Brooklyn Today: Officials want answers on BQE rehab

August 27, 2019 Brooklyn Today

The mayor's BQE panel released its long-awaited report Thursday night. Photo: Paul Frangipane/Brooklyn Eagle

Share this:

THE LEDE: Good morning! The saga over the rehabilitation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway continues. Elected officials in Brooklyn are now pressing the city Department of Transportation, demanding concrete answers to questions they have about the $4 billion reconstruction that has had local residents in an uproar.

Think there’s something we should cover? Let us know. Also, if you like what we’re doing, tell a friend, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

THE RUNDOWN

~NEW FUNDING AIMS TO PROTECT SENIOR HOMEOWNERS IN BED-STUY: As local officials look to curb the loss of homeownership sweeping across parts of Central Brooklyn, a newly announced designation for Bedford-Stuyvesant may be a new tool in the fight to keep seniors from losing their brownstones.

~BROOKLYN OFFICIALS PUSH DOT FOR CONCRETE ANSWERS TO BQE QUESTIONS: In a letter fired off to Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, officials including U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Comptroller Scott Stringer and more listed a number of concerns about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway reconstruction’s timeline, scope, involvement of the state and other questions.

~CITY SNUBS TEACHER REQUEST FOR DAY OFF BEFORE HOLIDAY BREAK: A little over a week before classes begin, teachers and parents are fuming over the city’s inaction in eliminating a school day that they consider a “waste.”

~DOG-KILLING ALGAE FOUND IN PROSPECT PARK: The water at Prospect Park Lake tested positive for “high toxins” earlier this month, the Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed. The same algal blooms have killed small clusters of dogs across the country.

~LOCALS DEMAND OVERDUE IMPROVEMENTS TO BROADWAY JUNCTION STATION: Ahead of the MTA’s announcement of its five-year capital investment plan next month, local officials and community members demanded the agency fund improvements to the busy Broadway Junction station.

~PHOTOS: GREEN-WOOD CELEBRATES BATTLE OF BROOKLYN ANNIVERSARY: Sunday marked the 243rd anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, and to celebrate, the borough brought out the big guns — literally.

~NATIONAL GRID’S STANDOFF WITH STATE THREATENS BROOKLYN CUSTOMERS: National Grid is refusing to supply new gas hook-ups unless the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation grants a permit to an Oklahoma-based company to build a controversial $1 billion gas pipeline.

~CYCLISTS HOLD MEMORIAL RIDE AND DIE-IN IN HONOR OF BIKER KILLED IN MIDWOOD: Hundreds of cyclists rode from Prospect Park to Coney Island Avenue on Sunday in a commemorative bike ride for Jose Alzorriz, who was killed in a car crash on Aug. 11 while waiting on his bike at a red light on the street.

~DEMOLITION RESUMES AT RED HOOK’S S.W. BOWNE BUILDING, SPARKING FURY: Nearly half of a historic Red Hook industrial building that activists and politicians have been trying to save has been torn down after the city Buildings Department gave a developer permission to carry on with the demolition.

~MAN FATALLY RUN OVER IN MIDWOOD: A man lying in front of the opening to a garage was run over and killed in Midwood early Monday morning. Cops say the driver was trying to pull into the driveway and ran the man over.

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ Pennywise the Dancing Clown takes the L Train (Patch)

~ “Green sidewalk program brings free fresh food to East Flatbush” (BK Reader)

~ A livery driver was attacked after getting into a crash in Cypress Hills (Pix 11)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “The next recession will destroy millennials” (The Atlantic)

~ HEALTH: “Is coffee healthy or not?” (USA Today)

~ CARTOON: Gifts from the G7 summit (The New Yorker)

~ TECHNOLOGY: Technology is taking the place of fire lookouts at the Forest Service (npr)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

1:00PM – 10:00PM — Tipsy Tuesday at Brooklyn Barlour. Details.

6:30PM – 8:30PM — Dates and Drafts at Pod Brooklyn Hotel. Details.

8:00PM – 10:00PM — Ambush Comedy at Two Boots Williamsburg. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY

In 1911, the Eagle reported, “A cloud of winged ants struck the Bedford and Bushwick sections last night and made life miserable for about everybody on the streets.”

📔 IMPRINT

Tennis champion Serena Williams is on the cover of Essence.

👑 ROYAL WATCH

“A royal photographer shared his favorite photos of the royal family so far this year” (Insider)

🏀 SPORTS

“Sources: Nets extend LeVert for 3 years, $52.5M” (ESPN)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Michael Wolff, Patrick Adams, Chandra Wilson, Sarah Chalke, Daryl Dragon, Jim Thome, Tom Ford, Carlos Moyá, Paul Reubens, Tommy Sands and Aaron Paul!