The Times’ “ArtsBeat” blog reports that St. Ann’s Warehouse Theater, which is slated to leave its present location to make way for the Dock Street Project, and which lost its bid to build new space in the Tobacco Warehouse, has signed a lease that will allow it to relocate to 29 Jay Street, also in DUMBO. The story quotes Susan Feldman, St. Ann’s artistic director, as saying the theater will continue to look for “a more permanent home.”
Tag Archives | dock street dumbo
Court Nixes St. Ann’s Use of Tobacco Warehouse
Last April, Judge Eric Vitaliano of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction against the transfer of the Tobacco Warehouse in the Fulton Ferry Historic to St. Ann’s Warehouse as a new home for its theater and performing arts space. On Tuesday, as expected, he reaffirmed his earlier decision.
The New York Times: Citing environmental protection and conservation law, Judge Vitaliano ruled that it was “crystal clear” the [National P]ark [S]ervice acted outside its authority by removing both the Tobacco Warehouse and Empire Stores, another waterfront structure in Dumbo, from classification as federally designated parkland. Continue Reading →
P.S. 8 Open House Thursday Morning
Parents of pre-schoolers who are considering sending their children to P.S. 8 are invited to an open house this Thursday, February 3, beginning at 9:00 a.m. No registration is necessary to attend; simply enter through the school’s main entrance at 37 Hicks Street (between Middagh and Poplar) at the appointed time. More details are at the BHA website. Thanks to Judy Stanton for the tip.
Addendum: In a related story, P.S. 8 parents are petitioning to have a middle school added to it, within walking distance of the elementary school. Continue Reading →
Dock Street Opponents Host Meeting Wednesday Evening
The efforts of the DUMBO Neighborhood Foundation to fight the Walentas’ proposed Dock Street project in court are continuing. This in from the DNF:
DNF is hosting an informative discussion and presentation regarding the Dock St. lawsuit. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 19th at 7:00pm and will be held at 66 Water Bar and Grill (66 Water St., DUMBO). DNF Board members will provide information regarding the merits of the lawsuit and provide an update on the legal developments and expected proceedings. Wine and hor[s] d’oeuvres will be served.
DUMBO Neighborhood Foundation Seeks Support to Oppose Dock Street
Although Two Trees Management Co., LLC, the Walentas family’s development entity, has received the permissions necessary to proceed with the controversial Dock Street project, opposition to it continues. The DUMBO Neighborhood Foundation has set up a website explaining opposition to the project, and seeking donations to finance further legal or regulatory challenges.
Other community groups cited as opposing the project are: the DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance, Brooklyn Heights Association, Fulton Ferry Landing Association, Vinegar Hill Neighborhood Association, Cobble Hill Association, Boerum Hill Association and Fort Greene Association.
Times: Walentas May be Two Years from Breaking Ground on Dock Street
In an interview by Vivian Marino in The New York Times, David Walentas, responding to a question about opposition to his Dock Street project in DUMBO, said this:
Some of the community people who oppose it have filed a lawsuit; we don’t think it has merit. But that will probably take six months to get resolved, and we’re dealing with the Board of Education to build a middle school. We expect to be going ahead with the project in the next couple of years.
Walentas also said Dock Street would be his last big project in DUMBO.
Lawsuit Filed to Halt Dock Street
A group has filed a lawsuit in order to halt the Dock Street Dumbo project, alleging that the School Construction Authority didn’t conduct a proper, objective selection process for the site, as required by law.
The lawsuit, filed by the DUMBO Neighborhood Foundation, also said that the private developer, Two Trees, and New York City officials “made a number of public misrepresentations about the proposed Dock Street middle school in order to advance the re-zoning application.” Continue Reading →
Internal E-mails Say Dock Street Bad Site for School
Newly released documents reveal that Department of Education architects felt that Two Trees’ controversial Dock Street DUMBO project “would yield a very small school (compromised from our standards) with premium costs due to the mixed use with the high-rise residential building.”
However, the two-year-old internal e-mails do not address the current plans for the site, according to the School Construction Authority. Continue Reading →
What will happen to St. Ann’s?
Now that the Two Trees’ Dock Street DUMBO project will move forward following yesterday’s City Council vote, what’s going to happen to St. Ann’s Warehouse, the theater at 38 Water St., which is on the lot slated for redevelopment? The New York Times checked in with artistic director Susan Feldman this morning, who said she hopes to stay in the neighborhood:
City Council passes Dock Street 39-9
((Revised Dock St rendering, post-DCP amendments))
((Click here for a downloadable PDF of the revised renderings.))
We’re live-blogging, sort of, the Dock Street DUMBO vote before City Council this afternoon. The full Council just voted 39-9 in support of the project, with the no-votes from Councilmembers Tony Avella, Charles Barron, Bill DeBlasio, Vincent Gentile, Eric Gioia, John Liu, Peter Vallone, and, of course, David Yassky. The vote itself was for the necessary rezoning that the developer, Two Trees Management, needs to build its 17-story residential tower in DUMBO.
More quotes from dissenting voters, comments, and reactions forthcoming, including transcripts from Council members for and against the project. (Update 5:17 pm: Those quotes are now at the bottom of this post!)
In the meantime, here are initial reactions from Walentas, Yassky, and the DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance:
Final Dock St DUMBO vote today
Well folks, it‘s come to this: the final vote on Dock Street. The full City Council will vote on the Dock Street DUMBO rezoning application this afternoon. We will be there, and we will keep you posted.
Here‘s the link to the full public review process, and more information about the significance of today’s vote:
Mayoral Review. Mayoral approval is not required. A decision by the City Council to approve or disapprove a land use application is considered to be final unless the Mayor elects to veto a Council action within 5 days of the vote. The Council, by a 2/3 vote, can override a Mayor’s veto of its decision within 10 days of the veto.
On the community calendar this week
(BHB/Sarah Portlock)
First, the full City Council will vote on the Dock Street DUMBO rezoning application on Wednesday, June 10 at 1:30 pm, at City Hall. The meeting is in main Council Chambers. Last week, the proposal passed the Council’s land use committee 17-4.
And later that day, Community Board 2 will hold its monthly full board meeting at 6 pm, at the Long Island University Health Science Center (DeKalb Avenue at Hudson Avenue, Room 119). It’s the Board’s last meeting before the fall — as there will not be any meetings in July and August — so that means Wednesday night will be quite the marathon meeting. Here’s the agenda:
Dock Street passes Council, Round 1
(BHB/Sarah Portlock)
The Dock Street DUMBO project sailed through two key votes at the City Council today — passing 6-2 in the zoning and franchises subcommittee and 17-4 in the general land use committee. The full Council will vote on June 10, where it is also expected to pass following support by Speaker Christine Quinn, according the Observer.
The project, as it stands following amendments from Borough President Marty Markowitz and the Department of City Planning, would rise 17 stories, have 300 residential units, and offer the city a 45,000-square-foot shell for a school.
Just before the vote, Land Use committee chair Melinda Katz — who voted for the rezoning — made public a rider to the Walentases’ application that will require a public school in the project and for no fewer than 20 percent of the residential units be affordable.
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