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Fun with Construction Safety: Ex-Park Slope Hot Sheets Edition

We haven’t heard much about 153 Lincoln Place in Park Slope in quite a while. The gorgeous building was what some people called a “brothel” for a long time and others simply called a hotel with hourly rates. In any case, the place was sold in 2002, construction started a couple of years later, then it stopped and has restarted again. (There is an informative discussion thread on Brownstoner post from last year about the building.) Yesterday evening a GL reader, who like many New Yorkers is newly sensitive to construction safety issues after the awful crane collapse over the weekend, emailed us. Here’s what it said:

Yesterday, I walked past an active construction site on Lincoln Place (next to the Conservatory btw 6th and 7th–you may know it as the place that was rumored to have once been a brothel.) My companion noted that there was a worker perched on the chimney way up on the roof. No harness.

A few hours later, I walked by again. There was an unharnessed worker (couldn’t tell if it was the same one) in the same place. I called through the gate to ask if there was a supervisor I could speak to. A worker told me that he was “inside.” As I had a child with me this time, I didn’t pursue the boss further, but said to the worker that the other man didn’t have a harness–which was dangerous. He replied, “It’s only 20 minutes work.” I was saddened, b/c the man I spoke to did not seem like he was particularly high up on the food chain–the sort that could easily be the one to fall victim to the shoddy safety practices of his employer. “He could be killed!” I said, “and besides it’s probably illegal.” He didn’t respond and I wanted to get my kid away from there so I left.

An analysis in yesterday’s Times noted (among other things) some of the awful figures related to construction fatalities in New York City. It called NYC construction site “the modern version of the 19th-century coal mine.” From early 2006 to the middle of 2007, 44 people died in construction accidents. Forty of the fatalities were on nonunion jobs and involved immigrants. Most of the deaths weren’t at Manhattan high rises, but at low-rise sites in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. We see scenes like the one described above all over Brooklyn with disturbing frequency and the workers, more often than not, whose lives are on the line on the unsafe job sites, are immigrants. One suspects that some portion of them are undocumented workers, making them even more vulnerable to abuse.

Community Board 7 Votes Against Congestion Pricing, Cites Issues with Residential Parking Permits

[Photo courtesy of Anna Lewis]

GL Correspondent Anna Lewis attended last nights CB7 Meeting and filed this report:

Brooklyn Community Board 7 (Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park) rejected Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan at its monthly meeting Wednesday night. It objected primarily to the Mayor’s inclusion of a residential parking permit system within the congestion pricing plan.

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) developed the residential parking permit system to address community concerns about a lack of on-street parking potentially caused by congestion pricing.

CB7’s objections to the Mayor’s proposal reflected concerns raised at two separate community forums, held in Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park respectively. They included the effects of the plan on public space, such as decreased access to public parks and museums; questions over the boundaries of the permit zones and their impact on park-and-ride activity in neighborhoods; the exemption of New Jersey drivers from congestion pricing; and questions about permit regulation and enforcement.

Another major concern was that Brooklyn would not receive an adequate portion of the revenues raised by congestion pricing.
–Anna Lewis

Williamsburg Food & Retail Rumormill, McDonald’s Included

Yesterday, we had a photo of a Dunkin’ Donuts sign affixed to the scaffolding fronting the Quadriad Development site on Bedford Avenue. Some readers left comments saying that the sign was attached to some wood that had been put up, so lacking definitive word on a planned DD on Bedford, it’s still in the rumor stage. (Though one caused by a sign.) There is other interesting Williamsburg information to report. One report is clearly based in reality and one that is a crazy, yet mildly plausible, and definitely-worth-mentioning rumor. First, the crazy, then the more run-of-the-mill:

1) Rumor has it that McDonald’s has its sights set on Bedford Avenue. (Repeat: This is a rumor. It is only a rumor and we are presenting it as a crazy rumor.) A reader notes that “Word on the street is: Mc Donalds bought Salvation Army on Bedford and N7 few months ago. Their lease is ending soon, here come the Mc Muffins in the morning. This is a rumor, but it sounds awfully accurate.” Property records show that the building (above) is still in the hands of the Salvation Army, however, which acquired it in 1974 from GTR Realty Corp.

2) A significant number of shops are opening on N. 3 & N. 4 Streets by mid-year. A tipster writes, “I’ve learned that between 5 to 10 stores will open on the next block in the next 5 months, between Wythe and Berry. This is getting out of control. Fastest gentrification of a neighborhood ever? Feels like the developers want to beat Brasilia on the speed level…” The detail provided includes “a furniture store, a candy store, a fashion store on the north side of the [N. 3] street and i have no clue about the 3-4 shopping spaces on the ground floor of the new condo building on the south side.” The new building in question, which is pictured below with its street-level retail space, is 100 N3 Lofts.

Previously Backless Carroll Gardens Brownstone Goes Topless

This is 126 First Place in Carroll Gardens, which became known as the “Backless Building” among some residents because it’s back was removed and it stayed that way for a while. Well, the back is still on (as can be seen in the photo below). Now, the top is gone, and the some of the side walls are getting a trim too. (On Monday, we watched the side wall being cut apart.) Caroll Gardens blogger PMFA, who does not like this sort of thing one bit, called it “another bastardized brownstone in Carroll Gardens.” There’s a partial stop work order on the building, indicating that only interior work can be done. Here’s what Department of Buildings records show is going on: the three-story brownstone is in the process of becoming a six-story one. The DOB records show that 3,000 square feet are being added to the building and that the new structure will rise to 60 feet. There will be five units in the new building. The building is directly behind the former Heavy Metal Building site at 360 Smith Street.

Taking the B61 Headcount

Is New York City Transit trying to get a sense of ridership on the B61 route, which terminates in Red Hook and is being extended to the new Ikea when it opens on Beard Street, or are they actually trying to gauge ridership in order to make independent service improvements? A reader emails to say:

I hardly ever take the B61 bus because I prefer walking rather than riding with 1000 other people, but I rode both to and from the A train today and there were MTA employees on board counting passengers each way. I’m assuming they’re trying to determine the usage so that when Ikea opens they’ll add more buses. Or at least I’m hoping thats the case. I’m curious if they’ve been on for longer than just today.

Anyone with a sense of this, please be in touch via a comment or email. In the meantime, think of all the people who have no idea what a B61 is who will come to know its unique joys in late summer. Extra points to the first person to bring a Billy Bookcase home to N. 10 Street in Williamsburg on the B61.

Court Street’s Trusting Cleaners Closed, Big Farewell Coming

Trusting Cleaners on Court Street is gone for good, the victim of rent increase and an inability of the community to prevail on the landlord to find a way to keep the cleaners open. The Oh family, which ran the shop was much loved in the community as can be seen in this email via the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association that says the farewell party for them has had to be moved to a bigger venue:

We will be gathering to celebrate their kindness on Sunday, March 30, from 3-5 pm. (NEXT SUNDAY). Due to the overwhelming desire of clients and neighbors to pay tribute to them, we need to change location from Sam’s Restaurant on Court Street. I will
be speaking with the secretary at Kane Street Synagogue today to work on details.

As you may know, only kosher food may be brought into the Synagogue so we will basically be having simple items (fruit, desserts, beverages)….Kane Street Synagogue is located at 236 Kane Street between Court and Tompkins Place.

The death march of useful businesses continues. Anyone interested in more info about the even can contact kmgweigel (at) aol (dot) com.

Bklink: Fort Greene Joe Guide

Check out one of the coolest neighborhood features we’ve seen in a long time for coffee drinkers: a guide to prices at Fort Greene cafes. “In what we hope will become a semi-regular feature here, we present our first Fort Greene Guide, a view of the cafes in the hood and their prices. We focused on the three items we figure most people are likely to get: a small coffee, a medium cappuccino or a baked good of some kind…When possible, though, we asked about that cafe staple, the muffin. Our results are below, but we’ve also made a handy Google Map if you’d prefer the geographic view.” How cool is that?–General Greene

Windsor Terrace Alliance Protesting School Cuts

A lot of Brooklyn neighborhood activists are up in arms over proposed school budget cuts. We got an email last night from Lauren Collins at the Windsor Terrace Alliance directing our attention to a page they’ve posted with some sample letters protesting the budget cuts and contact information. She writes:

Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are rallying around the fight against the proposed school budget cuts. We’ve taken a stand protesting these cuts. We have some sample letters and links to local elected officials on our website to make it easy for Brooklyn parents to express their displeasure with these cuts.

Click here to go over to that page and make your voice heard.

The Coolest Coney Event of the Year?

We are very happy for Dianna Carlin, the Coney Island entrepreneur known as Lola Staar, who is opening her Dreamland Roller Rink in the historic Childs Building on the Boardwalk on Saturday night (3/22). Readers might recall that Ms. Carlin was nearly put out of business by developer Joe Sitt and we had many conversations with her at the time about her predicament. Ultimately, she signed a new lease on her store without the gag order the developer had tried to force on her. She has long talked about her dream of opening a roller rink in Coney and is one of its biggest boosters. Yesterday, the New York Observer described her as “the accidental Queen of Coney Island.” Here’s what she’s written about the new venture:

At this very moment, the crisp ocean breeze is aglow with an air of carnival excitement as the enormous disco ball is being lifted into ceiling of the glorious, historic, Childs Building in Coney Island (on the Boardwalk at W. 21st Street) in anticipation of Saturday’s Roller Skating Extravaganza!! The colorfully draped ceiling refelect the glittering spinning lights as the historic Childs Building in Coney Island is being transformed into Lola Staar’s Dreamland Roller Rink!!

Ashanti, the “Princess of Hip Hop and R&B” and Grammy Award winner as well as actress Marissa Tomei will join Lola in an “Opening Performance Spectacle which will amaze and astound you on Saturday!” Briana Winter, who has written a Lola Staar theme song, will also perform. As will Lola Staar’s Heartthrob Skate Dancers. DJ Momotaro will “be spinning the hot Disco, 80s classics and New Wave tunes on the turntables!!” Also, there will be Stilt Walkers, Hula Hoopers, Skate Dancers!

We are thrilled for Dianna. We are beyond happy to see life return to the magnificent Child’s Building. And, we’re serious in saying that we think Saturday’s opening is going to kick some serious Coney Island ass.