News from the Columbia Waterfront Association

The newly formed Columbia Street Waterfront Association (CSWA) had a few key updates this month, including news about the concrete recycling facility on Columbia St.

Locals had been frustrated over dust from the facility blowing into the neighborhood and into their homes. The crushed concrete forms crystalline silica, which may lead to a number of deadly lung diseases.

Many people on Columbia St. said they couldn’t open their windows because of the dust.

After months of protests, Mayor Eric Adams finally announced last July that the facility would be shut down permanently by the end of the year.
As of late December, there were still large concrete mounds visible in the facility. CSWA acting president Randy Gordon reached out to local officials about why the piles remain. He told us via email:

“Talia Hoch from Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon’s office emailed the CSWA that the DOT confirmed that they’ve begun moving the remaining piles. However, she is still working on getting confirmation about when that will be completed.”

Tree Lighting
In cheery news, the CSWA revived the annual tree lightning at the Human Compass Garden, on the corner of Sackett and Columbia Streets for the first time since the pandemic.

Icy conditions pushed the ceremony from Dec. 16 to Dec. 18, but the weather was good and more than 100 people packed into the garden.

The event included food from Brooklyn French Bakers, and there was an after-party at Jalopy. Randy Gordon spoke, and Monsignor Guy Massie from St. Stephens blessed the tree, which was donated by Paul DiAgostino of Union Street’s House of Pizza. The afterparty at Jalopy included spiked holiday nog and home-made desserts. As well as a special cake which reproduced the flyer hung all over the area to let everyone know about the lighting. It worked, as a great number of baby carriages came to the park as mothers brought their children to spend some quality time with Santa!