PM Update: Veto of Building Inspection Measure Angers Brennan

(RIP, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal, who has died at the age of 75 from cancer. Mr. Kristal ran CBGB’s for three decades, until it was forced to close last October.)

You might have noted this morning that Gov. Eliot Spitzer vetoed a bill yesterday to require more inspections by the Department of Buildings of structures and projects cited for hazardous requirements. Currently, DOB is only required to check buildings deemed an imminent hazard.

Assem. Jim Brennan, who authored the measures and others that would address construction and development-related problems in the city, issued a press release saying that it is “highly regrettable that Governor Spitzer chose to let the New York City Department of Buildings off the hook in relation to a change in the accountability of the Department for enforcing the building code of the City of New York.” He suggested that enforcement of the building code “has gross shortcomings.”

Brennan’s bill would have required DOB to reinspect buildings cited for hazardous conditions every two months until the problem was fixed. The current time frame can stretch up to four months. Mayor Bloomberg urged a veto of the bill saying that it would be too burdensome for the Buildings Department and that the added inspections could cost up to $4 million.

Mr. Brennan told the New York Times that he introduced his bill in April after seeing a “longstanding disregard for public safety,” including many issues in his own district in neighborhoods such as Park Slope. He told the Times: “A common theme of these accidents, injuries and deaths are violations that have been issued by the Buildings Department and not been enforced.”

Ironically, there is a story in today’s Daily News by Jotham Sederstrom about the huge increase in construction and development-related complaints in Greenpoint, Williamsburg and downtown Brooklyn. Construction-related 911 calls alone–which mean actual accidents and injuries–are up 300 percent since 2003.

BONUS: Speaking of the Department of Buildings and disregard for inspections and paperwork, newyorkshitty reports DOB inspectors might be interested in the work going on at 48 Box Street in violation of a Stop Work Order. At least, that’s what the photos would seem to indicate.

PM Update: Scarano Targeting Continues, Greenpoint Hotel Owner Comes to Fourth Ave.

It’s never quiet, even as people escape the workplace for a mid-week holiday or very, very long weekend. In any case, we have a couple of items, starting with an email we just got.

1) Council Member Bill de Blasio continues trying to hammer at architect Robert Scarano. His office is now circulating a letter to Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster asking for a halt to all Scarano projects “until all investigations are complete.” The letter, which Mr. de Blasio is encouraging residents to copy and paste and forward to DOB, says in part:

Throughout the city, Mr. Scarano is synonymous with bad contractors, dangerous job sites and out of scale development.

The State Education Department recently sent a letter stating DOB is working closely with you on a number of investigations focused upon Robert Scarano, RA. In light of the seriousness of the issues raised by these investigations, I am respectfully requesting that you immediately issue stop work orders on all construction sites related to Robert Scarano until all investigations are complete.

All that having been said, it appears that things are full speed ahead with the project that drew Mr. de Blasio to Mr. Scarano’s buildings in the first place, 360 Smith Street.

2) The owner of the notorious Greenpoint Hotel, Sam Pearl, is in the process of buying five buildings at 150-158 Fourth Avenue between Douglass and Butler streets. They have been emptied and boarded up over a number of years and we’re certain the process of dislodging tenants has not been a happy or pretty one. Gabby Warshawer scores the scoop in the Real Deal. Mr. Pearl told Ms. Warshawer he wants to build a 12-story, 64,000 square foot building on the site and that he is in contract to buy the site for $8.7 million.

PM Update: Astroland Rumors & Projects on the Block

1) The rumor floating around in Coney Island circles is that Astroland, which is scheduled to close for good after the summer season and whose rides are up for sale online, will be given a one-year stay of execution. Owner Carol Albert sold to developer Joe Sitt last year and almost immediately began asking for more time on the current site and saying she would like to relocate to another property in Coney Island. (There is only one site that would fit her particulars, the land to the east of Keyspan Park.) In any case, a one-year extension is plausible if Mr. Sitt is negotiating with the city and the redevelopment timetable would only leave the land a vacant eyesore for the 2008 season. Mr. Sitt could easily trade a one-year hold on demolition for a concession he wants from the city. Or, it could be a move to temper some of the hostility toward his project. Alternately, it could very well be a baseless rumor. Interesting enough, though, to pass along. At this point in the weird Astroland saga, nothing would surprise us.

2) The Coney Island/Brighton Beach spot that was supposed to become a glassy highrise called The Sochi at 275 Sea Breeze Avenue, is apparently up for sale. It’s listed as offering “unobstructed ocean views with plans for a residential condominium tower and a community facility located on the north side of Sea Breeze Avenue through to the south side of West Brighton Avenue between Ocean Parkway and West 5th Street in the Brighton Beach Section of Brooklyn.” The building on the site can rise to 27 stories.
The property originally went for $13.8 million. No word on what it will bring now.

PM Update: Ratner Workers Call Cops & Keep Working

The Prospect Heights demolitions being done by Forest City Ratner and the falling parapet situation at the Ward Bakery Building continue to be interesting today.

1) This morning the ESDC called a halt to demolition activities, but apparently, the call was ignored, at least as late as 3:00PM when workers were reported to still be working at 191 and 193 Flatbush Avenue near 5th Avenue. DDDB has had its eyes on the properties and asks, “Suspend means suspend, no?” Apparently not.

2) Atlantic Yards Report’s Norman Oder called the ESDC, and the agency’s Errol Cockfield says more oversight is coming. “There have been exhaustive plans under way for some time to provide increased oversight for the Atlantic Yards project,” he told AYR.

3) Forest City Ratner demolition personnel apparently called the police on a press conference today. No Land Grab reports:

Forest City Ratner contractors doing god-knows-what at the Ward Bakery building called the police to report that a demonstration without a permit was in progress. Officers, as promised, responded to the scene midway through the press conference. CBN Co-Chair Candace Carponter told the officers that the “demonstration” was in fact a press conference, and that approximately half the “protesters” were actually reporters. Officers left the scene without making any arrests.

To think, it otherwise would have been a dull and dreary Friday.