Brooklyn Today: Backlash in Bushwick over rezoning plan

April 25, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

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THE LEDE: Happy Thursday! The city revealed on Tuesday its draft plan for the long-awaited rezoning of Bushwick, and several aspects of it were met with contention. Opponents of the plan interrupted the meeting with comments like “affordable to who?” Though the plan doesn’t yet provide concrete numbers on total additional housing units, the level of increased density and lack of truly affordable housing for low-income residents beyond mandatory developer minimums breaks with the community’s hopes for what the rezoning could have looked like.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ ‘BOLD AND SELF-ASSURED’: SHIRLEY CHISHOLM’S PLANNED PROSPECT PARK STATUE IS UNIQUELY BROOKLYN: The monument, commissioned by She Built NYC, a public arts initiative formed in June to honor trailblazing women, is 40 feet tall and features Chisholm’s silhouette intertwined with the outline of the U.S. Capitol building.

~ JUDGE RULES AGAINST AFFORDABLE-HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN LANDMARKED GARDEN: The city’s need for affordable housing and services for the mentally ill should not influence the fate of landmarked buildings, according to a Brooklyn judge.

~ BACKLASH IN BUSHWICK OVER CITY’S REZONING PLAN: The draft plan outlines a set of investments into the community, from parks to health services and affordable housing, along with zoning changes that would increase density in the rapidly changing neighborhood.

~ BLUECITY: A FLOATING ECO-LAB PLANNED FOR THE WATERS OFF RED HOOK: BlueCity will combine a climate laboratory, classroom and training facilities, a public gathering space and floating gardens. The prototype could eventually expand into an entire community of floating research and meeting spaces.

~ PROSECUTOR TAPPED TO RUN BROOKLYN DA’S NEW PAROLE UNIT FACES RENEWED ALLEGATION OF MISCONDUCT: Paul Burns is facing a renewed accusation of prosecutorial misconduct over a murder case he handled in the mid-1980s. Defense lawyers who worked the case say he’s not fit for the promotion.

BULLETIN BOARD

~ SPONSORED: A MESSAGE FROM THE RENT STABILIZATION ASSOCIATION: Building owners are our neighbors, friends, family and a part of our community. They support the economy of our neighborhoods. Impractical regulations make it harder for owners to keep their buildings running, and impact hardware stores, electricians, plumbers and other local businesses. Landlords like Janice house New York and help our local economy thrive. Learn more about Janice.

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ An alcohol-free bar opens in Greenpoint. (Grub Street)

~ A Carroll Gardens brewery is making beer out of bagels. (Patch)

~ A rapper goes for a stroll in Green-Wood Cemetery. (NYT)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “Why America’s black mothers and babies are in a life-or-death crisis” (NYT Magazine)

~ DRINK: Take a look inside the TWA terminal at JFK Airport, which is currently being renovated. When complete, it will have a hotel, infinity pool and a bar inside a 1950s-era plane. (Eater)

~ LAUGH: Nancy Pelosi goes for a wild ride. (The Week)

~ LEARN: Everyone’s been rejected before. He’s how to bounce back from it. (NYT)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

6:30PM — Discussion about Death, Cremation, Burial and Being Remembered at Green-Wood Cemetery. Details.

7:00PM — Art or Image? at The Strand. Details.

7:30PM — Project Broadway: Re-Envisioning The Role at Symphony Space. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1886, the Eagle reported from Paris, “A stock company with a large capital has been organized for the purpose of erecting the tallest tower ever seen in the world in time for the International Exposition of 1889. The tower is to have a total height of 984 feet and will be supported on four pillars higher than the steeple of Notre Dame.”

IMPRINT
Actor Keanu Reeves takes a seat on the May cover of GQ France.

ROYAL WATCH
Can you guess which foreign language most of the royal family is fluent in? (Cheat Sheet)

SPORTS
The Nets are already looking forward to better days.

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Hank Azaria, Emily Bergl, Jeffrey DeMunn, Tim Duncan, Gwen Jorgensen, Jason Lee, Rachel Lindsay, Al Pacino, Daniel Sharman, Talia Shire, Gina Torres and Renee Zellweger!

Brooklyn Today’s editor is Scott Enman. Contact him at [email protected]brooklyneagle.com.