Page 95 - Demo

Fulton Ferry Area:February 7,1974 PHOENIX Page 3Fulton St. to Get Sidewalks;Eatery Issue Unresolved BY LYNNE GRIFODespite the development of what seems to be a stand-off between New York restaurateur Michael O%u2019Keefe and groups in Brooklyn Heights over his proposal for a floating restaurant at Fulton Ferry, the Office of Downtown Brooklyn Development has announced plans to make the area more congenial to pedestrian traffic by controling traffic flow the foot of Fulton St., or Cadman Plaza West. This project is the first actual renewal to occur in the Fulton Ferry area.%u201cWe are planning to do two things,%u201d explained Douglas Brooks of ODBD. %u201cThe Department of Highways and the Department of Traffic will reconstruct Fulton St. between Front and Furman Sts., narrowing it in order to channelize vehicular movement.%u201d%u201cFulton St. becomes 150 feet wide when it reaches the water and drivers using Furman St. as an alternate to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway stream through. By widening the sidewalk on the north side and landscaping the area we hope to create a safe and attractive place for pedestrian movement.%u201dThe Department of Ports and Terminals began, at the end of last summer, to repair the bulkheading along the waterfront area near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. According to Assistant Commissioner Warren Wecsher, this process involves driving piles into the water atop which are placed concrete slabs in order to extend the land area.ODBD is seeking to %u201cencourage limited growth of the residential, cultural, and commercial activites along Fulton St. through appropriate rezoning and compatible development of the Empire Stores.%u201d This is the area between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.According to ODBD development guidelines, the Empire Stores is the reason for much of the interest in this area. A Civil War era complex, the Stores are representative of the type of warehouses that once crowded most of the Brooklyn waterfront. The Stores are separated from the East River by 3.5 acres of open land, most of which is owned by the Consolidated Edison Company and the remainder by the City.The Office of Downtown Brooklyn Development envisions the construction of a park north of the foot of Fulton St., on land now owned by the Department of Ports and Terminals. The PHOENIX has carried reports over the last few weeks detailing the efforts ofMichael O%u2019Keefe to lease this land from the City.In colorful and often emotional terms, O%u2019Keefe describes his tenyear effort to find the right spot for a waterfront restaurant in New York City and the frustrations of trying to work with the city bureaucracy.Among the other culinary establishments proudly owned by the restaurateur are: Pear Trees, 49th St. and 1st Ave.; Marmalade Park, E. 39th St. near 2nd Ave.; LaCave Henry IV, E50th St.; Rumms on E. 50th St. and Great Scott in South Hampton.O%u2019Keefe is seeking to build a restaurant on a barge that would be situated in front of the proposed Fulton Ferry Park. Kitchen and rest room facilities would be housed in an accessory building in the park which would connect with the dining area via a walkway.The Brooklyn Heights Association and ODBD have both taken positions against the placement of the restaurant barge in front of the park. BHA is opposed because the members feel that the barge would obstruct the view of the skyline. They also point out that the 30-year lease O%u2019Keefe is seeking would give him control over 20 percent of the adjacent waterfront land and possibly hinder long-term development.Doug Brooks of ODBD also expressed concern over obstruction of the skyline view and went on to say that %u201cthe onland structure would disrupt land use by requiring access for vehicles making deliveries. I don%u2019t think this is the way things should be done. It is important that the area remains a public place, although I don%u2019t know anyone who isn%u2019t enthusiastic about a restaurant at Fulton Ferry,%u201d he said.O%u2019Keefe chalks off the arguments about the view by explaining that the barge would be nineteen feet high, but after subtracting the portion that is below water, that portion below the surface of the land and the five foot rise and fall in tide only an average of two and one half feet remain. %u201cThis would not affect the view,%u201d he stated,%u201cThe onland facility would be about 60 feet long, 40 feet wide and ten feet high. Sixty could be shortened to 40,%u201d O%u2019Keefe said, %u201cand 40 feet out of 100%u2019s of feet of view is only a small amount.%u201d%u201cThe park the City intends to build would be devastated in a short time without the private policing and maintenance I would provide,%u201d O%u2019Keefe said. TheContinued on Page 14**3*B*iBulkheading is proceeding at the foot of Fulton Street to make public access area to East River waterfront at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge on the site of the old Fulton Ferry. When bulkhead is finished, public park is proposed for completed site, says the City's Office of Downtown Brooklyn Development. A Manhattan restaurant owner is also interested in opening a floating restaurant on the site. (Ann Mandelbaum Photo)FULTONO 25 50FERRY PARK PLANodb dDean St. Prostitution AttackedAn all-out offensive against prostitution traffic at 413 Dean Street has been launched following last month%u2019s inspection by Councilman Fred Richmond.The Councilman reported to the PHOENIX on Monday that inspectors from the City%u2019s Building Department, The FireH o n a r t m o n t T h eNo Fault AdviceAssemblyman Michael L. Pesce, 52nd A. D.. announces that expert advice on No Fault Insurance will be available at his headquarters at 345 Court Street every Saturday. This service is available free to anyone who either comes in or calls 875-2311.Department have been keeping close tabs on the operations of tenants and the landlord of 413 Dean Street. Richmond further reports that attorneys for the Police Department and the City%u2019s Corporation Counsel are about to enter into Civil court proceedings designed to eliminate illegala c t i v it ie s a t th p h n i l r li n o in t h e 7 B thPrecinct.Richmond said: %u201c After viewing first hand the illicit activities of the prostitutes at 413 Dean Street, I pledged to help close the doors of this house of prostitution. The activities of the prostitute; and their johns have created an unbearable public nuisance in the neighborhood. In cooperation with the Police Department, FireDepartment, Building Department and the City%u2019s Corporation Counsel, we hope to force the landlord of 413 Dean Street to clean up the building.%u201dThe Councilman reports that civil action case under Section 715 of the City%u2019s Real Property and Procedure Act is being drawn up.m i%u2014 -------- 1 j . i i *i . %u2022 %u00bbX l i e O U H w u u i u c a l l a g e l i ld L C l 11111 l i d 1activity is being performed by the tenants of 413 Dean Street. Once approved by the Court the landlord of the building would have only five days to evict the suspected criminal tenants. If the landlord refuses, the City then moves to the Landlord and Tenant Court asking for the removal of the criminal element The proceeding is a direct result of pressure brought b\\Councilman Richmond on behalf of the Boerum Hill and Park Slope communities.Vincent Monterosso, Legal Advisor to the Police Department%u2019s Brooklyn South area, is optomistic of the chances for success of this court action.On another front, Richmond reports a Budding Department inspection of 413 Dean Street revealed that the scaffolding on theoutside of the building was illegal. In addition, there is a violation of the conditions of the building's Certificate of Occupancy and possible irregularities of the electrical and plumbing equipment.Finally, the Fire Department's inspection found defective wiring in tne Pudding's cellar which was reported to the Department of Electricitv.iiiiinnrttiiiiiiiiiiM HnM iiiiiiiiim iiiiiim iniiiiiim iiiiiiiiHiinum iM M iHtm iiim tiM m m intiuiui' 30 Clinton Street Brooklyn. New York 11201 Tel 6*1 i 103?A W ft : yt'ijhb'.hpd sr Presv r..nrr. uM I y nn* Sp.4 per*'. i year tv, ao-.nny *ht* ni%u2019i .jhDOi r ,Surrounding Downtown Brook%u2019 %u00bbnCtud%u2019Hy Boeru'v M.n Brook *.i g%u00bb %u2022 Carrol %u2019.if dens ( nbr.v h .| tGm-ru i m %u00bbr> slope %u2022 ; %u2022 - \\P fr ,%u00bb*<%u00ab'A p r o* %u25a0 v V.%u00bb -p - %u2022 %u2022 ,