Day: November 11, 2025
A little bit of behind the scenes from the Brooklyn Marine Terminal naysayer group ,by Eric Newstrom
Gathered inside a conference room inside the Brooklyn Marine Terminal on Monday, Sept. 22, were 25 task force members in charge of the future of New York City’s last working waterfront. The room was packed: In addition to the task force members and in some cases their staff, were also dozens of Economic Development Corporation staff, including President Andrew Kimball. […]
Greg O’Connell, Jr., remembers his visionary dad, by Eric Newstrom
Greg O’Connell died in his home on Saturday, Aug. 2, leaving behind a long legacy as a real estate and community developer in Red Hook. When O’Connell first began investing in Red Hook in the 1970s, it was a largely desolate neighborhood—especially the waterfront—but he had a vision, said Greg T. O’Connell, who in September spoke to the Red Hook […]
Community outreach an issue in Court Street controversy, by Asar John
When Community Board 6’s October meeting opened up to public comment regarding a redesign of Court Street, participants echoed their concerns about the board’s transparency, with some residents saying they were not properly made aware of the changes that came to pass. At the end of the meeting, community members were allowed the customary three minutes to speak. Most chose […]
A slow recovery from the Van Brunt fire, by Eric Newstrom
It’s around 11 pm in the warehouse on 481 Van Brunt St., and Ethan Cornell is getting the last details ready for his show the next day. He is tired, having worked late the night before, as well. A podcast is playing in his headphones when he hears a harsh, squealing noise from the studio on the floor above. Not […]
One positive outcome of EDC’s threat to our neighborhoods, by Brian Abate
Members of the Columbia Street Waterfront community announced that they have officially formed the Columbia Street Waterfront Association (CSWA). Their mission is to “to promote the health, vitality, and character” for the neighborhood and “to advocate for the interests of residents, businesses, and others with a stake in the Columbia Street Waterfront community.” CSWA was formed in part because when […]
Private meetings discuss the future of local public housing, by Asar John
At the second residents-only community meeting to discuss Red Hook West’s PACT conversion on Oct. 21, Resident Association President Karen Blondel said that these meetings were being gatekept due to frequent outsider desires to influence the housing complex. “We got too many outsiders trying to make decisions for my residents, and it’s not about that on my block,” said Blondel […]
Response to “Opponents of BQE Tunnel…” by Roy Sloane
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the recent interview with Gersh Kuntzman and Kevin Garcia “Opponents of BQE tunnel think trucks and cars are the problem…” by Eric Newstrom. This is probably one the most important issues facing the communities along the BQE corridor, so thank you to the RED HOOK STAR for facilitating this public dialog especially […]
