Open Thread Wednesday 1/13/10

By on January 13, 2010 12:09 am in Brooklyn Heights
Flickr photo by tomservojr

Flickr photo by tomservojr

What’s shakin’?  What’s on your mind and stuff?  Comment away!

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  • Karl Junkersfeld

    Statement from Parks Department concerning renovation taking place at Squibb Park:

    At Squibb Park, the current work consists of: removing all deteriorated pavements, fencing and play unit remnants; expanding tree planting beds with will have new ground cover plantings added; pruning existing trees; installing new drain lines and accessible drinking fountain; benches; and, new asphalt pavement with a color seal coating. The comfort station (restroom) is also being repaired. Anticipated reopening of the playground and comfort station is in June.
    The longer range plan to be done at a later date after the Public Design Commission reviews and approves includes the overhead bridge connection to Brooklyn Bridge Park, decking, a skate park and reconstructing the site entrance ramp.

  • Karl Junkersfeld

    New restaurant coming to BBP Pier 6 according to NYPost:

    Move over, River Cafe, there’s a new waterfront eatery with spectacular views coming to the borough.
    The city’s Parks Department is seeking a restaurateur to operate an eatery overlooking the New York Harbor on Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6, this paper has learned.
    The pier is located on the southern edge of the waterfront Park off Atlantic Avenue with breathtaking views of both lower Manhattan and New York Harbor.
    “Parks recently sent a notice to (Community Board 2) that we are intending to issue an RFP (Request for Proposals) for a restaurant at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park,” said Parks Department spokesperson Phil Abramson.
    “The building is currently in construction and there is a plan for additional outdoor seating. The RFP is currently being developed but has not been finalized at this time,” he added.
    The fact that the city is taking the lead in the RFP also is interesting because the state is the lead agency over the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC), which is charged with building the 85-acre waterfront park.
    However, the city and state have been in negotiations for several months to have the city take over the project.
    BBPDC spokesperson Elizabeth Mitchell said the city will issue the RFP because Pier 6 is owned by the city and therefore has license to build a park on it and manage the construction and operations procurement process through its Franchise Concession Review Committee (FCRC).
    “We are working together with the city on an RFP regarding the Pier 6 concession and expect to officially issue the RFP in the next few months,” she said.
    While details of the restaurant specifications are not available yet, it would probably be similar to the River Cafe, 1 Water Street at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO.
    “This is the first we heard of it and it will be interesting to find out more about it,” said River Cafe General Manager Scott Stamford.

  • nabeguy

    Great reporting Karl. I’m excited to hear about the re-opening of Squibb Park as early as June, but I’m confused by a proposal that calls for the removal of “play unit remnants” yet still refers to it as a “playground”.

  • bklyn20

    Mr Junkersfeld, thanks for sharing the article about the BBP restaurant RFP. However, there are several inaccuracies in the piece. Mr. Witt (overall an excellent reporter) was not at the meeting , but I was. I am NOT a spokesperson for the Parks committee, nor am I one for CB2 — please let me make that abundantly clear.

    The general feeling of the committee, if I were to characterize it, was that the restaurant should be moderately-priced and family-friendly during the day, since it faces a playground and a volleyball court. In the evening, we hoped for more of an adult/bistro ambience. Another thought was that the restaurant should stay open pretty late –as in midnight — to keep the park busy and to provide the proverbial “eyes on the park.” I think alcohol should also be served, as part of an adult dining experience, and to encourage people to come down there for a drink after work, etc. The committee also emphasized that the restaurant’s bathrooms should be accessible to the public or, if the building and the restaurant’s arrangement permits it, they should maintain public restrooms in the building with a separate entrance outside the restaurant itself. I am under the happy impression that any revenues from this restaurant will be going back into the park, rather than into the NYC general fund –as is the case with most NYC park concessions. I hope there is more of this to come in the future!

    Regarding Squibb Park, I am very glad that it is being worked on — I saw the paving contractors talking in the park this past Thursday. Still , if the warm weather holds at all, I can only PRAY that the park can be finished before June. PS 8 REALLY needs a playground, especially once the weather is regularly above 40 degrees or so!

  • T.K. Small

    This afternoon I spent some time creating my own fund-raising campaign for contributions to the Haitian relief efforts. Specifically, it concerns me that people with disabilities are at the absolute bottom level of society and, even under the best of conditions, experience unimaginable poverty.

    Through some research I was able to find an organization which has expertise and a track record of providing relief to people with disabilities. Based upon the recommendation of a personal friend of the legitimacy of the organization, I made a contribution. But still I wanted to know more and called the organizer to get a better sense of what they were doing. Very quickly I realized that this is a credible initiative. The organization is called:

    Portlight Strategies, Inc.
    2043 Maybank Highway
    Charleston, SC 294
    http://www.portlight.org

    While all of the organizations mentioned previously are certainly good, this could be a good way for people to very specifically target their contributions.

  • nabeguy

    Thanks for that link T.K. As unfortunate as it may be, the tendency to view everyone in Haiti as underprivileged leads to a blurring of the lines in regards to social strata, so it’s heartening to learn about dedicated organizations of this kind. My donation is on its way.

  • T.K. Small

    Thanks nabeguy! For the past few days I have been really beating the bushes with this initiative and there has been a lot of positive response. The fund-raising piece that I put together is a little bit too long to post here, but if people are interested, I will send it to them directly. Thanks once again!

  • T.K. Small

    I am pleased to report to the BHB community that last night I spoke with Dir. of Portlight Strategies, Inc. and that the first shipment of supplies has arrived. Thank you to everyone who has made a contribution!

    http://www.Portlight.org

  • http://www.brooklyndojo.com Sensei Brian

    The thread seems to be locked (http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/12654), so I’ll post here.

    There’s a sign in the window at The Tailored Pet that Mr. Haritopoulos passed away Christmas day from an apparent heart attack.

    Also, it appears as though a new hair salon is moving into the Heights Hair space (between Dojo and Pet). Heights Hair consolidated with The Cutting Den (Clark St. Station) a couple months ago. Am told the new establishment has some connection to a place over by Packer.

  • Sarah

    I have been told by some friends that taking my kids to a pediatric dentist can make dental visits easier for my kids.
    So I have started looking to for a dentist in the local neighborhood that specifically caters towards kids. I found this dental clinic while searching Brooklyn Heights Pediatric Dentistry

    But this clinic is not opening till next month. Does anyone know if it makes a big difference to take the kids to a pediatric dentist versus a regular family dentist? If so, what are the added benefits. Thanks in advance for any insights.

  • Katy

    As a mother of two who have brought my kids to both pediatric dentists and family dentists, I would recommend taking kids to pediatric dentists for two reasons:
    1. friendlier environment for kids. I noticed that my two kids developed more enthusiasm toward dental hygiene after having visited a pediatric dentist. They did’t mind the dental visits anymore and they retained the information that the pediatric dentist told them better.
    2. the pediatric dentist was able to give me a better expectation of what to expect for the kids’ teeth changes as they aged.

    So while I don’t think a family dentist is any less skilled in dental knowledge or craftiness, I do think a pediatric dentist in general can make the dental visits more pleasant due to the dentist’s attention to kids’ and parents’ needs.

    My kids are all grown up now so I don’t need to take them to the dentists anymore. :) From what they have been telling me, they rarely get cavities, so much thanks to Dr. Jansen (back in SF) for helping my kids understand the importance of dental hygiene.

    Sarah, I hope you find this pediatric dentist in brooklyn heights to be a good experience.

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