Celebrating Community
UPDATE: The introductory webinar was held on August 12. As predicted below, it was an undemocratic neighborhood meeting. We were told that over 400 people were online, but there was no further information as to who they were, what they looked like, or whether they had anything to say. It was the kind of ZOOM meant for a one-way conversation, […]
In our July issue we wrote about the concrete recycling plant that temporarily occupies part of the Columbia Street Waterfront District docks. At the time, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) told us that they “take all the necessary steps to mitigate dust and keep the public safe.” That is important because crystalline silica, a compound present in concrete, poses […]
(Editor’s note – Mr. Hang takes issue with our characterization of these events, and requested that we include his clarification: “Please note that we have NOT called for a “moratorium on new construction” in the Gowanus Canal Area. We respectfully wrote Governor Hochul: “Until the shortcomings of New York’s Brownfield program have been fully assessed and all applicable regulatory cleanup requirements […]
Harbor Middle School / PS 676 had their second annual Pride celebration and talent show on Friday, June 14. The auditorium was packed with parents, staff and the community. This year’s talent show drew inspiration from Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour which celebrated LGBTQ+ culture, vogue, ballroom and black queer joy. The Beyonce tour also focused on promoting inclusivity and fostering a […]
The Gowanus Oversight Task Force met for its second quarterly meeting of the year on Thursday evening, June 27. This time around, the public meeting tackled the issues of “community resources” and “streets and safety.” This task force took life as a condition of the Gowanus rezoning, which allowed for the building of high rise residential buildings in the formerly […]
A concrete recycling plant opened up along the Columbia Street waterfront earlier this year, raising concerns among some residents in the neighborhood and nearby Cobble Hill. The plant, located by the intersection of Columbia and Kane Streets, is only there temporarily, however. It was moved there in February to accommodate the city’s plans to develop offshore wind. Just next door […]
In a poorly ventilated public school gym, community members of Park Slope, Gowanus and the surrounding neighborhoods gathered on Wednesday, May 22, for a sustainability and resiliency resource fair, co-hosted by the Mayor’s Office for Climate and Environmental Justice and the office of Council Member Shahana Hanif. “This was a pretty standard, successful community event for us,” Kimberly Winston, Communication’s […]
Since our first issue, exactly 14 years ago this month, the Star-Revue has been actively reporting on the waterfront. A special report in our September 2010 edition described the Columbia Street piers. “Piers 8, 9a, 9b and 10 is home to perhaps the most traditional style of work as it is the site of the Brooklyn Container Port. Technically speaking, […]
It’s Potsdam, Germany, around noon, Chaled-Uwe Said, local leader of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), is giving away flyers, bottle openers and pens for his re-election campaign to the City Council. But people coming out from the nearby supermarket rarely stop at his table. Even though AfD leads as the second party in the national polls, there is […]
At a ceremony at the Red Hook Container Terminal, the Mayor, the Governor, the Port Authority and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) made a surprise announcement (at least to most of the public and this newspaper) about the future of the waterfront from Atlantic Avenue up to the Red Hook Cruise Terminal. They were standing in front of […]