We’ve had a lot of Gowanus fauna items this week, including people catching foot-long bluefish and taking them home for dinner and (thank you, readers for your help identifying this creature) a cormorant we photographed doing some fishing of its own. A blogger and reader sent us a link yesterday to his own post about Gowanus swans. We knew of the swans that had made their home in the Erie Basin around the old Revere Sugar plant in Red Hook, but had never seen any in the Gowanus. (The swan pictured here is one of the Red Hook ones, who was a familiar site there.) Here is a bit of the wonderful post from Stephen P. Williams blog about swans in the Gowanus:

The swan paddled upstream, against the putrid tide, towards the brownfield that will one day house the new Whole Foods. That’s good luck I thought. And then a brown swan joined the white swan, a mating pair, paddling together past the cement plant…They dipped their beaks into the water, searching for crabs, bluefish, jellyfish, all of which I’ve seen, and the bodies, bones, the ghost eyeballs of the bodies that line the canal bed.

Make sure to read the full post by clicking here.

(Note: The swan pictured here is the Red Hook one. Anyone with photos of the Gowanus swans is invited to send them to us at thegowanuslounge (at) gmail (dot) com. In fact, we welcome any tips, stories or photos that readers send our way.)

A challenge brought on behalf of 13 rental tenants challenging the Atlantic Yards relocation plan has been dismissed by a state Appellate Court. This is the second case regarding renters that would be displaced by the Atlantic Yards plan to be dismissed.–AYR

Here’s a really nice video of black and white Coney still photos with Johnny Cash singing “In My Life” as the soundtrack. We found it very pretty and in keeping with our extra-strong Coney Island obsession this week.

From oysters being exported to Europe in Colonial times to toxic mud being scooped from it, the Gowanus has seen some changes. The oysters went early, though, as it was called “a blot on America’s civilization” by the 1880s.–Pardon Me for Asking

[Photo courtesy of ConeyHOP/flickr & Kinetic Carnival]

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and, especially on weekends, images. With respect for Norman Mailer, who has left us today.

Images:

• Parachute Jump November Sky (above) [ConeyHOP/flckr]
• Help, Stuck on Gowanus Canal Pile [Atomische]
• Heavenly Horizon [For the Love of Brooklyn/flckr]
• Marathon Highlights [A Test of Will]
• 80/Sunset Park [Frank Lynch/flickr]
• The Astral Matress Company [New York Shitty]
• Red Hook Time Lapse [Amy’s New York Notebook via Tugster]
• Beautiful Brooklyn [Pardon Me for Asking]
• Williamsburg Gothic [A Test of Will]
• Blue Ape Falls Over, Can’t Get Up [Brooklynometry]

Words:

• A Brooklyn Youth’s View of Congestion Pricing [Sustainable Flatbush]
• Brooklyn Kids Protest Housing Conditions [Green Brooklyn]
• Coney Comeback Hoopla Links, Part I [Kinetic Carnival]
• Feedback on the Bay Ridge “Stop Being Stupid” Signs [Bay Ridge Rover]
• Mr. Heather Gets Fan Mail! (Congrats) [New York Shitty]
• Bed-Stuy Real Estate Picks [Bed-Stuy Blog]
• Rally Against Sunset Park Gentrification [Sunset Park Autonomous Zone]

Anyone with strong feelings about parking in Park Slope or Prospect Heights might want to check out the PlaNYC Workshop On Neighborhood Parking that will be happening on Tuesday (11/27). The topics that will be covered include “community concerns about the possible impact of congestion pricing on neighborhood parking,” “parking conditions in your neighborhood” and “parking management strategies.” The goal is developing a toolbox of potential parking solutions that can be applied to neighborhoods citywide.” The session will take place between 6:30PM and 8:30PM at Congregation Beth Elohim, which is located at 274 Garfield Place (at 8th Avenue) in Park Slope. This is another one of those events where the organizers are, unfortunately, requiring an RSVP from citizens willing to take the initiative and participate. (We have state before that anyone in the community interested enough to take the initiative to attend a public session to offer input should be welcomed with open arms, and thanked for coming, as long as there is space in the room.) In order to attend, one needs to RSVP to planycpark@hshassoc.com or call 917.339.0488 by November 26. The email should say “Brooklyn Workshop” in the subject line. More information is available here at the Community Board 6 website.

It’s November and it’s been chilly and wet. This week the city unveiled the new preliminary plan for Coney Island. What better thing to to watch than an old commercial for Astroland?

Wythe Avenue

“On the evening of December 5, 1876, over 300 people perished in a fire that overtook the Brooklyn Theatre on Johnson Street. Started by a oil lamp, the fire spread to the ceiling, engulfing the auditorium. The theatre had no fire escapes and only 5 narrow exits.”–Icky in Brooklyn

Bedford Avenue

As a building on Court Street is prepared for demolition an old sign identifying it as “The Anthony Anastasio Memorial Wing—Brooklyn Longshoremen’s Medical Center” has been uncovered. “Tough Tony” was union boss of the Brooklyn docs and the bother of Albert Anastasio, head of Murder, Inc.–Lost City

Several thoughts come to mind in terms of yesterday’s major announcements regarding Coney Island’s future. The zoning changes, and the city’s decision to acquire land in the amusement district–engaging in a lucrative land swap with developer Joe Sitt–is the culmination of more than two years of public arguments and closed door negotiations. It would appear to be the city’s way of (a). throwing in the towel with Mr. Sitt and looking for a fresh start in Coney’s core and (b). creating another big city-driven development plan that will be a lot more like Hudson Yards in terms of process and spirit than Mr. Sitt’s buy-up-the-land and demand zoning changes strategy.

It is hard to feel sorry for Mr. Sitt in that his approach to the Coney Island project was about as inept as one can find in terms of managing to alienate just about everyone, including people like Mr. Doctoroff who had the power–and, apparently, the desire–to cut him out of this particular slice of the action. It is also likely that Mr. Sitt will profit handsomely at taxpayer expense. Mayor Bloomberg said as much at the end of his press conference when he noted that Mr. Sitt had bought the property and that the system allowed him to make money. Mr. Sitt will make money on the deal and develop housing and retail on a site that the city will rezone for that purpose. The word has already gone out that it will cost “hundreds of millions” to buy property that Mr. Sitt probably purchased for about $120 million.

In terms of the amusement district itself, it is heartening to see the city take steps to create zoning that will protect it as such. There is less joy to be found in the plan to turn over a huge chunk of land to a single, large operator. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said that “Today, you can’t have a bunch of little things and have them survive” and there were many references to finding a “world-class” operator. One can almost see the Mouse Ears appearing on the horizon.

Without question, the city has greatly extended the timetable on redevelopment, probably far beyond Mr. Bloomberg’s term in office and even past his successor’s. The Mayor said that he hoped to see the start of some development by the end of his term in office, and timetables of 10-20 years seemed to be used. It is a strong contrast to Mr. Sitt’s timetable. He started demolishing things last winter and has been boarding up property he owns and kept demolition equipment parked on his property. While the renderings that the city released yesterday are interesting, they are likely to be no more valid than the long series of renderings that Mr. Sitt released from time to time–fascinating to look at, but that’s about it.

There will now be a long and necessary public discussion period and a potentially long process of cutting deals with the owners of privately-owned land. The public issue concerning Mr. Sitt will likely be the amount of money he is paid. The issue with other owners–such as the engimatic Horace Bullard–could be intransigence. We wouldn’t be stunned if the city ends up in court and if eminent domain is used. Nor would we be shocked to see the next mayor change course if the project is still bogged down. Frankly, we wouldn’t be surprised if today’s five-year-old will be of legal age before the first ride is ever taken in a new Coney park. In the meantime, it’s now up to the city to ensure that Coney Island remains a vital place and that steps are taken to use land that is now sitting empty thanks to Mr. Sitt’s premature demolitions.

Far from being over, the Coney Island redevelopment saga is only starting.

What was a truck from a firm that bills itself as “helping solve many of America’s toughest industrial waste problems” doing sucking stuff from beneath a grate on Grand Street in Williamsburg yesterday? Hopefully, it was something run-of-the-mill, but nasty. In any case, a reader left word on our post about the drilling for samples of toxic soil at the Public Place site in Gowanus:

Speaking of toxic land and drilling…right now b/w 2-3pm there is a large truck from Allstate Power Vac sucking out dark material from a grate on Grand Street b/w Bedford and Berry St in Williamsburg….this area has had curious gas smell reports over the past several months that when the Gas co Keyspan arrived to inspect, they said it was not gas….The neighbors are wondering if the gas smell is from gasoline/oil ..etc. The Power vac truck makes them wonder more…they are a toxic waste specialist firm.

Indeed, among the things that the company with the truck that sucks muck does is to perform services “nobody else can do, or want to do. At locations ranging from New York City’s largest public utility complex to New Jersey’s troubled sewer systems…”

Here are some basic details about the Coney Island rezoning proposal that was released yesterday:

• It will allow for the development of 6.3 million square feet of space–approximately 4.9 million square feet of residential space, 460,000 square feet of retail space and 1.4 million square feet of “enclosed amusement, entertainment retail” in addition to “amusements on parkland.”
• It will allow for creation of about 4,500 residential units; about 20 percent of the housing will be affordable.

The plan creates Coney North, Coney West and Coney East districts. Here are some details about each:

• Coney North–About 10.6 acres total with 1.9 million square feet of developable space, 1.8 million of which will be residential. About 1,800 units are envisioned for this parcel.
• Coney West–About 15.4 acres with 3 million squaree feet of space, about 2.6 million of which will be residential. About 2,700 units could be built here.
• Coney East–About 21 acres in the amusement district, with 1.4 million square feet of development.

For now, we will note that the Coney East zone envisions a significant amount of development apart from any amusement park that is built. The illustrative rendering released yesterday, shows some buildings of significant size to the east of KeySpan Park along Surf Avenue. A full sketch of the proposal–which was given to selected print media outlets in advance to use on their websites along with renderings, but was curiously not shared with any online news sites–is now available at the Department of City Planning’s website.

Yesterday’s announcement of a Coney Island zoning proposal was the very first step of what will be a very, very long process of settling land use issues. The process will run through 2009. The first public meeting on the new Coney Island zoning proposal will be held on November 19 at Auditorium, Coney Island Hospital at 6:30. The entire rezoning process is due to be completed during the Summer of 2009, assuming that things like state legislative approval needed to “alienate” current “parkland”–including the KeySpan Park parking lot–occur on schedule and no political wrenches are thrown into the works in Albany. The entire timetable, as laid out last night on the Department of City Planning website is above. The Summer ’09 estimate for approval underscores why so many people were upset that Thor Equities began demolition of things in the winter of ’06-’07 and was threatening boardwalk business with eviction earlier this year. The timetable is not radically different from what it would have been, even if the city had not decided that it would take charge of development in the amusement district.

Here’s a short clip from the press conference after Mayor Bloomberg’s speech before the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce at Gargiulo’s in Coney Island yesterday, in which the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff talk about cutting a deal with developer Joe Sitt.

Here are links to a large number of stories about yesterday’s big Coney Island planning announcement by Mayor Bloomberg:

• Bloomberg Unveils Plan to Revitalize Coney Island, in Conflict With a Developer [NYT]
• Coney Details: Amusements in Middle, Tall on Edges [Curbed]
• Coney Island Bombshell: City Planning Takeover [Curbed]
• Coney Inches Further Into Its Future [Kinetic Carnival]
• City Officials Lay Out Grand 47-Acre Coney Plan [NYDN]
• Coney Island Rebirth [Metro]
• Bloomberg Unveils Coney Island Plan [Crains]
• City Unveils Sweeping New Plan for Coney Island [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
• A Coney Island fantasy [amNY]
• Hello New Coney Island (Again)! [Gothamist]
• Bloomberg Unveils Coney Redevelopment Plan [Runnin’ Scared]
• City Shows Sitt Who’s Boss in Coney Island [Brownstoner]
• NYC Reveals New Coney Island Plan [AP]
• Coney Island Rezone Sought to Add Amusement [Sun]

Mayor Bloomberg, Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden and Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff talked about traditional Coney Island attractions and about Shoot the Freak yesterday at the press conference they held at Gargiulo’s in Coney Island after the Mayor’s big Coney Island speech. Note the mayor’s reluctance to talk about “freaks” and the way he rolls his eyes when Ms. Burden says she likes Shoot the Freak.

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

• Famed Landlord of Astral Develops Great Stuff in Astoria [New York Shitty]
• Why Isn’t Marty Markowitz Helping on Duffield Street? [Queen of Click]
• Week 13 at Third and Bond [Brownstoner]
• Bushwick Principal Who Didn’t Report Sexual Report Still Working [NYDN]
• Court and State Space Leased [BK11201]
• Tour Brooklyn This Weekened [About Brooklyn]
• Coney Island Creek [The Food of the Future]
• PlaNYC Workshop on Parking in Park Slope/Prospect Heights [No Land Grab]
• Sunset Park Rally Against Gentrification [Sunset Park Autonomous Zone]
• Death in Greenpoint [Err (or) Ink.]
• Steve’s Ctown in Park Slope [Brooklynometry]
• 81 Precinct Community Council Meeting This Weekend [Bed-Stuy Blog]
• Powerhouse Launches New Gallery Space in Dumbo [Dumbo NYC]

The Brooklyn Reading Works series at the Old Stone House is having another enjoyable and fun event at the Old Stone House in JJ Byrne Park in Park Slope on November 15. This month’s tasty libation is Poetry Punch with Lynn Chandok, Cheryl B, Zeadryn Meade, Michele Madigan Somerville and Marietta Abrams. All are accomplished and talented poets. The event takes place on November 15th at 8 p.m. Punch will be served. Do check it out.

Prospect Park has been amazingly green, quite late this year as this photo taken very recently by Gary Mirabelle of Mirabelle Studios shows. Mr. Mirabelle is a frequent GL photo contributor and an exceptionally accomplished sculptor. You can see his amazing work and read more about him by clicking here.

These are the days for Coney Island Creek. There are a lot of photos around the internet and interest in its history. To prove the point, the famous Coney “Yellow Submarine” is profiled today, with ample commentary from historian Charles Denson.–NYT

It’s another entertaining example of street sign meets street sticker from the streets of Williamsburg.

Not that it will happen soon, but a City Council Member from Canarsie is proposing a subway tunnel from Bay Ridge to Staten Island. Maybe they can use the one they started digging in the 1920s.–Brooklyn Paper

Mayor Bloomberg made his long awaited speech about Coney Island today, unveiling the city’s vision of Coney Island zoning. It did not disappoint. The biggest headline is that the city wants to acquire all the land between the Cyclone and KeySpan Park, rezone it as a park and lease the land to an amusement park developer. This means that developer Joe Sitt is likely out of that part of Coney Island, though likely to remain a major player overall in the neighborhood. It also means that the timeframe for redevelopment will be much longer than currently anticipated. In his speech, the Mayor outlined three new zoning areas:

Coney North: Bounded by Stillwell Avenue on the east, West 20th Street on the west and by Mermaid and Surf Avenues on the north and south, this zone would have up to 1,800 units of housing and 100,000 square feet of retail.

Coney West: Between West 19th and W. 24th Street, south of Surf Avenue, including the KeySpan Park parking lot. This would be rezoned for very high density development including 2,700 apartments and 360,000 square feet of retail.

Coney East: Bounded by West 8th Street and West 19th Street, Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk. The city would acquire this land and rezone it as parkland to “preserve the world’s most famous urban amusement park in perpetuity.”

Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff said that the city would seek out “a dveloper who has real world-class experience in developing a one of a kind” attraction and said that it is very different from “building a shpping center.” Both he and the Mayor said that Mr. Sitt and other landowners would either be offered very attractive deals for the land or swaps for land that will be zoned for high-density mixed use development. The Mayor said he didn’t envision the use of eminent domain, saying “We think we will not need eminent domain. We think we will be able to structure deals.”

The city also looks like it’s rejecting the idea of having a number of small operators in the amusement area. The Mayor said the city is “seeking to have one overall expert in managing and running the whole thing” because “you can’t have a bunch of little things and have them survive.” He said that expected Mr. Sitt would cut a deal with the city rather than engage in a long legal fight. “One assumes that Mr. Sitt is rational and trying to do what’s best for his bottom line,” the Mayor said. The developer issued a statement saying that he was “disappointed,” but saying he was “optimistic” an agreement could be reached. Said Doctoroff: “Sitt will be afforded the opportunity to swap his land for another parcel, or for cash, at a premium. We think it will be very compelling.”

Both the Mayor and Mr. Doctoroff said they expected Mr. Sitt “to play a major part” in Coney Island redevelopment, but “not in the amusement area.” Ms. Burden added that housing would be situated “away from the noise and lights” of the amusement district and that building height would “respect” Coney landmarks, most significantly the Parachute Jump.

We will have more detail and analysis tomorrow.