Brooklyn Today March 7: Brooklyn Today: Montague St. Tower Design Draws Criticism

The Lede

Streetcar service left Brooklyn in 1957, one year before the beloved Dodgers did too. And while the baseball team — which was once known as the Trolley Dodgers — will not be returning any time soon, many are hopeful that a streetcar will. Proponents of the BQX hosted an event on Tuesday at the Brooklyn Brewery to drum up support for the $2.73 billion streetcar. The gathering was complete with free beer and custom-made BQX tableclothes and coasters.

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The Rundown

BQX STREETCAR BACKERS SHOWCASE OTHER URBAN TROLLEYS TO BUILD SUPPORT

Supporters of the streetcar say the project’s viability depends on mobilizing businesses, and they’re looking to Seattle, Portland, Kansas City and St. Paul for a blueprint for success.

DESIGN OF PROPOSED MONTAGUE STREET TOWER DRAWS CRITICISM

Architects of a proposed 20-story residential tower at 200 Montague St. will have to create a bolder design after commissioners called the building “timid” and “self-effacing.”

SEVENTH ANNUAL HOT SAUCE EXPO RETURNING TO GREENPOINT

The weather may be cold — but Brooklyn’s about to heat up at the annual Hot Sauce Expo in Greenpoint.

HALF-PRICE METROCARD PROGRAM TO BE EXPANDED

Starting this fall, residents living in NYCHA developments, students enrolled in CUNY and military veterans will become eligible for Fair Fares if they live below the federal poverty line.

ALL NYPD PATROL OFFICERS NOW WEAR BODY CAMERAS

Police Commissioner James O’Neill said the cameras would increase transparency and encourage “lawful and respectful interactions between the public and the police.”

COP CONVICTED FOR BEDFORD AVENUE ROAD RAGE ASSAULT

NYPD transit officer Michael Baror, 25, faces up to seven years in prison for pistol-whipping and beating another driver in a road rage incident while off duty.

More Brooklyn News

A bar in Park Slope with the “best trivia night” in the city will close its doors after 12 years. (Grub Street)

Chalk graffiti depicting a lynching rope appears in the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station. (Gothamist)

NYCHA activists are up in arms over a water container that resembles a 40-ounce malt liquor bottle. (Daily News)

Podcast

LISTEN: Is a cross Downtown Brooklyn tunnel a viable option for the BQE rehab plan?

ICYMI

Did you see our special package on the past, present and future of Gage & Tollner? Don’t forget to share your memories in the comments.

Staff Picks

READ:

“Guilty: In 1998, I helped convict two men of murder. I’ve regretted it ever since.” (Slate)

EAT:

Here are the 13 best soup dumplings in New York City, including one spot in Brooklyn. (Eater)

WATCH:

A cop confiscates an electric scooter, decides to ride it back to the station — rather than waiting for a pickup truck, which is protocol — and then crashes(via Daily News)

LAUGH:

Children discover some weird toys in their Cracker Jack boxes. (via The New Yorker)

⌛ ON THIS DAY:

In 1898, the Eagle reported, “Yesterday being a bright, pleasant day, the attendance figures at the new Brooklyn Museum reached the highest total of any Sunday afternoon since the formal opening last June. Between the hours of 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., 3,557 people viewed the collections in arts and science.”

📔 IMPRINT:

Taylor Swift receives her close-up on the April cover of Elle.

👑 ROYAL WATCH:

“Does Prince George bow to the Queen?” (The Cheat Sheet)

🏀 SPORTS:

“Trotz’s 800th win could prove costly for Isles”

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Bryan Cranston, Taylor Dayne, Michael Eisner, Jenna Fischer, Denyce Graves, Janet Guthrie, Franco Harris, Robert Harris, John Heard, Jeff Kent, Ivan Lendl, Tobias Menzies, Laura Prepon, Willard Herman Scott Jr., Nick Searcy, Daniel J. Travanti, Rachel Weisz and Peter Wolf!

Brooklyn Today’s editor is Scott Enman. Contact him at [email protected].