A condo in Downtown Brooklyn was the priciest residential deal to go into contract in Brooklyn last week, according to the Real Deal. The four-bedroom unit at 11 Hoyt St. went for $5.6 million. Overall, Brooklyn saw 19 contracts signed for $2 million or more last week, containing 10 condos, eight houses and one co-op. The average price of these contracts was about $2.9 million. The properties spent an average of 87 days on the market and sold at an average of 2 percent less than their asking prices, the Real Deal said.

Volleyball players kneel during ‘Hatikvah’

Two Brooklyn College volleyball players took a knee during Yeshiva University’s playing of “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, according to the New York Post. Sarah Serfaty, who posted a video clip of the incident on Facebook, wrote “I don’t care what your political beliefs are, have some respect. This is not a place to make a religious or political statement.” The Brooklyn College Bulldogs won the match against the YU Maccabees. The mother of one of the kneeling students, sophomore Omar Rezika, said he would not comment, but added that the family was of mixed faith.

Working group formed to tackle Utica Avenue transit improvements

On Monday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced the formation of a working group to advise the MTA on the feasibility of transit improvements along the Utica Avenue corridor. The Utica Avenue Working Group will include community members and elected officials from neighborhoods along Utica Avenue from Bushwick to Canarsie, including representatives of Brooklyn Community Boards 3, 8, 9, 17 and 18. “As we explore transit improvements along this vital corridor, we must ensure that the people in the local community are taken into account,” said Adams. “The Utica Avenue Working Group represents precisely the kind of proactive action we need to ensure the voices of our communities are heard in MTA planning,” added Councilmember Robert Cornegy Jr.

Developers submit plans for nine-story Flatbush building

Local developers have submitted detailed plans to the Department of City Planning for a new nine-story mixed-use building in Flatbush, according to New York YIMBY. The proposed site at 1620 Cortelyou Rd. currently contains several businesses including a Key Food supermarket, a laundromat, a takeout restaurant and a deli. The developer is Tony Doleh, representative for the 1600/20 Realty Corp. If approved, the building would include several retail stores on the ground floor and parking for 44 vehicles. The residential component would include seven studio apartments, 52 single-bedroom units and 26 two-bedroom units. Twenty-five percent would be designated affordable homes, New York YIMBY reported.

Variety applauds concert by Celine Dion at Barclays

Reviews of Celine Dion’s show on Friday at Barclays Center were mainly positive. Variety reported that most of the fans who came to see her were women, “some of whom came dressed for the occasion decked out in sparkling gowns.” Dion told the crowd that she hadn’t performed in New York City in 10 years. She sang many ballads and changed costumes several times, Variety said. In addition to her own hit songs, such as “The Power of Love” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” she sang several covers, such as David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade.”

Alabama-born artist displays in Sunset Park

An art gallery in Sunset Park is displaying paintings by a Brooklyn artist who was born in Selma, Alabama, according to News 12 Brooklyn. Selma was famous because of the 1965 civil rights march over the Pettus Bridge. “I grew up to see prejudice, hear prejudice and experience the prejudice of the people in Selma,” said Willie Mae Brown, who was born in the 1950s. Brown, who is currently exhibiting at the Tabla Rasa gallery, says being in Brooklyn means a great deal to her. “It makes me happy to see the diversity and how we can live and learn so much from different cultures. We couldn’t do that in Alabama,” she told News 12 Brooklyn.

Woman hit in head with glass bottle in Williamsburg bar

A man is wanted for hitting a woman in the head with a glass bottle at a bar in Williamsburg, according to ABC7. The incident happened on Feb. 23 at 2:50 a.m. at a bar on Union Avenue. Police say a 22-year-old woman was standing inside when the man came up to her from behind, struck her and ran off. The woman fell to the floor, lost consciousness and was rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian with a concussion. She is expected to recover, ABC7 said.

Up on the roof

Heavily armed officers went onto a rooftop on Rogers Avenue in Crown Heights yesterday morning and tackled a man after reports that he had a weapon. The weapon turned out to be an Airsoft rifle, a low-power air gun used mainly for sport shooting. It’s not clear why the man was up there, NBC New York said. No injuries were reported, but some people in the area who saw the man hid under their desks. Video posted to the Citizen app showed a heavy police response in the area, according to NBC New York.

Man fatally shot outside strip club

A man was fatally shot outside a strip club in Bedford-Stuyvesant early yesterday, according to the New York Post. The victim was found soon after 3 a.m. with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest outside Amour Cabaret near Herkimer Place. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he died. No arrests had been made as of press time. 

Sunset Park residents complain about big trucks

Large trucks are taking illegal detours through residential side streets in Sunset Park near the Gowanus Expressway, angering residents and creating traffic hazards, according to the Brooklyn Paper. Third and Fourth avenues serve truck drivers as designated north-south corridors, but “big rig” operators are only permitted to maneuver down a few crosstown connectors. Felicia DeVita, a Sunset Park resident, told the Brooklyn Paper that the truckers largely ignore these restrictions and take advantage of only sporadic enforcement by police. Zachary Jasie, chair of Community Board 7’s Transportation Committee, said the board has asked the city to analyze freight traffic in the area, but so far officials haven’t done so, despite assurances.

Velazquez slams proposed federal housing cuts

Rep. Nydia Velazquez is leading the effort against proposed cuts in the federal Housing and Urban Development budget, according to PIX11. She and most of the members of the Brooklyn congressional delegation sent a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson last week, warning that the proposed budget cuts would total $8.6 billion. This would mean a 10 percent loss in funding for NYCHA’s daily operations, PIX11 reported. Carson, speaking to PIX11 reporters last August, said the future of public housing is a public-private partnership called rental assistance demonstration. “RAD should be the last resort,” countered Velazquez.

Crafts fair slated for Washington Park

Two Brooklyn arts groups are teaming up to host an artisan fair on May 2 in Washington Park. The May Day Pop Up is being planned by the Old Stone House and the Handmade in Brooklyn Collective, according to Patch. “This celebration of the handmade is a perfect time to shop for something special for Mother’s Day; and with graduation right around the corner, everyone will be on the hunt for amazing artisanal items just like yours!” a release said. The fair will run from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature live music and the park’s annual plant sale. Vendor reservations for the pop-up are due by March 23 with a $20 application fee.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer. 

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