Nothing says toxic development quite like a state-level superfund site. But, Yoel Goldman, of All Year Management, a firm that toped Stabilizing NYC’s list of the city’s worst landlords, is moving forward with a plan to demolish the former Nuhart Plastics factory and build two new six-story apartment buildings at 22 and 26 Clay Street.
Together, the two buildings will bring 325 new apartments to Greenpoint. Additionally, 6,000 square feet at 22 Clay Street will be set aside for commercial space.
This is not the first time that major developers have tried to build on land near the Nuhart site that is considered highly-contaminated. In June, the neighborhood organization Neighbors Allied for Good Growth lodged a petition against Greenpoint Landing’s proposed K-8 school, which is slated to be built across from the factory space.
The school is slated to sit on the corner of Dupont and Franklin Streets, across the street from NuHart Plastics, which was declared a state-level super-fund site in 2010 because it is highly contaminated with thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals, including two underground plumes of trichloroethylene (TCE), and as much as 60,000 gallons of uncontrolled phthalates, which have leeched from the site out toward surrounding streets.
According to NAG’s petition, “exposure to these chemicals have been linked to liver and kidney damage, congenital heart defects, central nervous system defects, changes in sex hormones, low sperm count, obesity, reduced female fertility, birth defects, low birth weight, and altered behavior in toddlers.” Continue reading →
Domino Park, the public space concession that Two Trees promised to throw into their larger Domino Sugar redevelopment project, will open to the public June 10. The park will stretch from South 5th to Grand Streets, and feature picnic areas, bocce ball courts, a dog-run and a sugar-factory-inspired playground.
The park has some deep design bonafides. It was designed by James Corner Field Operations, the same firm that helped design the High Line. Accordingly, Domino Park will have a High Line of sorts all its own. This will take the form of an Artifact Walk, an elevated catwalk that will feature the salvaged industrial innards of the Sugar Factory. Items on display will include dials, meters, valves, tanks and bucket elevators. Additionally, the Brooklyn Historical Society will curate a small, permanent exhibition about the site’s history which will be on display inside the converted refinery. Continue reading →
A Rendering of the Timber Bridge between Greenpoint and LIC
The good folks at Creme / Jun Aizaki Architecture and Design are hoping to bridge the gap between Greenpoint and Long Island City with a floating bridge connecting Manhattan and Vernon Avenues across Newtown Creek.
Doesn’t the Pulaski Bridge already do almost exactly that? You might ask. The project, known as the Timber Bridge at LongPoint Corridor, seeks to do it better. According to the project’s Master Plan, the Timber Bridge would reduce the 12-minute trek across the Pulaski Bridge into a 2 minute jaunt.
Beyond that, the project calls for “a renovation of the street at Manhattan Landing, a pedestrian bridge across Newtown Creek, waterfront restoration and expansion on both sides of the bridge, and a pedestrian route across the LIRR railyard.” Continue reading →
The Eckford Street Cat Colony. Photo by Shane Gill
Over a year and a half ago, Greenpoint resident Shane Gill began feeding a colony of feral cats on Eckford Street. The Cats had congregated at a construction site there, which lay dormant due to a stop work order. Now, construction is set to begin again, and the cats’ displacement is eminent. Gill reached out to the Greenpoint community for advice about how to help relocate his feline fellows, and Greenpoint residents responded with overwhelming support for our neighborhood cats. Continue reading →
While many Greenpointers find it difficult to cheer constant “luxury” real estate development in the neighborhood, the situation may yield one perk: the housing lottery. The newest spot with apts on offer is 977 Manhattan Avenue, between India and Huron. The entire 14-unit building is going for a cool $14.25 Million, but New Yorkers earning 60% of the area median income can apply for 3 1-bedroom apartments, each asking $1,020/month, including utilities.
The environmentally conscious among us might be excited to know that the building is Green Certified, and sports energy-efficient elements, including solar panels. Other perks include a bike room, central air, and in-ceiling speakers. Continue reading →
Part of the Greenpoint Hospital Complex, Via CityLimits
As 2018 picks up steam, the news continues to roll in… even when the subway doesn’t. Much has been made of the MTA’s plans for L-pocalypse, the 15-month L train closure slated to begin in April 2019, but some G train riders are already feeling the squeeze. New York 1 reports that “it’s a mess” at the Court Square station becausethe MTA is adding 3 new stairways to the G platform in anticipation of the L train shutdown.
