Brooklyn Today May 4: Brooklyn’s Tallest Building Begins Its Rise to the Top

May 4, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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THE LEDE: Happy Friday, Brooklyn! The driver of a fatal Park Slope crash is charged, we travel to Caton Park, and the borough’s soon-to-be tallest building begins to rise. Plus, Airbnb is causing rents to increase in North Brooklyn, a car explodes on the BQE, and a 40-story tower on the Greenpoint waterfront moves forward. Finally, Brooklyn-born Jay Z gets subpoenaed, St. Mary’s Playground reopens in Carroll Gardens, and we share the 13 best Caribbean restaurants in the city. Have a great weekend.

IMPRINT: Sandra Bullock is “one tough mama” on the June cover ofInStyle.

The Rundown

~THE TALLEST BUILDING IN BROOKLYN BEGINS ITS RISE TO THE TOP: Things are looking up! Construction is about to begin on Brooklyn’s soon-to-be tallest building — the borough’s first thousand-footer that will rival the highest skyscrapers of Manhattan. The supertall tower at 9 DeKalb Ave. at Flatbush Avenue Extension will eventually grow to 1,066 feet, with 73 stories of glass, bronzed metal and blackened stainless steel. It will have 417 rental apartments, 20 percent of them below-market rate. Critics say it will burdenDowntown Brooklyn’s infrastructure. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~DRIVER IN FATAL PARK SLOPE CRASH WILL BE CHARGED FOR DEATH OF 2 KIDS: The driver who fatally ran down two kids in Park Slope in March is facing up to 15 years in jail for disregarding her doctor’s orders to not drive given her heart condition and multiple sclerosis. Dorothy Bruns, 44, moved slowly as she faced a Brooklyn judge after a grand jury indicted her on 10 counts, including manslaughter and criminal negligent homicide in the March 5deaths of Joshua Lew, 1, and Abigail Blumenstein, 4. The children were killed after Bruns had a seizure and drove her Volvo through a red light — a crime rather than an accident, prosecutors said, because Bruns ignored her doctor. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~COME SEE LANDMARK-WORTHY CATON PARK: What a magic place for baseball fans. The tiny neighborhood known as Caton Park is nestled up against the Prospect Park Parade Ground — where baseball legends played amateur ball in their youth. This roster includes Hall of Famers like Phil Rizzuto, Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax. Bensonhurst-born Koufax is our personal favorite among the extraordinary athletes who lit up the Parade Ground baseball diamonds over the long years. Caton Park, which is just three blocks wide, has around 50 century-plus-old wood-frame houses. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~AIRBNB CAUSED RENTS TO RISE IN NORTH BROOKLYN, REPORT SAYS: Adding to the long-running controversy over Airbnb, a report releasedThursday by the city Comptroller’s Office said the home-sharing firm has caused rents to rise in the trendy areas of Brooklyn and Manhattan where a majority of the company’s rentals are concentrated. In Greenpoint andWilliamsburg, rents increased 18.6 percent between 2009 and 2016 because of Airbnb listings, The New York Times quoted the report as saying. (via NYT)

~CAR EXPLODES IN FLAMES ON BQE: A car exploded into flames on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway near the Williamsburg Bridge on Wednesdaynight, sending plumes of black smoke into the air, according to the New York Post. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly afterward and subdued the flames. Traffic on the service road underneath the elevated expressway proceeded, oblivious to the fearsome scene above. (via New York Post)

~40-STORY DEVELOPMENT SLATED FOR GREENPOINT WATERFRONT: A proposed Greenpoint waterfront development first reported on in 2015 seems to finally be moving forward, according to New York YIMBY. At that time, plans for 18 India St. called for a 40-story mixed-use tower, but updated plans specify a residential-only structure, still 40 stories. Plans call for 470 apartment units with an unspecified amount dedicated to affordable housing. Brooklyn real estate firm Redsky Capital is one of two partners behind the new property. (New York YIMBY via Brooklyn Eagle)

~PLAYGROUND UNDER MTA’S CULVER VIADUCT REOPENS: The rebuilt St. Mary’s Playground under the subway system’s elevated Culver Viaduct, which carries the F and G trains over southern Carroll Gardens and the Gowanus Canal, has reopened. The playground replaces one of two neglected, underused parks that were closed several years ago when MTA was working on the viaduct and tracks overhead. Still to open under the viaduct is a park space that will include exercise equipment and basketball courts. (PMFA via Brooklyn Eagle)

Staff Picks:

LONG READ: Here’s an issue that hits close to home for Brooklynites: the never-ending, deadly war between bikes and cars. (via Outside)

ANOTHER LONG READ: “White supremacist is guilty in Charlottesville parking garage beating of black man” (via WaPo)

DRINK: Here are America’s 26 most popular beer brands. (via USA Today)

FOOD: Here are the 13 best Caribbean restaurants around NYC, including four in Brooklyn. (Honorable Mention: Sugarcane in Park Slope.) (via Eater)

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NATIONAL BULLETIN: Brooklyn-born Jay Z gets subpoenaed…Hawaii bans sunscreen that can hurt coral reefs…And a new study reveals 40 percent of American seniors aged 65-80 are having sex. (via Bloomberg, NPR and USA Today)

FOREIGN FLASH: At least 91 people die in India from rain and dust storms…A 104-year-old Australian will travel to Switzerland to take part inassisted suicide…And photographers capture the disappearing jobs of the world. (via USA Today, WaPo and The Guardian)

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ROYAL WATCH: Meghan Markle, the bar has been set. Here are the 12 most elegant royal wedding dresses ever. (via Time)

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BROOKLYN TONIGHT

8:00AM – 6:00PM — Pondlife at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Details.

5:00PM — Moniker Art Fair at Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse. Details.

6:00PM — First Fridays at The Frick Collection. Details.

6:30PM – 9:00PM — Family Shabbat Service and Dinner at Bay Ridge Jewish Center. Details.

7:00PM — Wakanda Forever: Rethinking Killmonger as Villain at The Strand.Details.

7:00PM — Tequila Tasting at the Old Stone House. Details.

7:00PM – 10:00PM — Felt Up: A burlesque tribute to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Details.

7:30PM – 10:00PM — Dreamland Disco at Lefrak Center at Lakeside. Details.

8:00PM — Liaisons Now: The Brothers Balliett & Friends at South Oxford Space. Details.

9:00PM – 4:00AM — Studio 54 Returns: May the Fourth be with You at Our Wicked Lady. Details.


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EAGLE SPORTS: Lou Lamoriello’s legacy as a Hall of Fame general manager is already secure. But could the architect of the New Jersey Devils’ well-chronicled run of three Stanley Cup titles and five finals appearances between 1995-2012 be headed back to the tri-state area in a bid to help the Brooklyn-based New York Islanders return to their former glory, if not just relevance on the NHL landscape? A lot would have to happen for the 75-year-old Rhode Island native to be back in charge of a local franchise less than a week after ending a successful three-year run as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

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MILESTONES

Happy birthday to Erin Andrews, Cesc Fabregas, Ben Grieve, David Guterson, Jackie Jackson, Richard Jenkins, Rory McIlroy, Roberta Peters, Dawn Staley, Randy Travis, George F. Will and Pia Zadora!