Around Brooklyn: Sunset Park sees uptick in virus cases

August 13, 2020 Editorial Staff

This public waterfront space is located in front of a residential tower called The Greenpoint on the Greenpoint waterfront. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Sunset Park sees uptick in virus cases

Sunset Park in Southwest Brooklyn has seen an increase in coronavirus cases, Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday. The neighborhood’s 228 positive cases have spurred the city to launch a “hyperlocal” attack in the area, which will include increased testing and outreach, the mayor said. The 228 positives come from about 3,300 tests conducted over the past two weeks in Sunset Park. Two mobile testing sites will arrive in the neighborhood and will be available all next week, according to NY1 News.

Bichotte: Harris will restore ‘saneness and wisdom’

Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush-Ditmas Park) hailed the recent announcement that Sen. Kamala Harris will be presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate. “Kamala Harris is an inspired choice. A well-credentialed woman who is battle-tested on the campaign trail and in debates, she will join Joe Biden in restoring saneness and wisdom to the White House while helping to win back the United States Senate,” Bichotte said.

City seeks delay in building Gowanus retention tanks

The city Department of Environmental Protection is trying once again to delay the construction of two retention tanks on the banks of the Gowanus that are meant to reduce the volume of untreated wastewater entering the canal. As part of the EPA Superfund cleanup of the Gowanus, the federal agency ordered the city to build the two tanks: one at the head of the canal at Butler and Nevins streets and the other at the Salt Lot at Second Avenue. Since the city committed to build the tanks, their cost has ballooned from $500 million to $1.2 billion, according to Pardon Me for Asking.

Brooklyn principals call for delay in classroom learning

A group of Brooklyn principals are calling for a delay to the start of classroom learning this September, saying the school system is not prepared for the safe return of students during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to city officials, 34 District 15 administrators said they were “gravely concerned” about the scheduled reopening of school buildings next month. The group said organizational problems stemming from last year’s “botched” system closure haven’t yet been resolved, according to the New York Post.

Three-story building planned for East Flatbush

Permits have been filed for a three-story residential building at 462 E. 29th St. in East Flatbush. The site, currently occupied by a two-story house, is one block from the 2 and 5 trains’ Newkirk Avenue station. Yoel Kahan of Highline Development is listed as the owner, and Asher Hershkowitz is listed as the architect of record. The building will have six apartments, most likely rentals, according to New York YIMBY.

Adams meets South Korean biz leaders

Borough President Eric Adams met yesterday with business leaders from Seoul, South Korea, to announce the delivery of 10,000 personal protective equipment wellness packs to distribute to local families in need. Adams, Seoul Business Agency President Young Seung Chang and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Peers will facilitate the distribution of the PPE wellness packs, which include masks, sanitizer sprays and educational games for children. South Korea has been praised as a model nation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Run over bridge honors John Lewis

More than 300 runners dressed in white temporarily shut down the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday as they ran to remember U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who died July 17. The run was organized by Fort Greene filmmaker Coffey, who said the event paid homage to the civil rights leader’s 1965 crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. “Lewis made the country a little freer for Black Americans and people of color,” Coffey said. On the bridge, the runners took a moment of silence before jogging to Cadman Plaza Park’s new “Juneteenth Grove,” according to BK Reader.

Greenpoint group celebrates anniversary

North Brooklyn Neighbors is celebrating its 26th anniversary this week. The nonprofit organization began in 1994 when a group of local residents concerned about an illegal waste transfer station on the East River formed a group called “Neighbors Against Garbage.” After a campaign by the group, the waste transfer station was shut down. The group then became “Neighbors Allied for Good Growth,” and expanded its advocacy to include affordable housing, waterfront access and more. In 2018, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth joined with the Greenpoint Waterfront Alliance to become North Brooklyn Neighbors, according to Greenpointers.

‘Greenest Block’ could become historic district

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday calendared a block in East Flatbush that has been awarded the title of “greenest block in Brooklyn” four times for consideration as a new historic district. The proposed stretch of East 25th Street between Clarendon Road and Avenue D consists of 56 limestone and brownstone houses built by one developer between 1909 and 1912. The 300 East 25th Street Block Association submitted its request to Landmarks last year, saying that “overdevelopment has plagued the East Flatbush community,” according to 6sqft.

Brooklyn luxury home sales increase

Almost $55 million worth of luxury homes went into contract in Brooklyn during the first week of August. Of the 18 deals that were signed, eight were townhouses, eight were condos and two were co-ops. Combined, the transactions were valued at $54.6 million. It was the third straight week that Brooklyn luxury contract activity has increased. The most expensive contract signed was for a Park Slope townhouse at 31 Prospect Park West, which sold at $5.65 million, according to The Real Deal.

Outdoor restaurant opens in Greenpoint

Ken Addington, the former chef at Greenpoint’s Five Leaves, has opened a 90-seat backyard restaurant at 302 Metropolitan Ave. in Williamsburg. The restaurant, Strangeways, serves “pub-style” fare, a spokesperson for the restaurant said, although it borrows from different cultures, such as Indian and Korean. The new restaurant also joins a number of others that have opened for weekend brunch. Strangeways also serves a variety of cocktails for outdoor drinking, according to New York Eater.

Williamsburg oyster bar closes

Well-known Williamsburg oyster bar Maison Premier appears to have permanently closed amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The bar’s website directs you to an error page, its Instagram account has been shut down and the phone line has been disconnected. Maison Premier and its sister restaurant, Sauvage, were in trouble even before the pandemic hit. Co-owners Krystof Zizka and Joshua Boissy filed for bankruptcy in 2019, according to New York Eater. Maison Premier was open for nearly a decade, won a James Beard award and was considered one of the city’s top cocktail bars.

Man commits suicide in Sears parking lot

A man committed suicide in the parking lot of Sears’ Flatbush store near Bedford Avenue and Beverly Road, police said. The man, whose name and age were not immediately revealed by the NYPD, was found dead by a passer-by in the store’s parking lot just before 9 a.m. A gun was recovered at the scene, and a suicide note was also found, according to the New York Post.

Williamsburg venue screening movies outdoors

Syndicated at 40 Bogart St., East Williamsburg, has begun screening movies outside. The Brooklyn hangout has been doing outdoor dining since restaurants were allowed to reopen, but it now will be showing movies beginning around 8 p.m. every night. Snacks and drinks will also be available. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and everyone must social distance. “Since indoor dining and moviegoing feel so uncertain right now, why not try to maximize the outdoor space we are currently allowed to use?” asked managing partner Tim Chung, Time Out New York reported.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.