first avocado bar." [ABC7]

- A Brooklyn artist pairs reams of hand-cut holographic material with projections, lights, and music to create immersive installations that tickle the senses. [TheFader]


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Did Charter School Delete Video Showing Crime? Plus: Asshole Neighbor; The Pigeon In the Kitchen Dilemma; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Goodmorning
Wish a nice day to all friends #Brooklyn Botanic Garden pic.twitter.com/ytBIGO3nJi

— PicPublic (@PicPublic) April 20, 2017

- Brooklyn charter school deleted video showing students sexually assaulting girl on bus: lawsuit. [Daily News]

- Asshole neighbor painted another Brooklyn brownstone owner's wall black, without her permission. [Daily Mail]

- Report: As homelessness increases, Brooklyn stands to lose thousands of units of affordable housing. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Williamsburg woman comes back from long trip to find a pregnant pigeon in her kitchen, using an orange pasta strainer as a nest. [CBS]

- Parents say Crown Heights school did not disclose abnormally high levels of lead in water supply. [Pix11]

- Sheepshead Bay, old and new: Condos where El Greco Diner stood. [Brooklyn Eagle]

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Home Sales Rocket; Living in a Brooklyn Church; Wild Brawl Ends in Death; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Brooklyn Botanic Garden by @rtanphoto #newyork #nyc pic.twitter.com/zEl5lpghLy

— NYC Daily Pics (@NYCDailyPics) April 14, 2017

- Home sales in Brooklyn jumped the most in seven years while the supply of listings hovered near a record low, pushing buyers toward bidding wars. [Bloomberg]

- Man stabbed to death in wild brawl outside Brownsville building. [Daily News]

- The $10.7 million condo and other Pierhouse tales. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- You can live in a 19th century Brooklyn church for $822 per month. [Time Out]

- This guy attacked and robbed a woman on the A train. Do you recognize him?  [NYPDNews]

- A 42-year-old ex-model accused of murdering a Brooklyn man he was staying with after meeting him at a club stabbed him 20 times in a drugged rage. [Daily News]

- ICYMI: Cops evacuate sections of Brooklyn Bridge Park on Tuesday due to large, disorderly crowds. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The passenger dragged off the United flight suffered a concussion, a broken nose and the loss of two teeth, his lawyer says. [The Hill]

It's the first day of good weather in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/UZPU1ZXS62

— LEGEND (@ChriStylezz) April 11, 2017

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at Barclays; Serial Police Impersonator; Brook-Krasny's Fall; and More Brooklyn Briefs

The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today. Fantastic @lcdsoundsystem show at beautiful new venue Brooklyn Steel. pic.twitter.com/cvrkTc7u6T

— Casey Landman (@ChickPhilA) April 11, 2017

Brooklyn Steel. [DNAinfo]

- Police impersonator steals thousands from Brooklyn businesses. [CBS]

- Barclays Center hosts 32nd annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn’s development boom will likely resume soon as lawmakers pass a 421-a tax break. [Brownstoner]

- An employee of an East Williamsburg building supply company died Monday after a flatbed truck struck him in a parking lot. [Daily News]

- A woman was grazed by a bullet in Brownsville after a fight broke out nearby on Monday night. [abc7]

- Mom and grandma fight off maniac who tried to grab baby in Brooklyn subway. [Daily News]

- Inside Alec Brook-Krasny’s stunning fall from grace. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn Bazaar is relaunching its night market for the season. [Time Out]

- Alec Baldwin at BAM this Sunday. [BAM]

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Preserving Brooklyn Heights Library's Stone Friezes; That Poor Cat Shot with an Arrow; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Photo by MK Metz

- Preserving the Brooklyn Heights Library’s stone friezes (shown above). [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn subway stations on R line facing six-month shutdowns. [amNY]

- Pictures of that poor cat shot with a crossbow in Brooklyn. (Cat survived.) [ABC7]

- Brooklyn woman says she endured a decade of abuse at the hands of a former NYPD Officer that ended with her boyfriend dead. [CBS]

- Family of slain Brooklyn security guard brought to tears at trial. [Daily News]

- Some pretty dramatic photos: Portraits of gunshot survivors featured in "SHOT" photography book. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- GOP rep changes healthcare vote from 'no' to 'hell no.' [The Hill]

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Meeting About Controversial Crown Heights Homeless Shelter Taking Place Tuesday

A controversial new shelter for 100+ homeless men is set to open on Bergen Street in Crown Heights soon.

A public meeting about the shelter, at 1173 Bergen Street, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 14, 2017 from 6:30-8:30pm at Uncommon Charter School, located at 1485 Pacific Street, Brooklyn NY 11216, between Brooklyn and Kingston Avenues.

Please note, there is an allotted two hour time limit by the school, so arrive on time.


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Developer Preps Brooklyn Heights Library for Demolition

Workers set up barriers around Brooklyn Heights Library. Photo: MK Metz

 Demolition of the Brooklyn Heights Library will be starting next week. Workers from the demo company began installing fencing around the site at 280 Cadman Plaza West on Thursday.

The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) recently gave its official approval for the demolition.

Locals fought the sale of the library to a private developer, Hudson Companies, for years, but in the end, the city and Brooklyn Public Library prevailed.

A 36-story luxury residential tower is going up on the site. A newer, somewhat smaller library will be built on the ground floor, a mezzanine and on a lower level.

Hudson told the Brooklyn Eagle it has not yet closed on the site, but expects to in the coming weeks.


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4 Missing Sisters Found; Cop with 'Anger Issues' Blows Away Neighbor; Heights Library About to be Demolished; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Photo courtesy Brooklyn North

NEW: All four missing sisters have been safely located - @NYPDBklynNorth https://t.co/y2FNXjDnWI

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 6, 2017

More on this story about the missing kids at ABC.

- Former police officer with "anger issues" shoots, critically wounds neighbor outside Greenpoint apartment building. [Daily News]

- NYC approves demolition of Brooklyn Heights Library, paving way for luxury tower. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A Brooklyn Supreme Court justice says he was harassed in Borough Park on Sunday by a man who shouted “you f–king Jew.” [NY Post]

- Powerful ‘RESIST’ sign illuminates Gowanus building. [Brooklyn Pulp]

- There's a parking space  in Park Slope for sale for $300,000. [CBS]

- Brooklyn-Queens Connector panel to be held at Brooklyn Law School. [amNY]

- Owl’s Head Park killer still at large. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A Danish starrchitect's firm, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), has signed a 50,000-square-foot lease at Two Trees' 45 Main Street in DUMBO. [Commercial Observer]

- Many Brooklyn and New York officials trash Trump’s reissued travel ban. [Brooklyn Eagle

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Techies 'Hack the Ban'; Brooklyn Artist Makes Real Bucks; Foreclosures; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Brooklyn Nets star Brook Lopez got the 'assist' of the night when he helped a small child get a layup. https://t.co/OwhfalaMTd pic.twitter.com/K7TXyMj5GT

— ABC News (@ABC) February 27, 2017

Something oddly satisfying about this video.

- Techies ‘Hack the Ban’ for undocumented immigrants in Brooklyn. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A power problem near the Jay Street-MetroTech subway station caused delays across several lines early Tuesday. [NBC] Check MTA for train status today.

- Why at least one Brooklyn artist doesn't need a day job. [Forbes]

- A report by PropertyShark showed that the Eastern half of Brooklyn was the source of the borough’s high foreclosure rates. [KingsCountyPolitics]

- Brooklyn film company owner donated to Mayor de Blasio fund-raiser over fear her business would suffer. [Daily News]

- A New York man who was convicted of assaulting the head of the Brooklyn Jewish Y at a basketball game in 2014 has fled the country for Turkey. [JTA]

- Travolta makes triumphant return to Brooklyn. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Today's the last day of the winter for free admission to Brooklyn Botanic Garden! [BBG]

Spotted last night outside the brownstone that Paul Manafort is renovating in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Seems the neighbors aren't fans. pic.twitter.com/AHNFDnqVgO

— Brian Montopoli (@BrianMontopoli) February 27, 2017

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Video: Drunk Man Rescued from Bathroom by FDNY; Trump's Toxic Brooklyn Properties; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Brooklyn: @FDNY and @WspuShomrim rescued a drunk man earlier this morning from a Bathroom at 264 Lee ave. VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/OLmJEDioVT

— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) February 12, 2017

- Gov. Cuomo’s executive budget includes hidden $65M cut in MTA funds. [Daily News]

- The Trump organization and Jared Kusher own toxic sites in DUMBO and Gowanus that would benefit the most from EPA assistance -- but Trump wants to abolish the EPA. [Curbed]

- 2 men accused of impersonating police officers are robbing people in several Brooklyn neighborhoods.[Pix11]

- Brooklyn's U.S. Rep. Nadler uses obscure House rule to pressure Trump. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The WSJ says Brooklyn is the new hot spot for NYC office space. [WSJ]

- A dog took a bullet for his best friend — and survived — after a trio of robbers jumped his master in Crown Heights. [Daily News]

- The spy revolt against Trump begins. [Observer]

sliding into ur DMs like this actual thing I saw in Crown Heights this morning pic.twitter.com/SuE6Oxa2na

— James Grebey (@jgrebes) February 11, 2017

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Another Body Found in Prospect Park Lake; Incurable Disease Hits Brooklyn Oak Trees; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Linus, Dachshund (10 m/o), Dekalb & Portland Ave., Brooklyn, NY • "He barely graduated dog school." pic.twitter.com/dJmEOb6yaf

— The Dogist (@thedogist) January 1, 2017

- A search for a missing person ended tragically Monday, when the body of a 19-year-old man was pulled from Prospect Park’s lake. [Daily News]

- Deadly, incurable & fast spreading oak wilt disease detected in Brooklyn trees. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn cheerleaders need help getting to the national championship in Orlando. [abc7]

- Cops are looking for a man who tried to rip off a woman’s pants in an elevator in Ditmas Park. [Daily News]

- The big-money developers who lavished cash on Mayor de Blasio’s nonprofit appear to be behind the planning of the multibillion-dollar Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) trolley line. [NY Post]

- Brighton Beach is brought to life through the lens of Franck Bohbot in this 'Little Odessa' series. [fubiz]

- Brooklyn to show up in force at post-inauguration protest. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- To kick off the Trump era, the House votes to get rid of the Office of Congressional Ethics. [TPM]

WATCH: Nicki Minaj performs "Starships", from "The Pinkprint Tour: Nicki Minaj Live From Brooklyn" concert special. pic.twitter.com/HNJmWsqMVf

— Minaj Society (@MinajSociety) January 2, 2017

Nicki Minaj performs "Starships", from "The Pinkprint Tour in Brooklyn.

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Brooklyn ATM Heist; Lena Dunham's Apologies; Mysterious Trump Flyover and More Brooklyn Briefs

Chief Maddrey & @NYPDBklynNorth team bring Christmas spirit & 🎁 🎁to kids at hospitals across #Brooklyn. More on: @ny1 @ABC7NY @1010WINS pic.twitter.com/q0un4hqdyF

— Det. James Byrne (@NYPDByrne) December 21, 2016

- Police release surveillance photos of the man they say fired a shot into a Canarsie high school. [NY1]

- Jehovah’s Witnesses sell 85 Jay St. to Jared Kushner-led partnership. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Two men made off with an entire ATM from a laundromat in East New York, after waving a gun at a child standing behind the counter. [CBS]

- Actress Chloë Sevigny's Park Slope co-op has gone into contract for $2.75 million. [Mansion Global]

- Brooklyn scores more than $15 million in economic development awards from the state. Beneficiaries range from Brooklyn Bridge Park to St. Nicks Alliance. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The SKINS “Still Sleep” EP release party on Dec. 22. [Eventbrite]

- Everything Lena Dunham publicly apologized for in 2016. [Newsweek]

- Yeah well... Mysterious Manhattan military flyover that police didn't know about was Trump extraction exercise. [DNAinfo]

- Meanwhile, Trump is having a hard time finding A List performers for the inauguration.  [The Wrap]


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DJ Jinx Paul Killed in Brooklyn; Bushwick Inlet Park Celebrated; Morbid Anatomy News and More Brooklyn Briefs

Courtesy Brooklyn Historical Society

- DJ Jinx Paul of Mega 97.9 FM killed in Brooklyn hit-and-run. [PIX11]

- Proponents of Bushwick Inlet Park triumphant as final piece falls into place. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The Morbid Anatomy Museum has ceased operations. [Gothamist]

- Brooklyn residents and advocates fear that the MTA’s next round of fare hikes will increase fare-beating in the borough. [amNY]

- Brooklyn is the number 1 city for female entrepreneurs, including the creator of Toymail.  [Fortune]

-  The Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival presents a screening of Brooklyn documentaries on Dec. 21. (Photo above) [The BHA]

- Check out this new Brooklyn hotel’s stunning Christmas lights. [Time Out]

-  Job of the week: Tall, athletic person wanted to wear huge bird costume. $20/hr. [Brooklyn Eagle, ad upper left]


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LICH Development in Brooklyn Pushes Forward with Plans Filed for Two New Towers

Rendering courtesy of Rendering by FXFOWLE Architects

Fortis Property Group filed plans for two new towers in Cobble Hill at the site of the former Long Island College Hospital (LICH).

According to the Brooklyn Eagle, these include a17-story tower at the site of a seven-story garage at 350 Hicks St. at the corner of Atlantic Avenue, and a 15-story residential building at 347 Henry St., the former LICH the pharmacy/nurse’s residence at the corner of Amity Street.

The Eagle also reports that a building on Pacific Street will be demolished, and provides a map of the planned demolitions.

Fortis files plans to build towers on two sites at former Long Island College Hospital [Brooklyn Eagle]

Fortis Plans 17-Story and 15-Story Buildings on Long Island College Hospital Campus [NY YIMBY]


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Brooklyn Prosecutor Wiretaps Boyfriend; Red Hoek Point, Revenge Porn and More Brooklyn Briefs

- A high-ranking prosecutor in the Brooklyn district attorney’s office was arrested on charges that she used an illegal wiretap to spy on a police detective and one of her colleagues in a love triangle. [NY Times]

- Representatives from Thor Equities, the company behind the planned 7.7-acre retail and commercial development "Red Hoek Point," will give a presentation on the project on Dec. 1. [Patch]

- Knicks superstar, Red Hook native Carmelo Anthony endorses BQX. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn rapper Moise Morancy was honored by the NYPD’s 112th precinct for protecting a young woman from an alleged sexual assault on a Queen’s bus in October. [NYPD News]

- Meet the Brooklyn attorney fighting revenge porn. [The New Yorker]

- Family searching for missing teen with Asperger syndrome in Brooklyn. [ABC7]

- Former presidential candidate De La Fuente urges Republicans to fund their own recounts. Oy. [Brooklyn Eagle]

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Forest City Delays Pacific Park Brooklyn Over Real Estate Market Woes

Forest City Realty Trust suffered a net loss of $430.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, mainly because of the Pacific Park mega-project.

The loss includes "an impairment of non-depreciable real estate of $307.6 million, primarily related to Pacific Park Brooklyn," FCR reports. (This is the Atlantic Yards project near Atlantic Terminal Mall.)

The company decided to revise the overall project schedule to "delay future vertical development."

Forest City blamed negative market conditions and timing. These include "the impact of increased apartment supply, uncertainty surrounding 421A tax abatement and continued escalation in construction and trade costs," the company said.

Three properties at Pacific Park Brooklyn that are part of the company's partnership with Greenland USA are still under construction:

• 535 Carlton, a 298-unit, all-affordable apartment community, is expected to begin phased opening in the fourth quarter of 2016.
  
• 550 Vanderbilt, a 278-unit condominium property, is expected to begin phased opening in the first quarter of 2017.
  
• 38 Sixth Avenue, a 303-unit, all-affordable apartment community with 6,000 feet of street-level retail, is expected to begin phased opening in the second quarter of 2017

Additional insight at Atlantic Yards /Pacific Park Report.

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New Apple Store Coming to Brooklyn; BQX Route; Spike Lee's 'She's Gotta Have It'; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Proposed BQX route. NYC

 - Here's the city's report on the proposed Brooklyn-Queens Connector streetcar. [BQX]

- Apple locked in a deal for its next Brooklyn store location --  in Fort Greene. [TRD]

- Where to find free bar food in NYC. [Gothamist]

- This neighborhood has the cheapest rentals in Brooklyn. [NY Post]

- One by one, students have been getting sick at a Brooklyn school, and teachers are wearing face masks. [CBS]

- A student was hit by a car outside a Bedford-Stuyvesant school Wednesday afternoon. [DNAinfo]

- Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" filming locations and street closures in Brooklyn. [Patch]

- 22 Brooklyn schools have been awarded by the Walentas [Two Trees] Family Foundation. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Park Slopers have banned a developer from replacing the Fifth Avenue Key Food with upscale grocery chains like Whole Foods, Citarella, Balducci’s, Grace’s Marketplace, or Eataly. [Brooklyn Paper]

Final word from Louis C.K.: "If you vote for Hillary you're a grownup; if you vote for Trump you're a sucker; if you don't vote for anybody you're an asshole."

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Presidential Debate Watch Parties in Brooklyn; Mysterious Google Statue; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- You’re gonna need a beer for this: 15 bars showing the presidential debates in Brooklyn. [Brokelyn]

- Mysterious Google statue appears in Brooklyn Bridge Park, foreshadowing Oct 4. event. [Android Authority]

- A new initiative will help Brooklyn military veterans launch and grow their own businesses, with incubator space in DUMBO. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The Wall Street Journal reviews the Pierhouse condos in Brooklyn Bridge Park. [WSJ]

- Formula E will race in Brooklyn in 2017. [The Verge]

- Robots, 3D printers, Hyperloop pod: New MakerSpace opens at NYU Tandon. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Enormous craft ber festival returns to Greenpoint on Saturday. [Gothamist]

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