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

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