Death of Brooklyn 3-Year-Old: 'It Was Murder'

She lived on Marcus Garvey Blvd., and someone living in her apartment killed her.

UPDATE: It was her father. Brooklyn Eagle

Brooklyn's City Tech -- It's Not a Tower, It's a Complex!

More information is trickling out about the planned City Tech tower(s) on Jay Street at Tillary. As reported in the Brooklyn Eagle, it turns out that there are more buildings involved than previously reported:

"Details are emerging about what is now known as a 'complex of buildings' being planned for the corner of Tillary and Jay streets in Downtown Brooklyn — currently the site of New York City College of Technology’s (City Tech’s) Klitgord Auditorium.

"City Tech spokesperson Michele Forsten told the Brooklyn Eagle that the college, in partnership with Forest City Ratner, is building not one, not two but five connecting buildings in the one block fronting Jay Street."

“The two towers will be residential,” Forsten told the Eagle. “The three others will contain college classrooms and offices, an underground theater and a gymnasium.”

More about the City Tech complex here.

This article was updated here.


- You Compare: City Tech 'Old Model' to City Tech 'Today Model'
- Biggest Building in Brooklyn -- So Far -- Proposed for City Tech's Klitgord Auditorium Site
- Digging For Gold at City Tech's Klitgord Auditorium

Photo of the existing Klitgord Auditorium by MK Metz

Judge Rules Against Ex-Principal of Brooklyn Arabic School

Manhattan Federal Court Judge Sidney Stein ruled Wednesday that the Department of Education will not have to reconsider Debbie Almontaser’s application to be reinstated as principal of the Brooklyn Arabic-themed school, the Khalil Gibran Academy, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The DOE will delay its announcement of a permanent principal until Friday to allow Almontaser to appeal.

More here.

- Arabic School, Taxi Strike, and Other Brooklyn News in Brief
- Brooklyn in Brief -- Weekend Edition
- Rally in Support of Brooklyn's Arabic School Principal
- Brilliant or Crazy? Jewish Principal Appointed for Brooklyn's Arabic School
- Brooklyn's Arabic School Principal Resigns in 'I-Word' Flap
- Arabic-Themed School Finds a Home
- Brooklyn in Brief, Monday P.M.
- DOE to 'Cram' Arab-Themed School into Slope Elementary School

Brooklyn's Xaverian High School Choir Going to White House

Xaverian High School Choir -- from Bay Ridge -- has been chosen to sing at the White House this Christmas.

In Brooklyn Borough Hall, a Giant Menorah is Lit

The first candle was lit tonight on the giant menorah set up in Brooklyn Borough Hall, and a crowd of roughly 200 stomped their feet in the kalt (it could be worse!), clapped and enjoyed the music.

BP Marty Markowitz gave interviews; a boy's choir sang nice Hanukkah songs; some people (okay, some men and boys) danced; and everybody was invited to a party at Borough Hall afterward.

Officially, the menorah is the Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht Menorah, a project of Chabad Lubavitch and the Congregation B'Nai Avraham.

Photos by MK Metz

'Tri-Level' Amy Ruth's to Open in Old Gage & Tollner in January?

Zagats reports that January 2008 is the due date for Harlem's famous soul-food restaurant Amy Ruth's to open "a tri-level eatery" in the former Downtown Brooklyn Gage & Tollner space. (We don't recall the old Gage & Tolner being tri-level, or even bi-level.)

The planned configuration: a dining room on the ground floor, private dining spaces above and a bar area that spreads across two floors.

McBrooklyn took a look inside the space yesterday. Nothing has visibly changed since May, when we last visited.

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that: “The menu will contain all of the Harlem eatery’s traditional favorites as well as new choices giving a nod to the restaurant’s Downtown Brooklyn past and present.”

- Famous Harlem Soul Food Restaurant Coming to Gage & Tollner Space
- T.G.I. Friday's Cleared Out -- What's Next for Gage & Tollner?

Photos by MK Metz

Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Goes 'Higher and Deeper'

Oh baby... "Higher and deeper” is apparently the new theme for the affordable units at the proposed Domino Sugar Refinery development on the waterfront in Williamsburg.

Michael Lappin, president of the Community Preservation Corp., told the Brooklyn Eagle at an apparently exclusive meeting, “We have pledged both a higher percentage of units and a deeper income level” than other developments in Brooklyn.”

More here.

Photo by MK Metz

Christmas Creche at Brooklyn Borough Hall

Three wise men, a shepherd, Joseph and Mary admire the Child in his manger in front of Brooklyn Supreme Court in Columbus Park, Brooklyn Heights.

Photo by MK Metz

You Compare: City Tech 'Old Model' to City Tech 'Today Model'

After all of the excitement about the new City Tech/Ratner tower at the corner of Tillary and Jay Streets -- possibly the tallest building(s) in Brooklyn to date -- the NY Daily News reported that Forest City Ratner spokesperson Loren Riegelhaupt claims that the breathtaking rendering being displayed on blogs and in newspapers (seen on upper left) is stale. "This model is an old model," said Riegelhaupt, who said a height for the building has not been decided. "It's an early rendering and not a reflection of what we're considering today."

Compare the rendering to the draft shown today on the City Tech Web site (lower right). The configuration, adjusting for angle, is remarkably similar, though the final height is hard to fathom.

City Tech's site confirms: "City Tech will soon be the home to what is sure to be the architectural landmark of Brooklyn. Standing at the corner of Tillary and Jay Streets, directly across from the Namm Building will soon be the most original piece of architecture since the Brooklyn Bridge, a masterpiece conceived by the celebrated architect Renzo Piano."

- Biggest Building in Brooklyn -- So Far -- Proposed for City Tech's Klitgord Auditorium Site

- Digging For Gold at City Tech's Klitgord Auditorium

Dumbo Snow Scenes

It was about 4:30 p.m. when we headed down to Dumbo. Just a handful of people were on the pebbled beach at the foot of Main Street, quietly watching the water. It felt like New York City was a hundred miles away.

Photos by MK Metz