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 […]
Real Estate
Important Community Board 6 Meeting regarding Red Hook’s future – public encouraged to show up tomorrow
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 […]
Op Ed: Chris Ward’s Southwest Brooklyn Plan is Absurd and Dangerous, by George Fiala
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 […]
Community Pushes Back on Thor Equities Plan, by Noah Phillips
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 […]
Red Hook’s new Tenant Union, by George Fiala
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 […]
Menchaca takes on heavy hitting developer and wins, by George Fiala
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 […]
CB 6 votes against proposed Red Hook nursing home, by George Fiala
The Oxford Nursing Home proposal for a zoning change (ULURP) in Red Hook received a setback at the December 3 meeting of Community Board 6’s (CB6) landmark/land use committee. A motion against the plan was passed 11-5, with one abstention. On December 9th, the full CB6 board will meet at Borough Hall for a final vote. It then travels to […]
Gowanus Pathmark a victim of gentrification, by George Fiala
The Pathmark supermarket, which opened in Gowanus in 1992, is now closed permanently. The Pathmark chain was bought by A & P in 2007, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Over the past few months, A & P put all of its stores and store leases up for auction in a bankruptcy sale. Many of the stores were sold to […]
Menchaca casts doubt on nursing home proposal, by George Fiala
Just before the summer, a presentation was made to the Red Hook Civic Association at PS 15, and to Community Board Six (CB6) at the Miccio Center, regarding an application to build a nine story nursing home right in the middle of Red Hook, close to Pioneer Works. The South Oxford Nursing Home is a Fort Greene facility that has […]
Op Ed: Watching neighborhoods transform, by George Fiala
Last month I had a chance to see the corporate mind working. I was invited to take part in a weeklong public relations event held by BASF, the world’s largest chemical company. At their NYC event held as part of their 150th birthday celebration, they decided to focus on Red Hook as a city of tomorrow. BASF is very excited […]