The City Planning Commission voted today in favor of rezoning the Dock Street location to residential with a vote of 11-2. The vote was “the most difficult to date” according to Amanda Burden, Chair of the City Planning Commission. The CPC recommended that the building be cut by one story, as reported by the Brooklyn Paper:

In ordering a height reduction and the cut-out section from the mid-rise portion of the building, the Commission seemed to at least be partially swayed by a late push by Brooklyn Bridge historian David McCullough, who visited the fabled span this month to call for the Walentas proposal to not only be halted, but for other buildings around the bridge to be demolished for a national park.

McCullough’s viewpoint was published in Newsweek last week. The next step of the process will move to the City Council for a vote.

The Dumbo Neighborhood Alliance (DNA) has been a vocal opposition to the height, distance, and the mass of the proposed development and will no doubt be releasing a statement. We received word from them that in addition to David McCullough, several celebrities will be starring in supporting roles in their grass roots campaign. Gabriel Byrne of The Usual Suspects and HBO’s In Treatment, Helen Hunt of As Good as It Gets and Mad About You, Gary Sinise of The Green Mile and Forrest Gump, Ana Gasteyer of Saturday Night Live and Mean Girls, Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns of Brooklyn Bridge and The Civil War fame and Skipp Sudduth of Third Watch and Law & Order have all added their support to the opposition of the proposed 18-story building.

{Past Dock St Dumbo posts}

(Photo by Josh Derr)

The parking lot at Old Fulton and Prospect Streets will close permanently on April 30th, according to signs posted by the NYC Parks & Recreation Department. Anyone know what is replacing the parking lot?

While on the subject, the other outdoor lots in and around Dumbo are:

• 90 Washington Street (corner of Washington and Prospect Streets) – $275 per month
• 66 Sands Street (corner of Sands and Pearl Streets) – $250 per month
• 39 Front Street (at York Street) – $300 per month

Can anyone share their experiences with outdoor lots around Dumbo?

On Thursday, April 23, Digital DUMBO is having their fourth event at Dumbo Arts Center (30 Washington Street) from 6:30 – 8:00pm. Digital DUMBO was created with the thought of bringing together the digital minds of DUMBO to connect, network and share ideas.

This month features David Skokna (founder, partner and creative director at HUGE, a interactive studio based in Dumbo) who is giving a 15 minute talk entitled: “Blood, Sweat and Fear: Doing Business in DUMBO”. Taking a look at how the area has changed and why he thinks it’s a particularly good area for creative types, David will explore the ways current designers can launch themselves toward major success. After building such websites at Jetblue, IKEA, NutriSystem, About.com, Scholastic and Readers Digest, he certainly knows his stuff.

HUGE was founded in DUMBO in 1999 and is located in 45 Main Street.

For more information on Digital DUMBO and RSVP, go to digitaldumbodrinks.eventbrite.com.

Previously:
{Digital Dumbo Drinks #2}
{Digital Dumbo Drinks #3}

Following the Manhattan Bridge Archway’s (The Archway) “soft opening” in September 2008, the gates were temporarily closed again so that construction on the space could be completed. Yesterday, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Dumbo Improvement District permanently removed the gates to The Archway, allowing pedestrians to walk through.

The asphalt was removed to reveal the original Belgian blocks, and more work will be done soon to install benches and lighting. Per Dumbo Improvement District, who manages maintenance and programming for The Archway, plans are in the works to have events and programs throughout the year. First up is Earth Day programming on Thursday, April 23rd, and the Dumbo Parent Organization will hold the Epic DUMBO Stoop Sale on Saturday, May 2nd.

The 7,000 square foot archway is a grand space for events, art exhibitions, and open markets. We’re looking forward to it. Thanks to the Dumbo Improvement District, who coordinated funding and in-kind contributions from private partners, Two Trees Management Co., Pearl Realty Management, Rogers Marvel Architects PLLC and Ettinger Engineering Associates, and worked with DOT and the City of New York to make this happen.

Previously:
{Manhattan Bridge Archway Opens in Dumbo, 08Sept2009}
{The Archway, Dumbo Improvement District}

Here’s a newly posted FSBO listing at 70 Washington Street #4C with its own website. We love the FSBOs with their own website since they usually have lots of photos and info on the listing. This one is no different and provides some good detail, including information about the neighborhood.

The apartment features one bedroom with a home office that can double as a second bedroom, 2 baths, with 1,262 sqft and has very low maintenance of $379 per month. The asking price is $1,190,000 ($943/sqft). The 11 foot ceilings give the place an open feel and includes a custom plexiglass and high-grade industrial wire shelving system, great for book lovers. Floorplan after the jump.

{70washington4s.com}
{NY Times listing}

Read the rest of this entry »

The following are selected links from this past week on blogs and websites with discussion about Dumbo (and its neighboring areas):

• BBP Park Progress: Pier 1, 17Apr09, BHB
• Neighbors react to 20 Henry’s status, 16Apr09, BHB
• Dumbo’s Yum Yum Chefs, 12Apr09, Crain’s
• VH House – Bizzare Location, 14Apr09, NY Times
• VH’s Buddhist Temple, 13Apr09, infra-structured
• Equity Partner Sues Developers of 20 Henry St, 15Apr09, Brownstoner
• Dumbo PO Opening Next Week, 17Apr09, Brownstoner
• Will Scott and Wylie Wirth at 68 Jay St. Bar, 16Apr09, lucidculture
• Return of Florence Nightingale @ Galapagos, 14Apr09, JADIB
• Gairville History, 06Apr09, Kottke
• Walking Tour of Dumbo, 17Apr09, ‘WOBA’
• Safe-T-Gallery Opening Night, 17Apr09, Dark Pixel
• Kings County BBQ Truck at DUMBO Flea, 13Apr09, McBrooklyn

Reprinted from NY Times, The City section 12Apr2009, by Michael Pollak:

Within These Walls

Q. As the Q train crosses the East River, I’m looking at a large space just north of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side: brick-colored walls several stories high, with no doors, windows or roof, surrounding an empty space. What is it?

A. A parkland performance space named for what it used to be: the Tobacco Warehouse.

Built in the 1870s by the Lorillard family as a tobacco customs inspection center, it was saved from demolition in 1898 and repaired in 2002 by the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Its 18,000-square-foot interior, free of columns, is used for concerts, weddings, special events and video shoots, according to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.

It sits at the inside edge of Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, and plans are to incorporate it in the future Brooklyn Bridge State Park, a 1.3-mile stretch along the East River from north of the Manhattan Bridge to Atlantic Avenue.

To apply for a permit to hold an event in the Tobacco Warehouse, please contact Andrew Williams at andrew.williams@orphp.state.ny.us or (212) 866-2005.

The Dumbo Neighborhood Association is making their big push for their proposed 10 block area of Dumbo with their version of the rezoning plan. Separately, they have also received some publicity for historian David McCullough’s endorsement against the Dock Street Dumbo plan before the official City Planning Commission’s vote next Wednesday, April 22. The DNA has an event on Saturday at the 68 Jay Street bar starting at 7pm. Per DNA:

Dear Neighbors,
Join us to celebrate recent successes and set the stage for future progress. DNA needs your help to keep up its important work for the DUMBO community.

Location: 68 Jay Street (at the corner of Water St.)
Date: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Time : 7 – 9 pm
Directions
$50 suggested donation (includes annual membership)

About the band: RSVP features top-notch musicians with extensive studio and live experience. They have an extensive repertoire, covering many styles and all eras from the 50s to the present day: pop hits, Motown, Beatles, classic rock, disco/funk, ballads, standards, modern country – RSVP does it all!

Yes, yes, yes.

Whenever a woman artist grabs hold of a female stereotype and shakes it out to dry, it’s cause to celebrate. Ana Isabel Ordonez, created a montage of gangsters’ molls and fallen women from the classic noir tradition for a jazz/film event— Shades of Jazz On Noir at Galapagos Art Space on Wednesday, April 15th During the film, Freak Lip Kill Jazz Trio improvised providing drama, pathos, and romance. The women were the same women we’ve all come to love and fear, iconic women; Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Agnes Moorehead, Janet Leigh, and a very young Simone Signoret. They were tough dames and they meant trouble, with a capital T. But they were also vulnerable. They just needed a strong man.

In the opening scene, a terrified woman runs down a lonely highway; chic and disheveled in a belted trench. Gorgeous and dangerous. It’s classic noir. But instead of the classic soundtrack— a very modern accompaniment of saxophone, bass, and guitar. The marriage of film and music really worked, it played both with and against the genre. Then the screen went blank. The trio stopped playing. The audience heard a woman, a voice-over, telling the tale of a modern day love story. She’s a real woman. She’s not a stereotype. She’s smart, she’s strong, she’s sexy. She’s so 21st century. The images are not. The juxtaposition is startling. The performance alternated, back and forth; film/music, then voice-over.

Originally, of course, the noir women were filmed from the male gaze. Ordonez reframes them literally with the montage, the modern voice-over and the music. Alexis Cuadrado on bass led the narrative, along with Brad Shepik’s guitar and Adam Niewood’s saxophone. There was a stunning shot of Lana Turner’s legs— the camera literally caresses them. Then it traveled up those celebrated gams accompanied with a sharp and almost discordant sax solo. Other images included: Rita Hayworth flipping her hair, Lauren Bacall batting her lashes at Bogie, Barbara Stanwyck in a tragic kiss with Glenn Ford. It’s hot stuff, made even hotter with the music.

Galapagos in Dumbo is a gorgeous space; islands of red curved banquettes— floating in shallow pools of water. The maritime theme echoes throughout the cavernous, two story space with state of the art sound and light equipment. The programming is artsy, eclectic, and pop cultural as well. On any given night, there might be a film premiere, nerd speed dating, stripping, or an opera. The ticket prices to these events are very inexpensive. The staff is lovely. The neighborhood is grand.

Our friends over at Blue Barn Pictures saw this prototype vehicle, a joint venture with General Motors and Segway called PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) riding around Brooklyn Bridge Park and Fulton Ferry area. The PUMA has a max speed of 35 mph and the battery will last up to 35 miles. They’re several years away from putting this out to market, but I can’t imagine that it will be a comfortable ride down the Belgian Block streets down Washington or Plymouth Streets in Dumbo.