Brooklyn Today February 7: Brooklyn Today February 7: Plan to Build Brooklyn’s Largest Office Tower in Flux

The Lede

THE LEDE: Happy Thursday! Brooklyn’s largest office tower is in flux, the BQX streetcar receives renewed support, and there’s still no verdict in the El Chapo trial. Plus, a Black Lives Matter rally is set to take place today, a former Guatemalan soccer official gets sentenced in Downtown Brooklyn, and we take a stroll along Newtown Creek. Finally, mobile saunas are all the rage in Brooklyn bars, and we go inside the Metropolitan Detention Center’s troubling history.

Imprint

IMPRINT: American model Kendall Jenner sports blue eyebrows on the March cover of Allure.

The Rundown

COURT RULING COMPLICATES PLAN TO BUILD BROOKLYN'S LARGEST OFFICE TOWER

An ambitious plan to build Brooklyn’s largest office tower in the Pacific Park development site, formerly known as Atlantic Yards is in flux after a state Supreme Court justice blocked its attempt to boot local retailer P.C. Richard. State Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Ash ruled on Jan. 29 that developers of the project — a two-tower retail and office development across from the Atlantic Terminal Mall and Barclays Center — have reneged on a promise to grant replacement space within the complex to P.C. Richard & Son, which currently occupies part of the site alongside Modell’s Sporting Goods.(via Brooklyn Eagle)

STALLED BQX STREETCAR BACK ON TRACK

Mayor Bill de Blasio is signaling renewed support for the Brooklyn-Queens Connector by awarding a $7.2 million contract to a consulting firm to study the environmental impact of the 11-mile light rail project that would connect waterfront Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods. Some thought the streetcar was dead before arrival — but the city’s move signifies a renewed commitment to seeing the project through. The funds will go to civil engineering consultancy VHB to produce an Environmental Impact Study, a required next step to move the project along in the city’s ULURP. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

THREE DAYS IN, AND STILL NO VERDICT IN EL CHAPO TRIAL

After three days of deliberations, a jury still has not reached a verdict in the trial of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The panel went home for the day on Wednesday with plans to return today to continue deciding Guzman’s fate. The jury sent U.S. District Court Judge Brian Cogan two notes yesterday. The first, which came just before 1 p.m., was to ask the judge if they could leave at 4:15 p.m. — not a good sign for those hoping for a verdict. The jury then sent another note at approximately 2:45 p.m. asking for transcripts of the testimony of three admitted narcos who testified against Guzman. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

BLACK LIVES MATTER RALLY TO FOCUS ON RACIAL INEQUITY IN SCHOOLS

A movement to teach New York City school children the full scope of black history in America will take a giant step forward at an after-school rally today. Students, teachers and parents from dozens of Brooklyn schools are expected to take part in the Black Lives Matter for Schools rally outside the Tweed Building at 52 Chambers St. at 4 p.m. to present demands to Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza for the establishment of a black history curriculum, hiring more teachers of color, providing adequate funding for public schools and other changes to the school system. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

FORMER GUATEMALAN SOCCER HEAD TO FORFEIT $350,000

Brayan Jimenez, a former head of Guatemalan soccer’s governing body, was sentencedTuesday to time served and ordered to forfeit $350,000 after pleading guilty for his role in the FIFA corruption scandal uncovered by U.S. prosecutors. Judge Pamela K. Chen issued the sentence during a 70-minute hearing in U.S. District Court in Downtown Brooklyn. Jimenez faced up to 40 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, and while Chen explained federal guidelines called for a sentence of 41 to 51 months, she concluded Jimenez’s cooperation and remorse mitigated the situation. (AP via Brooklyn Eagle)

MOBILE SAUNAS CONTINUE TO POP UP AT BROOKLYN BARS

Roberta’s Pizza in Bushwick will soon be the latest Brooklyn business to host HotBox Mobile Sauna, a wood-fired sauna on wheels, in its backyard. The sauna, which will launch on Sunday, is a 144-square-foot box that fits eight to 10 people at a time, and the temperature inside reaches 180 degrees. Beers, drinks and food are available in a heated nearby “tiki lodge.” The space will also have a cold shower. HotBox launched in March 2018, and since then it has had several “residences” in Brooklyn, including Valentino Park in Red Hook, Nowadays on the Bushwick-Ridgewood border and North Brooklyn Farms in Williamsburg. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

TAKE A WINTER STROLL TO THE NEWTOWN CREEK NATURE WALK AND GREENPOINT SPOTS

A sewage treatment facility has some of Greenpoint’sbest waterfront views. The good thing is that the public can see them, too. The Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is right on the shoreline of the toxic waterway. It has billion-dollar vistas of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, whistle-shaped Citigroup Center and an eye-catching array of Long Island City towers. We know this because the city DEP built a pocket park on a sliver of the site more than a decade ago. (via Brooklyn Eagle)