Real Journalism written by people
Developer Joe Sitt continued his twelve year hate affair with Red Hook last month when a couple of his minions showed up at a committee meeting of Community Board 6. Sitt owns Thor Equities, a real estate development and investment company he started in 1986. It has grown into a $10 billion behemoth, with offices and properties all over the […]
At the end of last month, a party was held at Sunset Park’s Industry City, where AECOM, the infrastructure firm that put Red Hook subway station in the mouth of the governer, recently rented space. The party was hosted by the former Red Hook Container Terminal CEO, and former Executive Director of the Port Authority (PA), Chris Ward, and most […]
During a public meeting at the Miccio Center on December 1, 2016, Thor Equities and their land use council, Fox Rothschild, revealed glossy development plans for 270-280 Richards Street. Spanning 7.7 acres atop the former site of the Revere Sugar Factory, Thor’s office and retail complex dubbed “Red Hoek Point” would jut 700 feet into the Erie Basin. “Thor has […]
By the mid-19th century, the opening of the Atlantic Basin transformed Red Hook into one of the country’s busiest ports. In 2017, a new development mere blocks from the basin might earn Red Hook back its shipping hub status. But this time, the goods will be purchased with the click of a mouse. Italian developer Est4te Four sold five of […]
Representatives from city agencies, real estate investment groups, and brokerage firms gathered to discuss prospects for development in Red Hook at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s quarterly Real Estate Roundtable (RER) February 7. The RER aims to give attendees “a new perspective on an aspect of real estate in Brooklyn – and hopefully, an inside scoop or two!” according to […]
There has never been more uncertainty about the future of our federal government in my lifetime, than right now. In 1980 Ronald Reagan gave an inaugural address that included the phrase, “government is not the solution, it is the problem.” That same speech also included a very powerful, upbeat message, as follows: “I believe we, the Americans of today, are […]
If you walk south from Hamilton Avenue on Van Brunt Street, you’ll start off in either M1-1 (on the left) or M2-1 (on the right). Before you get to the MX-5 by Dry Dock and Fairway, you’ll pass through a section of R5. That’s where you’ll find land-use expert Alexandros Washburn, who has set up open office hours in […]
There’s reason to be skeptical of Thor Equities’ Red Hoek Point plan. Many people in the community have raised questions about the project itself – if space might be made for local nonprofits, if the construction would jeopardize our neighborhood’s historic cobblestones, if the tenants would change the character of Red Hook, if the development will economically benefit the community […]
Landmarks Land Use Committee Meeting December 22, 2016 MEETING AGENDA: PUBLIC HEARING on 280 Richards Street (BSA Cal. No. 2016-4299-BZ). OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Discussion and formulation of a recommendation on an application submitted to the Board of Standards and Appeals on behalf of Thor 280 Richards Street, LLC for the grant of a special permit pursuant to Zoning Resolution Section 73-44 […]
Faithful readers of this newspaper will notice that we have not mentioned Chris Ward’s AECOM proposal for the development of Southwest Brooklyn. This has been a purposeful omission. We did not want to publicize what we consider a pie-in-the sky, self-serving proposal that is not in the interest of any current residents of the existing Red Hook community. One example […]
After years of speculation and rumors about Thor Equities’ intentions for its waterfront holding at 280 Richards Street, representatives from the company unveiled the “Red Hoek Point” at a well-attended Community Board 6 Land Use committee meeting. The December 1 presentation at the Miccio Center was given by Ethan Goodman, Director of New York Planning & Project Management at Fox […]
Organized under the aegis of the Carroll Gardens Association (CGA), the Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union held its inaugural meeting last month. The union is an outgrowth of the work of Ben Fuller-Googins, CGA Programming and Planning Director, and Manon Vergario, CGA Community Organizer. The duo had worked to organize tenants of 63 Tiffany Place, a failed luxury condo rehab […]
Councilman Carlos Menchaca led a successful effort to defeat a proposed zoning change in May after hearing the community’s concerns about the relocation of a nursing home to Red Hook. The nursing home’s supporters included some of the largest development lobbyists in the city. The Oxford Nursing Home is a for-profit healthcare facility located in Fort Greene. In 2003, they […]
