Around Brooklyn: In Park Slope, the bird’s no longer the word

May 29, 2020 Editorial Staff

A Belt Parkway overpass provides a bird’s eye view of Bath Beach’s shoreline promenade. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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In Park Slope, the bird’s no longer the word

The clothing boutique Bird has permanently closed its Park Slope store after 21 years, but its other locations, in Fort Greene, Cobble Hill and Williamsburg, will reopen later this year, a sign in Bird’s window said. “We loved every minute of the 21 years that Bird called Park Slope home. Our wonderful friends and customers made the experience so much fun, inspiring, and kept us going all these years,” Jenny Lee, Bird’s director of Buying, Strategy and Personnel, told Brownstoner.

Brooklyn College student gets CUNY scholar-athlete honor

Taylor George, a member of the Brooklyn College women’s basketball team, was honored as CUNY Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorable mention. She has a 3.76 grade point average with a major in speech pathology. She has served as vice president of the Brooklyn College National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and volunteers for the Brooklyn Boys and Girls Club. On the court, Taylor appeared in 84 games, accumulating 1091 points, 240 rebounds, 243 assists and 213 steals. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2018.

Seven-story building planned for Sheepshead Bay

Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 2633 East 12th St. in Sheepshead Bay. The lot at East 12th Street and Shore Parkway, now occupied by a three-story wood-frame residential building, is closest to the Sheepshead Bay subway station served by the B and Q trains. Eddie Yair is listed as the owner, while Francisco Nunez of Studio Gallos is listed as the architect. The proposed building will have 45 apartments, most likely rentals, as well as 24 enclosed parking spaces.

State Dept. of Taxation moving into MetroTech

The State Department of Taxation and Finance recently signed a 10-year lease deal for 100,000 square feet of office space at 15 MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. The building, originally owned by Forest City-Ratner, is now owned by Brookfield Properties. The two floors are currently occupied by Empire BlueCross BlueShield, which is reducing its space in the 19-story building. “Even during this uncertain time, MetroTech continues to attract tenants across sectors because of its best-in-class office spaces, ideal location, access to transit, and community,” Alireza Esmaeilzadeh, senior vice president of asset management and leasing at Brookfield Properties, told the Commercial Observer.

Less than half of Brooklynites wear masks, says Chris Rock

Less than half of all Brooklynites are wearing masks, said comedian Chris Rock in his guest appearance on Thursday at Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s press briefing. “It’s the kids who really aren’t wearing a mask, and you know, it’s sad,” Rock said. “It’s a status symbol, almost to not wear a mask. Rock and actress Rosie Perez joined Cuomo for his daily coronavirus briefing at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in Flatbush. Rock and Perez were both raised in Brooklyn, according to the New York Post.

Union Temple, Beth Elohim talk about merger

Two Brooklyn reform synagogues have announced talks with an eye to a merger. They are Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope and Union Temple at Grand Army Plaza. Beth Elohim saw declining revenue at the start of the pandemic, while Union Temple has been having financial woes for many years. In an email to congregants, Union Temple leaders said the synagogue was “not big enough, strong enough or well-resourced enough as a congregation to do what we dream of doing on our own,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency said.

Man sues East NY nursing home after father’s death

A Brooklyn man is suing a nursing home for allegedly failing to prevent his father from contracting a fatal case of the coronavirus. Marc Duprevil claims that his already sick father, Frederic Duprevil, caught COVID-19 and died April 1 because the Linden Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation “failed to take measures to protect” his dad from the virus. The suit accuses the East New York nursing home of not following local state and federal guidelines, including failing to enforce social distancing and not canceling group activities, the New York Post reported.

MTV looking to hold VMAs at Barclays

MTV is currently working with several government and health agencies in hopes of holding its annual Video Music Awards at Barclays Center. MTV is looking at an Aug. 30 broadcast date for the show, in which MTV honors the best in the music video idiom and features performances from top-charting artists. “We’re exploring with government officials, the medical community and key stakeholders on how to safely hold the 2020 VMAs at Barclays Center on August 30th,” an MTV spokesperson told Variety. The VMAs were held at Barclays in 2013 shortly after the arena’s opening.

Bill on nursing homes passes in Albany

State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Joe Lentol, both of whom represent the same Northwest Brooklyn area, helped the Senior Care Accountability Law pass the Senate and Assembly, respectively, last week. The legislation requires residential health care facilities to prepare a pandemic emergency plan and make it available on their website. “AARP supports Senator Salazar’s bill to ensure the long-term care system is prepared for a second wave of the coronavirus or any future pandemic or health emergency,” said AARP State Director Beth Finkel.

Fort Greene tower approval process takes step forward

Plans to build a 24-story tower at 130 St. Felix St. in Fort Greene were approved by Community Board 2 in a virtual meeting on May 26. The developer, Gotham Organization, now needs approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission, because it is in the Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District, and then must go through the city’s ULURP process. In addition to apartments, some of which would be affordable, the building would house the Brooklyn Music School, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Persaud, Williams sponsor virtual town hall

State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D-Canarsie-East New York-Brownsville-Sheepshead Bay-Mill Basin) and Assemblymember Jaime Williams (D-Canarsie-Mill Basin-Marine Park) are slated to host a virtual town hall discussion on immigrant affairs and the 2020 Census on Monday. “I am honored to partner with Assembly Member Williams, NYC Census 2020, NYLAG and Mobilization for Justice to host this online event to answer questions and clarify concerns regarding immigration issues,” said Persaud, chair of the NYS Senate Social Services Committee. The town hall will take place between 5:30 and 7.

Clarke provides NYCHA residents with COVID-19 testing

U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Crown Heights-Flatbush-Kensington-Prospect Heights-Midwood) and other elected officials last week collaborated with Ready Responders to provide NYCHA residents with free testing in their homes. This initiative was a call to action following Governor Cuomo’s announcement on April 20 that there would be improved and affordable testing available for NYCHA residents.

Man stabbed in stomach during fight

A video surveillance camera caught a man being stabbed in the stomach in Bushwick during a fight. The victim and his attacker were brawling on Knickerbocker Avenue near Schaefer Street in Bushwick around 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday. Eventually, the suspect walked down some stairs with a knife and stabbed the victim. The victim was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition, according to the Daily News.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.