Positive, constructive news about Coney Island has been hard to find of late, so we take great pleasure in noting that the city is formally looking for someone to restore and rebuild the historic B&B Carousell. The beloved ride was saved from the auction block by the city in 2005 for $1.8 million. It will be placed in the 2.2 acre Steeplechase Plaza project between KeySpan Park and the boardwalk. (We were pointed this way by the Coney Island Message Board and Carousel News.)The RFP intro from the New York City Economic Development Corp. reads:

The New York City Economic Development Corporation is seeking a consultant or consultant team (the “Consultant”) for restoration and reconstruction of the historic B&B Carousell, the last remaining historic wood-carved carousel of the many that were once located at Coney Island. In August of 2005, the City acquired the Carousell from its long-time owners, who had planned to sell it at auction. The Carousell was operated near the original entrance to the famed Luna Park amusement park until it was dismantled in January 2006. At that time, the Carousell along with the associated mechanisms and other features was carefully documented, dismantled, packed and placed in secure storage in Brooklyn.

The Consultant shall create a comprehensive detailed plan for the restoration and reconstruction of the Carousell (the “Restoration Plan”). The Consultant shall then provide all the services necessary to implement the Restoration Plan. The B&B Carousell restoration will be timed and coordinated with the completion of Steeplechase Plaza, a project being designed and developed under a separate RFP. Steeplechase Plaza will include a structure to house the carousell, and the Consultant will program the requirements for such structure and coordinate with the contractors building it to insure a seamless installation.

The proposals are due by October 17.

If you read GL, you know that we often post photos and videos of illegal weekend construction. We are frankly dumbfounded as to why we can find it going on so widely, but the Department of Buildings can’t or won’t. One of the neighborhoods where the problem is concentrated is Williamsburg–and a Sunday sweep of construction sites would literally offer up dozens of violations, many of which drive residents crazy and all of which make a mockery of city regulations, if not city government. (Not to mention pro-actively checking the neighborhood for conditions like open fences or poorly secured gates that are a threat to public safety, especially that of children.) We know this because we have been seeing it with our own eyes and hearing it with our own ears for years. For a long time, we thought Sunday work without a special permit was legal because it was so commonplace. (It’s not, a special permit is required.) In any case, we thought the following reader comment was worth noting. We don’t know the address involved or whether the activity in question was authorized or not, but the point is as much about the process as the specific building :

There was illegal work being done around the corner on Grand St on Sat Morning 9/8 as well. A guy in a red truck showed up with a cement cutting machine and made a huge racket heard for blocks around as he cut into the sidewalk. Residents called 311 to complain…here is the interesting thing….the first operator who answered checked and said the building did not have a permit to do the work….then they transfered the complaining resident to another operator to take the noise/permit complaint….The 2nd operator acted surprised that the resident was informed that the building did not have a permit to do the work BECAUSE he said that they were NO LONGER ALLOWED TO tell the complaining resident whether there was or was not a permit for the work!!!!

Someone needs to check this out— Has the Dept of Buildings now made it harder for residents to track illegal work done and helping the developers get away with illegal work??? This is yet another example of the city treating residents like crap and giving the developers anything they want…and of course there is probably some palm greasing as well, but where the hell is Bloomberg!!!

If the city government actually becomes functional in terms of safeguarding the quality of life in neighborhoods when it comes to construction and development, it would eliminate so much of our subject matter that we’d have to start doing some serious entertainment and nightlife blogging.

The word that a McDonald’s is said to be slated for the old Blockbuster space on Court Street in Carroll Gardens is going over like a Lead McMuffin with some residents. One writes:

We need a supermarket. Wide footage, the downstairs level- would be great. There is the double door entrance, the side entrance. Traffic will be no more congested than what it is already, due to double parking, first from the locals. Drop offs would not interfere, as it does not for all other stores in our area with their deliveries. We must put a halt to this now.

No McD. No more dunkin donuts, YES YES – SUPERMARKET. KEEP OUR QUAINT FOUR FAMILY BROWNSTONE HOUSES.

Even money on whether someone launches a petition campaign to Say No to McMuffins.

[Photo courtesy of sleepy-bird/flickr]

We found a couple of items in the email flow from the South Slope, where residents often detail the challenges and problems caused by neighborhood development sites:

1). Our Car Hit by the Jerkoffs @ 230 16th. “My mother had the car parked across the street from us (257) That big construction site was apparently trying to move cars around by putting a barrier and pushing them. The result? The front bumper of our Jeep
is hit, dropping downward. Wonderful. Oh yeah, and according to the DOB’s site, this place is supposedly under a SWO.”

2). Who Owns the Streets? “Bulldozer with no markings, plates or registration #’s parked in front of 162 sixteenth for 3 days. 311 complaint # C1-1-347049372. Told to call local presinct. Called 72nd spoke to PO Gary & PO Yusef. Both told me that they can’t do anything if it has no plates. So basically (and this has always been the case with Katan and Company) if you TOTALLY (why register and insure if you risk getting fined) violate the law the police will do nothing but harrass the neighbors for calling to ask that something be done. Hold it – what was that I heard? Oh well! Nothing but the sound of our taxes going up to pay for the 421a (welfare for the rich), who obviously own the streets too. Except of course when they have to be repaired. Then they belong to the rest of us. I Love this City.”

The Katan in question is Isaac Katan, who is also developing the huge Domino Sugar site in Williamsburg and a variety of projects around North and South Brooklyn.

Broolinks is a selection of Brooklyn-related information and images.

9/11:
Floyd Bennett Field 9/11 Healing Field Video [GerritsenBeach.Net]
Vid of the Day: The Healing Field [Gothamist]
East Williamsburg 9/11 Memorial Service [OTBKB]
9/11 Comments [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
September 11, 2007 [Bay Ridge Blog]
No Crowds on Brooklyn Heights Promenade This Year [NYDN]

Not 9/11:
More Fun at the 360 Smith Meeting [Pardon Me for Asking]
Ratner Construction Update [No Land Grab]
Atlantic Yards Execs Think Lawsuits Will Wrap Up by Mid-2008 [AYR]
53 Bridge Street [Dumbo NYC]
Stop Work Order at 166 Montague [McBrooklyn]
…And There Was a Big Inflatable Rat Outside [BDE]
Watching the Development at 410 Fourth Avenue [Brownstoner]
Storm Over Homeowner’s Insurance in Brooklyn [NYMag]
Upcoming Community Board Meetings [NYDN]
More Detail on the F Express Story [Metro]
Old Lillie’s in Red Hook Will be Mordacai [A Brooklyn Life]
Heineken in the Hood [Clinton Hill Blog]
Public Pissing Issues, Continued [newyorkshitty]

We found an e-mail from a group called the Brooklyn Young Mothers Collective, which is located at Douglass Street and Fourth Avenue that needs some basic items donated. The group works with–you guessed it–young mothers and provides reproductive health education, legal information, educational support and more. The organization’s managing director writes:

We are seeking donations for particular items to very practically help keep costs down, but also as a way of involving our great community…Here are some of the things that we need to make our space thrive. If you can donate any of them, we would be grateful and can pick up. In addition, we do have 501c(3) status, so we are happy to write up a letter for tax deduction purposes.

**please note, there is a volunteer opp listed below, as we are looking for a volunteer tech person who is PC saavy.

**please note: If you have baby clothing or items related to donating to some of our young mothers, we have quarterly baby showers and will be organizing a separate donation list for that (once we have our office more organized).

**finally, please note: we need to make our office neat and clean, so please only offer items that are well-kept and in good-great condition.

The group needs a changing table, TV, VCR, DVD player, desk lamp, kitchen supplies, a sofa, a radio with CD player, storage bins, 2 staplers, paper & office supplies, two shelves to be mounted on wall for books, a rolling coat rack, four folding chairs and a storage cabinet or locker.

The volunteer opportunity is for a tech person who can provide some training “on file maker pro, excel, and word AND possibly someone who could be on call for us for questions after that.” They are also looking for someone to donate storage space for clothing that is given out at group baby showers.

If you’d like to help or have questions, you can email withwomannyc (at) yahoo (dot) com or call 718.596.7074 . We understand that the list of needed items is changing as donations are being made, so do check with them. They will arrange to pick up any donated items. You can find their website here if you want to check it out.

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

• Catching Up with the Dolly Williams Show [No Land Grab]
• More Developments in Atlantic Yards Eminent Domain Case [AYR]
• EPA Confirms That Exxon-Mobil Spill in Greenpoint Bigger Than Thought [Metro]
• State Street Scarano is Not So Bad [Brownstoner]
• The 110 Livingston “Window Rebellion” [McBrooklyn]
• Rosh Hashana 5678 [About Brooklyn]
• F Express Probability [Brooklyn Streets]
• Construction Worker with Broken Arm Thinks Safety [newyorkshitty]
• The Greenpoint 100 Benefit [Greenpointers]
• Coney Island Season End Hoopla Links [Kinetic Carnival]
• Morning Joy on the Q Train [Ditmas Park Blog]
• Ricky’s Expanding to Park Slope & Williamsburg [Sun]
• Don’t Forget the Gowanus BacChaNal Fundraiser [Dope on the Slope]
• Former ESDC Chair Charles Gargano Quits Port Authority Post [NYP]
• Still Waiting for Tornado Damage Sidewalk Repairs [Kensington Brooklyn]

Which means that you are likely to run into some very, very cool stuff in Williamsburg starting on Thursday. There is a very long and involved schedule which you can check out in full at the Conflux website. Highlights include:

• Pause Platform, artist Caroline Woolard’s return to Conflux for a new version of her acclaimed urban interven-ion creating public street furniture.
• Second Life Walkie Talkie Walks, a simultaneous walking tour for Second Life avatars and real people, connected to each other using a pair of walkie talkies.
• The Relay, a musical relay race with thirteen improvising musicians separated into three trios, each trio in a different venue.
• Cripplebush Ghost Tour, an interactive tour utilizing mobile audio and video storytelling elements to re-discover the forgotten history of Williamsburg.
• The launch of Eyebeam’s Ecovisualization Challenge, a competition to heighten environmental awareness through creative data visualization, moderated by Amanda McDonald Crowley, with Tiffany Holmes, Michael Mandiberg, Timon McPhearson, Brooke Singer and Eve Mosher.
• Artists’ panel discussion on Sousveillance, a Situationist critique of surveillance, moderated by Marisa Olson, Rhizome’s Editor & Curator with panelists Amy Alexander, Jill Magid and Hasan Elahi.
• Not An Alternative Tactical Media Presentation: Picture New York, a workshop examining culturally-focused organizing strategies to create social change.
• The Next American City magazine-hosted event where visitors will collectively create a visual story exploring the future of America’s cities; held at McCaig-Welles Gallery and in conjunction with the Williamsburg Gallery Association’s Fall Preview event on Friday, September 14th.
• CitySeen: Conflux 2007 Film Program, a day-long film series hosted at UnionDocs non-profit documentary arts collaborative.
• Four nights of live music at Luna Lounge, featuring The Noisettes, The Brought Low, Naked Highway, My Best Fiend, Fresh Kills, Revival, Wildbirds, The Young Lungs and Animandible with additional bands to be announced.
• Glowlab @ Gitana Rosa Gallery, a group exhibition of new work by Glowlab artists Jason Cantoro, Alice Jarry, David Kesting and Mark Price. Also at Gitana Rosa Gallery: Callejeros, an exhibition of Eco-Socio-Political Street Artists. Opening night on Friday, September 14 will incorporate live art, music and performance in the alley behind the gallery.

As we noted this morning on Curbed, developer Billy Stein (pictured here) made a long presentation to Carroll Gardens residents attending the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting last night. Mr. Stein brought a rendering of the redesigned building at 360 Smith, whose early version we dubbed the Heavy Metal Building, but did not want any photos taken of the drawing because he said it is still subject to change. (After the meeting, we overheard Mr. Stein telling a reporter that that his comments and the rendering were intended for residents rather than for publication; the CGNA meeting is open to the public and the press.) Of the rendering, he said that “I’m uncomfortable showing it…it will show up on the blogs.”

So, we can only report what we saw in the drawing. The building materials have changed from gray and silver to a brick-colored and white terracotta. (He said that brick might be substituted if the price of terracotta proves too high.) There are rows of big smoked glass windows, many balconies and a white structure at the building’s front corner on Smith Street that rises seven stories. The street side of the building is six stories, with a seventh story of penthouses that has been set back. The building leaves the plaza in front of the Carroll Street station open. The impression we jotted down in our notepad about it is that it “still towers over its surroundings.” The 44-unit, 50,000+ square foot building would, in fact, be the tallest structure in Carroll Gardens. Mr. Stein said that the perspective used in the rendering, which was from street level, makes the building “look a lot taller than it is.”

While one resident called the new building “pretty,” we heard many others saying that they liked the design better than the Heavy Metal original, but that it was still “too big” in a neighborhood of two- and three-stories brownstones. Mr. Stein noted that zoning “dictated” that he build up to 70 feet.

As for the design, Mr. Stein told residents that “You have asked for some changes and I’m trying to accommodate them.” He said that he had worked with architect Robert Scarano to “significantly change the appearance of the building and address some of the concerns” and added that “I always had in my heart something more contextual.” He said that the Heavy Metal version of the building was “an early conceptual drawing.”

The original building covered the plaza in front of the Carroll Street station, where residents like to wait for trains because they can see them approaching. The new version leaves the plaza open. “I don’t want to change that,” Mr. Stein said, calling it “New York City’s answer to East Hampton beach real estate. You watch the trains roll in like the waves.”

He acknowledged sentiment in the community to downzone and opposition to current zoning that allows him to build to 70 feet “as of right.” He said the building will give “young families that can’t spend $1.5 million to buy a brownstone an opportunity to enter this community.”

Mr. Stein characterized the new design as “not there yet,” but that he was “choosing to try this redesign to come up with something that is more palatable to the community” and said he was doing it “because I think it’s right.” The developer also described himself as “incredibly thoughtful” in considering the new design.

City Council Member Bill de Blasio, who had been very critical of the building in the past, said that “the jury is still out” on the 360 Smith building. He said, however, that “this developer is a hell of a lot better than a lot of developers I’ve dealt with who wouldn’t give the community the time of day.”

The construction timetable on the project is unclear. Mr. Stein said he had hoped to break ground soon, but it could be months before he begins construction. Earlier plans have already been approved by the city.

Brooklynites that have been pushing for an F Train may get some short-term relief in the form of a temporary F Express if work on the Culver Viaduct project falls behind schedule, but otherwise, the New York City Transit says that express service on the F won’t be possible until 2012 or early 2013. Andrew Inglesby, the MTA’s Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations, gave a long update on the status of F Train service at the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting last night.

Mr. Inglesby reiterated that work on the Culver Viaduct, which runs above-ground between the Carroll Street Station and the Fourth Avenue Station, is a critical capital project and that work must be completed before an F Express can be put in place. He said the viaduct is “in extreme need of repair.” Netting and tarp have surrounded the viaduct for about five years to keep chunks of concrete from falling. The MTA expects to award contracts for the work next year. “F Express service just can’t happen until the end of that period.” He said the work will result in “an automatic elimination of any F Express.”

The transit official did offer possibility that if work on the viaduct project is “significantly delayed” by a year or more, then the Transit Authority “will go ahead and examine the possibility of putting in an F Express.” Express service would depend on the availability of cars and funding. So, an F Express could make an appearance for a year or 18 months, if there is a delay in the big repair project.

The bad news for residents of Carroll Gardens, from whence much of the push for F Express service has come, is that an express train would likely stop at Jay Street, Seventh Avenue and Church Avenue; it would bypass Bergen Street, Carroll Street, Smith-9th Street, 15th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.

Residents that use the local stops, however, were assured their trains would become less crowded. Gary Reilly, who started the F Train Express petition drive that got a great deal of press attention, said that “It wouldn’t just be a zero-sum game for the neighborhoods” and that the changes would “free up some excess capacity.”

There is also a push to extended the V Train to Brooklyn to provide local service. G Train service is slated to be extended to Church Avenue in 2009. (Mr. Inglesby said the extension of the V isn’t “a complete dead issue.”)

The MTA and New York City Transit are still examining options. “Nothing is set in stone,” Mr. Inglsby told residents.

There are a dozen free “music for peace” concerts in Brooklyn today, part of a series of concerts on September 11 that take place around the world. Here is a partial list from the Park Slope Courier:

• The Bay Ridge branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), 7223 Ridge Boulevard, where there will be a concert featuring the Christiana Drapkin Jazz Group from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• The Brooklyn Heights branch of BPL, 280 Cadman Plaza West, where the Lisa Daehlin Opera will perform from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• The Gerritsen Beach branch of BPL, which will feature a concert by Celeste Ray Celtic Music, from 4 to 5 p.m.
• McCarren Park, Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street, where Casa Nova Studios will host a pop/rock concert featuring Jenda Wight, Nova Clutch and The Exit from 2 to 9 p.m.
• The Commons at Metrotech Center, One Metrotech Center, where a concert by Somi will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Xaverian High School, 7100 Shore Road, where the school band and chorus will perform, at a time that is still to be announced
• CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Boulevard, where the Red Hawk Dance Troupe will perform from noon to 1 p.m.; and,
• Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, where chamber music is expected to begin at noon.
• In addition, the musical performance being held at the 69th Street Pier as part of the evening memorial service is also one of the September Concert events.

The full list of Brooklyn performances is available here on the septemberconcert.org website.

Here are some other memorial events that will be taking place, as compiled on About Brooklyn:

• Marine Park Memorial, 6:00 p.m. – Prayers and music at the field house near Fillmore Avenue.
• Bill Brown Park Service, 7:00 p.m. – Candlelight vigil at the park at Avenue X and Bedford Avenue. Bring a candle and a chair.
• Greenpoint/Williamsburg Memorial, 7:00 p.m. – Prayer service at the 9/11 monument at Conselyea St. and Graham Ave.
• Paerdegat Park Service, 7:00 p.m. – Candle lighting service at the park at Albany and Foster in East Flatbush.
• American Veterans Memorial Pier, 8:00 p.m. – Candle lighting, 21-gun salute, music and prayer at the pier at 69th street.

The Towers of Light will, of course, also be on from dawn until dusk and they can be seen dramatically and poignantly from many vantages in Brooklyn, particularly Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo.

September 11:

• Trying to Move Beyond Grief [NYT]
• Tension Marks September 11 Anniversary [Sun]
• Schedule of 9/11 Memorial Events [amNY]
• Ground Zero [amNY]
• Remembering 9/11 Digitally [CityRoom]
• Six Years Ago Today [OTBKB]
• Six Years On: 9/11 Open Thread [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
• 9/11 [Erica’s Blog]
• Metaphors for Living: 9/11 [Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn via OTBKB]

Everything Else:

• What’s Holding Up 168 Nassau Street? [Brownstoner]
• Another Look at Con Ed Rate Increases and Atlantic Yards [AYR]
• Wheel of History in Coney Island [NYDN]
• How to Pass Time Waiting for the L Train [newyorkshitty]
• Worst Building in Brooklyn or Art? [Kensington Brooklyn]
• Grand Ave. Gossip [Clinton Hill Blog]
• Green Block Party in Kensington [Green Brooklyn]
• An Architect Whose Work You’ve Seen in Brooklyn [Lost City]
• Save Bay Ridge United Methodist Church [Bay Ridge Blog]
• Meet the Carroll Gardens Bike Shop Cat, Chris [423 Smith]
• Green-Wood Cemetery Photo Tour [Big Sky Brooklyn]
• Is End of Bright Green Bike Path Dangerous? [NYDN]
• No Parade at Parade Grounds [Brooklynometry]

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. You might have heard about last week’s incident involving the biting raccoon in Prospect Park and you probably know that there is a sizable raccoon population in Park Slope and elsewhere in Brooklyn. What we did not know is that, apparently, one of the things they like to eat (in addition to garbage) is very, very fresh sushi. Specifically, we understand, in the words of an email that they like to “feast on fancy fish in backyard ponds.” Not having a pond, or a backyard, this is not a problem about which we were previously aware. Now we know, however.

1) The signage has gone up for Lokal (above), the Mediterranean bistro taking over the old Monsignor’s space at the corner of Lorimer and Nassau in Greenpoint. We caught this shot of the ongoing work on the space–which seems to be at a fairly advanced stage–over the weekend.

2) Also in the signage and openings department–and behind the curve as it was reported by Brownstoner last week—-is Uva at the corner of N. 6 and Bedford (photo, immediately below). Uva is the wine shop that was located in the mini-mall on Bedford Avenue. It takes over the space that, most recently, was occupied by the Toll Brothers North8 Condo sales office.

3) Finally, on Bedford Avenue’s fast-developing Asian Row, work is going on at what will be Omakaze Sushi Resturant, (bottom) at least according to Community Board records. The restaurant, at 210 Bedford, will be sandwiched between Wild Ginger and the new Red Bowl.

We don’t know how many Brooklyn trees have been the collateral damage in the ongoing development boom. All we can say is that we see a significant amount of anecdotal evidence suggesting that a modest amount of deforestation is taking place. The latest tale of development doing in a tree comes from the South Slope:

I was horrified to come home today only to discover that the developers with the building on 16th Street between 6th and 7th Ave chopped down a huge tree in their back area (I am on 15th Street). The tree was very old, perhaps a hundred year old tree. Now the monstrosity of a building is in full view. Are there any laws in NYC against killing trees even if it is on your own property?

The answer is that trees on private property belong to the owner. They live and die at his or her pleasure. No photos of the South Slope victim or before & after shots. On the other hand, one can take some comfort in not being near this tree massacre in Queens.

To celebrate this amazing news, and in observance of the festivities for the Independence Day of Central America and Mexico, the food vendors committee will host a livelier than usual weekend event -more soccer games, pinatas, music, and a 2 day art exhibit featuring photographs taken by the food vendors this weekend, September 15th and 16th. We would be honored to invite you to join us for this event. Our deepest thanks and appreciation for your advocacy and support in favor of the preservation of this affair. As you all may already know, our future is still unknown. Yet, we would like to set this concern aside for now and share this small victory, which is dedicated to all of you.

We’re glad to see the hard-working Red Hook vendors able to celebrate something after fighting so many battles this summer.

Have you heard about the BAG Fund? As many times as we’ve noted events at the Brooklyn Artists Gym in Gowanus, we’d never noticed the program, which supports artists who are single parents. Here are some details about it:

The BAG Fund, the non-profit arm of Brooklyn Artists Gym, is seeking nominations and applications to its scholarship fund. The BAG Fund supports single-parent artists by providing them with studio space to paint, space to store art supplies and work, and free figure drawing.

Eligible artists are single parents living with their children. They cannot be living with other adults at the time of nomination or application. There is no geographic or gender requirement. The reasons the artist is a single parent are not relevant to this process.

Accepted single-parent artists become Artists-in-Residence for a specified period of time, and derive all the benefits of being a member of Brooklyn Artists Gym.

To apply for a sponsored residency or to nominate someone, email bagfund (at) brooklynartistsgym (dot) com. For more info about the program, click here.

no one who loves Carroll Gardens would want to develop to the scale (height/density) that he does, with an architect like the one he chose at the start, when a simple row of town houses or a smaller, contextual condominium building would have made so much more sense for the block.

These contextual, good-looking development projects can also be seen here in Carroll Gardens (though, perhaps, nearly enough). Of course, everyone here would welcome that kind of development. What so many people here oppose is the monster sized stuff that dwarfs everything around it and is a giant eyesore to the historical blocks around it, looking like it ought to exist someplace else. Carroll Gardens has a very distinctive style of architecture and not everything works here but then again why should it? Every neighborhood and its own distinct character and flavor…Carroll Gardens is a community, not a development site.

More pics below.