Following the model of development activism honed by the residents of the South Slope and Greenwood Heights, a group calling itself the Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy North Neighborhood Improvement Association has been getting the word out about its nascent campaign to rein in a developer whose irresponsible construction practices and plans for a 12-story building on a block of 4- and 5-story houses have neighbors in a tizzy. (We first reported on the shoddy demolition and DOB violations three weeks ago — reporters love to complain to us when we fail to link to them but getting any reciprocation is like getting blood from a stone. Grrr.) Anyway, residents want developer Joseph Tyrnauer of WT Construction — whose contractors have racked up 51 violations to date — to scale back his planned 12-story, 125-foot structure to conform to the 50-foot height cap that will be part of the rezoning for the area. That’s gonna be a tough sell. Not surprisingly, the developer has avoided having a fireside chat with his critics. Councilwoman Tish James and candidates Jeffries and Batson both showed up at the rally last week to show their solidarity with the aggrieved citizens.
Berry Street Retail Space [FG Courier] GMAP
Pillaging Clifton Place MMG-Style [Brownstoner]