Yesterday’s big news was that a Federal Appeals Court had dismissed an appeal of an earlier ruling in the Atlantic Yards eminent domain suit. In a 24-page ruling, the judges noted the project creates public benefits like housing and that “Federal judges may not intervene in such matters simply on the basis of our sympathies.” (A link to a PDF of the Court’s opinion can be found here.) They said elected officials should make decisions in such cases. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn quickly announced that it would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, which accepts only a fraction of the cases that come before it each year. It is unknown whether the Court has an interest in revisiting the issue of eminent domain or views the complex Atlantic Yards case as the vehicle with which to do so. Atlantic Yards Report called a Supreme Court appeal “a longshot,” noting the court accepts two percent of the cases brought to it, but did not that eminent domain is a “hot-button issue.”

Here is a roundup of some of the coverage:
In dismissal of eminent domain case, court cautions against appeal [AYR]
Opponents of Atlantic Yards Lose and Appellate Ruling [NYT]
Federal appeals court says Atlantic Yards project can go forward [NYDN]
Federal Court Rejects Appeal [TRE]
Breaking CurbedWire: Main Atlantic Yards Suit Dismissed [Curbed]
Another Anti-AY Suit Gets Tossed [Brownstoner]

The Carroll Gardens development battle over the building at 360 Smith Street has spawned many things, including a neighborhood group that has agitated for a downzoning and development moratorium and the wall we named “The Democracy Wall.” This is about the latter. Apparently the person who goes by “Art Dog” and has created many of the grassroots posters has started a blog called….drum roll…Art Dog to tell the story. Art Dog describes himself as follows:

I am an erudite Brooklynite though I was born a common street mutt…I worked my way up the ladder after my parents insisted I attend Columbia University. My major was “Film” but I lacked the looks and stature for the leading roles I sought in Tinseltown. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to settle back home in Gowanus, where I was born to a single Mom, and start an organic, vegetarian dog chow business which I run today. My puppies are all schooled at home and my bitch (I mean my wife) has her Doctorate in Animal Psychology from NYU.

We can guarantee one thing about the Art Dog blog: It will be fun to look at and colorful. Check out Art Dog.

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images.

Images:

• Ice Stick [Atomische]
• Williamsburg Sunset [INSIJS]
• Something is Missing [Blue Jake]
• B63 [Park Slope Street Photography]
• Siamese Standpipe [Clinton Hill Blog]
• Pigeons at TJ’s [McBrooklyn]
• Terrace Bridge [Atomische]

Not Images:

• Development Watch: 186 Grand [Brownstoner]
• Union Hall Succumbs to Stroller Rage [Curbed]
• Phil Says Six More Weeks of Winter [groundhog.org]
• Messy Bushwick Neighbor [New York Shitty]
• Khalil Gibran School Moving Out [OTBKB]
• BBQ in Gowanus [Brownstoner]
• Groundhog-Less Day in Bay Ridge [Right in Bay Ridge]
• A Blogged Week [Bay Ridge Rover]
• Superbowl ’08 in Dumbo [Dumbo NYC]
• A Saturday of Firsts [About Brooklyn]
• John Rogers Fire Extinguishers [Brooklynometry]
• Bed-Stuy Real Estate Picks [Bed-Stuy Blog]

This sign on Flushing Avenue gets extra points for hanging in there, so to speak. It comes from Bushwick and was sent by our Greenpoint Correspondent.

A fun vid shot in winter in Coney Island, before the clearance of some land by developer Joe Sitt and Thor Equities.

What people want to know is, what’s up with the Trader Joe’s that’s supposed to open at Atlantic and Court? “Ah! The steel drums, the calypso dancers… Marty! That was the dreamy scene SIX MONTHS ago when a friggin PARADE announced that Trader Joe’s would open at the corner of Atlantic and Court.. you know in that old bank building. Well here we sit and still — NOTHIN’!–Cobble Hill Blog

This specimen is from Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed-Stuy. It was a blue print and probably served someone well before its service came to an end like this. It comes from the digital camera of our wide-ranging Greenpoint Correspondent, who covers an incredible amount of territory.

The new St. Clair Restaurant, which is taking the place of the old one at the corner of Smith Street and Atlantic Avenue has a new sign. “Glad the new owners kept the old name, and, taking the sign’s aesthetics as face value, they seem to be trying to retain the spirit of the diner.”–Lost City

This guy was found in Park Slope on Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street last night, after apparently being injured by a car. The people that rescued him posted this on Brooklynian yesterday afternoon:

My husband & I found a cute brownish/reddish dog on Sixth Ave & Sixth Street around 11pm last night. He’s about 25lbs, and looks to maybe be a shiba inu mixed with something else (pitt?). He was hurt – had been hit by a car – and we took him to the vet. He’s still there. He had a black leash and a green and white checked collar with black buckle, but no tags or microchip. Is he yours? Do you know who he belongs to? I’m anxious to get in touch with his owner.

We’re hoping this one turns out well and his photo and story are being posted around. The owner can be contacted at nicky (dot) agate (at) nyu (dot) edu.

A Federal Appeals Court has dismissed the eminent domain case brought against Atlantic Yards. It is the last remaining major legal challenge against the project. The decision can be still be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Forest City Ratner distributed copies of the 24-page ruling to the press. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn quickly issued a statement saying that it would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their statement is online here.

[Photo courtesy of Brownstoner]

Our friends at Brownstoner attended last night’s Community Board 1 Landmark Committee meeting and caught the developer’s presentation about the New Domino. The photos are either riveting or alarming, depending on one’s point of view, and show a project that, as expected, would radically transform Williamsburg. The full set is over at Brownstoner, including the huge glass box that would be added to the top of the landmarked old Domino Sugar Factory. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, one hopes the developers post renderings online or make them available so that the public can get a close look at images that don’t show the plans for more or for less than they are. Everyone should have a chance to see them as the architect intends them to be before the LPC hearing on February 5.

Those who have mourned the demise of the paving stones torn out of Beard Street in Red Hook to make way for a smooth, paved street that can handle Ikea traffic can stop: the paving stones are back. They are not on the street, but rather on the sidewalk, alternating with spaces where trees will be planted. We noticed them when we were checking up on progress on Ikea and looked down to find something familiar next to the freshly-poured concrete. Given that a lot of paving stones were removed from about two blocks, one supposed they will be popping up in many places in front of and inside of the Ikea property. How one feels about this–good, bad or indifferent–will likely depend on how one feels about the dramatic change on Beard Street. Us, we loved the paving stones on Beard Street and love them on other Red Hook streets where they survive…for now.

Whenever we pass by the building that we like to call The Bunker on Bond Street because of its lack of windows superior abundance of wall space, we check to see how much progress has been made. We’re not sure if it’s the slowest moving building project in Brooklyn, but that’s only because there is so much competition in the borough. We feel safe in saying that it’s one of the slower ones we’ve seen. The address of the building is 346 Bond Street and the last standing horse stable on Bond Street was demolished to make room for it. The house on the corner, however, was not. The photos here came from our Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Correspondent who, it is fair to say, can not be counted as an admirer of this Robert Scarano structure. Our correspondent writes:

I would like to note the strange faux walnut veneer siding and tiny dot-dash shaped windows on the Bond St side. Bank Leumi has financed 346 Bond Street which could possibly account for its West Bank style. Tiny windows help in dry, desert climates to conserve energy and keep interiors cool. Also small windows are used in libraries of Universities for riot safety. I’d say this building alone could entice a design riot or two.

Someday, when the work wraps up on the Bunker, we will get the full effect of the building looming across the Gowanus Canal from the Carroll and Union Street Bridges.

How one feels about the way the Target on Flatbush Avenue looks probably depends on how one feels about Atlantic Center-type buildings versus wanting to have a Target nearby. In any case there are many photos which one can use to draw conclusions in case one hasn’t seen it.–Fading Ad Blog

Among the stranger details to emerge from a presentation that Rafael Viñoly gave about the planned New Domino development in Williamsburg yesterday was the fact that he wanted to build a pedestrian bridge to Manhattan, but that the developers had said no. Other relevant information sent to Curbed yesterday included a description of the big towers as consisting of masonry at the base and glass curtain walls on the upper floors and of the pedestrian waterfront access as a “sliver” that looked like “a footpath.” The Daily News reports this morning that a presentation at a Community Board One Hearing last night included renderings and that “some frowned on the design, calling it too boxy and too big for the Williamsburg waterfront neighborhood.”

The LPC attendee who shared the information from the LPC luncheon later added the following via a comment:

in the model he showed…the factory was dwarfed by the two flanking towers. The design for the towers was brick or some sort of red masonry on the bottom third and all glass curtainwall for the top two thirds. He also showed a map as to how this project will influence the area of north williamsburg and create a revitalization. I guess he hasn’t been there in a while.

The description included the five-story “glass box” the developers want to add to the top of main Domino building, which is landmarked. We will withhold judgment until renderings are made public, but it would seem that a five-story addition could render the landmarking rather, uh, meaningless. That particular element goes before the LPC on February 5. The plans are supposed to be available today at the Landmarks Commission Office, which is located in the Municipal Building on Centre Street on the Ninth Floor in the North Building. Further details and/or renderings, hopefully, a bit later today.

Another Carroll Gardens small business is in its last weeks. Hole in the Wall Video on Court Street is closing in March. It has been there for two decades and will be closing its door for good on March 19. “During those years, my kids went from renting The Little Mermaid to checking out Deadwood. Back then, Key Food was still its neighbor and VHS was still the standard. Their original space was right next door, in a tiny store barely big enough for two rows of shelves. Hence the name. When they moved into their present location, it felt huge in comparison. We all cheered when Blockbuster, just a few blocks away, packed up and left, while Hole In The Wall survived.”–Pardon Me for Asking

A GL reader sent us an email yesterday with an observation and a question that is worth passing along: “I just drove by park circle and saw a goose that I hear has been living there for 4 days or so. Doesn’t that seem strange? I think there might be something the matter with that animal. I am not equipped to go and investigate. Do you know anyone who might be able to help that goose find a safer place to live?”

We stopped and stared when we were taking photos on Beard Street and realized that a stoplight was being installed in front of what will be an entrance to the new Ikea. We will admit that this is an insignificant thing to many people, but it is a rather symbolic thing to those that recall the days when no cars drove down Beard Street and it was where driving schools took people to learn how to drive school buses and tractor trailers. (Red Hook is also a hugely popular spot for regular driving schools, but that is another story.) There is also some irony to those that recall the struggle to get a stoplight installed on Van Brunt Street. To that end, a Red Hook resident dropped us an email that is worth posting:

1) It took a fatality, two community protests, numerous serious accidents, and a year long study for DOT to put a stop light up at Wolcott and Van Brunt – across the street from a public school. Not so at Beard and Dwight, it seems. A light before traffic.

2) In the Norman Rockwellian nostalgia represented by September of 2006, my friends and I used to take a few beers and our ball gloves and play catch out on Beard Street on Sunday afternoon, with nary an interruption. Ah, those were the days.

So, you see, it’s not just a stoplight.

Some of the architecture on Cambridge Place in Clinton Hill is uniquely Brooklyn and certainly makes for a great photo feature. Yet, there is one photo missing from the collection: “Not pictured is the man I spotted pulling down his pants and taking a shit on the sidewalk. That’s right. I saw someone shitting on a Thursday afternoon, right here on Cambridge.”–Clinton Hill Blog

Ikea sent press releases out everywhere yesterday “announcing” that it is accepting applications from the general public. The release said that Ikea “has begun the general recruitment process for its 1st New York City store, set to open Summer 2008 in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook.” Ikea had previously announced that it would only be accepting from Red Hook residents through February 4. Jobs for Red Hook residents were one of the retailer’s big selling points in generating community support for the controversial development, which generated some bitter opposition within Red Hook. The release noted that Ikea is filling 500 positions in the massive Red Hook store. A press release said that “Prospective coworkers are welcome to apply for the nearly 500 diverse positions in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, receiving, warehouse and stock replenishment. Also, setting itself apart from other retailers in the area, IKEA Brooklyn will offer – among the 500 total positions to be hired for the store – approximately 80 food service opportunities in its Restaurant, Swedish Foodmarket, Café Bistro and coworker cafeteria.” The release was headlined “IKEA Seeking 500 to Join Swedish Family in Red Hook.” Here is some of what employees get:

IKEA places value and emphasis on coworkers’ personal lives and the importance of a work/life balance. Drawing from the company’s Swedish heritage, IKEA is committed to a flexible workplace that emphasizes a work/life balance and provides professional opportunities to people from all life situations. If an IKEA coworker needs to take time off to find a nursing home for an aging parent, be home to kiss their child before bed or have flexible scheduling to best juggle caring for a newborn, one can do so without worrying about risking their career aspirations. IKEA offers other family-friendly initiatives and diverse workplace benefits including full medical/dental insurance to coworkers working 20 hours or more per week with eligibility for domestic partners and children.

The full text of the press release can be found here. All of the feel good talk, and wisecracks about “family” aside, the proof of the firm’s value to Red Hook will be directly related to the number of residents they hire. We look forward to learning how many Red Hook residents are on their payroll and how many total Brooklynites are hired.

Brooklinks is selection of Brooklyn-related information and images:

• Will Ward Bakery Be the Next to Fall on Atlantic Yards Property? [Brownstoner]
• Nasty Clash Over Khalil Gibran School at City Hall [Sun]
• Altered Movie Posters of the G [New York Shitty]
• Russian Mobster Gets Two Long Sentences in Killings [NYP]
• Bay Ridge to Lose Longtime Wine Shop? [Bay Ridge Rover]
• Checking Out 134 St. Mark’s Place [Brownstoner]
• Clinton Hill Refrigerator & Washer Repair [Fading Ad Blog]
• Congrats to the “Written Nerd” [OTBKB]
• Brooklyn-based Etsy Raises $27M [Dumbo NYC]
• Whatever Happened to Prospect-Lefferts United Services? [Hawthorne Street]
• An Orange Tree on Court Street [PMFA]
• A Lot of Barack Posters in Fort Greene [General Greene]
• Problems for Proposed Williamsburg School [Sun]
• Visiting the Quaker Cemetery in the Park [A Year in the Park]
• Save Coney Island Benefit to Be Held at Southpaw [Kinetic Carnival]
• Natural Foods + Constitutional Rights in Bay Ridge [Right in Bay Ridge]
• Grace Church Fair on Saturday [Brooklyn Heights Blog]

“Chinese New Year 2008, the year of the Rat officially begins on February 7th, but since it’s a work day the real fun will be three days later” on Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park where thousands watch the celebration. “The Brooklyn Chinese American Association that sponsors the annual Chinese New Year’s Celebrations on 8th Avenue have set the date for this year’s parade on Sunday February 10. The ceremonies are slated to begin at 11 Am and last about three hours. Expect to see very major politician and local celebrity at the ceremonies in front of the BCAA headquarters at 51st street and 8th Avenue.”–Sunset Park Blog

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is hosting a Lunar New Year’s celebration on Sunday (2/3) from 10AM-4:30PM. They write:

Because plants are such an important element of a traditional Lunar New Year celebration, the Garden is the ideal setting to welcome 4705. Plants native to China, Korea, and Vietnam in Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s outstanding collections will be featured on Chinese- and English-language guided tours in the Steinhardt Conservatory. And examples of these plants, including peach blossoms, citrus trees, flowering quince, and other seasonal flowers, will be available for purchase at a traditional flower market.

Visitors will also experience the sensory delights of Asian cultures through music, dance, food, and fine art. And the stunning plants in BBG’s collection will be the inspiration for kids’ and adults’ craft workshops. Kids will be able to create paper versions of New Year flowers, make citrus sachets using material from culturally significant plants, and pot up a lucky bamboo stalk while learning about its historical meaning in parts of Asia…The Year of the Rat will be welcomed with a full lineup of exciting entertainers, including spectacular music and dance performances for the whole family by some of the most renowned Asian performance groups in the world—including Red Silk Dancers, Korean Traditional Music and Dance Institute of New York, and Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera.

A lot more info about the activities is available by clicking here. The event is indoors.

They’re having a marsupial moment at the Prospect Park Zoo, where they have a four-month old joey (whose mom is named Christy and dad is named Junior). The marsupial will grow up to be five feet tall and be able to jump 30 feet. Once they figure out if it is a he or a she, the zoo will have a naming contest.–NYP

Can you find the One Way sign in this photo taken on Lewis Avenue in Bed-Stuy? It’s not that hard to locate in a photo, but we can see where it might be a bit challenging in a moving car and could result in some issues if the direction of the street in question is not immediately obvious because all the cars are parked in the same direction or because all the traffic isn’t coming at you. Our Greenpoint Correspondent, uh, found the sign for us.