First Look at 171 Calyer Development; Polish Elections on Sunday; the Latest from Local Pols
East & Creek, the Greenpoint newsletter | No. 42
What’s up in Greenpoint?
A building proposed for 171 Calyer St, shown here in a rendering shared at Thursday’s Community Board 1 meeting, and captured by e&c’s phone — apologies to the readers and to the architect.
The architect of a proposed 39-unit apartment building at 171 Calyer St in Greenpoint shared renderings with locals at Thursday’s Community Board 1 meeting. The designs, which haven’t previously been made public, include contrasting red-brick facades, retail space in the first floor, and below-ground parking space for personal vehicles.
The property is within a “historical district.” Previously — before the empty, one-story grocery store that currently occupies the parcel — the proposed building site included one half of a rather large theatre.
Concerns shared by meeting attendees included the possibility for increased vehicular traffic near PS 31, which is one block away.
171 Calyer St, as seen form Manhattan Ave. (terrible photo by e&c)
On Sunday, local Poles head to the polls: On Sunday, some Greenpointers will head to one of at least two polling places in the neighborhood to vote in Poland’s parliamentary elections. And though Polish leftists, through the Lewica (“left”) alliance, may see their first representation in parliament in four years, the far-right Law and Justice (“PiS”) party may still maintain its majority — allowing it to continue its nationalist, economically liberal agenda for four more years.
Also on Sunday, the Ol’ Run-Around: “Around 600 people are expected to flood the streets of Greenpoint this Sunday for the 26th annual Get to the ‘Point! 5K Run. The run begins at Driggs Avenue and Newel Street, and incorporates McCarren Park, Franklin Street, and Manhattan Avenue before ending at Humboldt Street and Driggs Avenue.” (Greenpoint Post’s Shane O’Brien)
New landlords for loft tenants at 239 Banker St: “A Greenpoint loft complex that had long been known for building violations traded hands for $33 million. Workable City Development and Rabina Properties partnered to buy 239 Banker Street, securing $24 million in financing from M&T Bank, according to property records filed with the city Wednesday. The four-story, 69-unit rental complex had once been a factory and was illegally converted into apartments.” (The Real Deal’s Mary Diduch)
Local plant store sticking with its local roots: “The Greenpoint-based botanic design and plant shop Greenery Unlimited (91 West St.) announced that the business will stop delivering plants nationwide due to the impact that transportation and shipping materials have on the environment.” (Greenpointers)
And as for what the local pols have been up to…
Lentol-sponsored criminal justice bill gets the guv’s okay: “Individuals convicted of a minor crime — such as low-level marijuana possession or a traffic infraction — will now have their records automatically sealed, following the passage of a new criminal justice bill. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday signed legislation that will create a default through which all records of petty offenses — with the exception of loitering and operating a motor vehicle while impaired — are sealed and made unavailable to any person or agency, unless a judge determines otherwise.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s Kelly Mena)
Ahead of a full council vote on Rikers closure plan, a new measure to “ban jails from Rikers”: “A City Council committee voted on Thursday in favor of a plan that would forever banish jails from Rikers Island — long the stated intent of an unprecedented land use proposal for building four new detention facilities across the city, but a provision that was never actually codified in the text of the plan. . . The proposal comes amid growing pressure from progressive opponents of the plan, which would create a new 1,150-bed jail in every borough but Staten Island. . . ‘This is not an expansion plan, this is a reduction plan,’ said Councilmember Stephen Levin, whose district would be home to the planned Brooklyn jail, at the hearing. By setting a date ‘codified in zoning law,’ Levin said, ‘Rikers is going to close.’” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s David Brand and Meaghan McGoldrick)
Compromise reached on private carting reform: “An effort to fundamentally change how commercial waste is picked up and processed in New York City may be heading toward approval with newly drafted legislation that is set to be released Thursday. The latest bill, details of which were described to POLITICO, represents an apparent deal between labor groups, some industry players, the City Council and the mayor’s office in a fight that has played out in the streets and the chambers of City Hall for six years. If passed, the measure represents the most significant reform of the city’s commercial waste industry since a city-led commission began removing organized crime from the industry in the 1990s.” (Politico’s Danielle Muoio)
Your Subway Weekender
G - Normal service.
L - “Normal” slow-down service.
Thus concludes this October 11, 2019 edition of East & Creek, the twice-weekly newsletter about Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Read the full archives here.
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See ya around the neighb,
Jon Hanrahan
Author, e&c