Navy Yard Fires Developer Tied to Kruger Scandal
On Friday The Real Deal reported that the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp had canned PA Associates, which was supposed to develop Admiral’s Row, after the firm’s founder was accused of “funneling $472,500 in bribes to State Senator Carl Kruger.” A Navy Yard spokesperson and Councilwoman Letitia James both said the project would still move…
On Friday The Real Deal reported that the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp had canned PA Associates, which was supposed to develop Admiral’s Row, after the firm’s founder was accused of “funneling $472,500 in bribes to State Senator Carl Kruger.” A Navy Yard spokesperson and Councilwoman Letitia James both said the project would still move forward, albeit with a different, unspecified developer. In other Kruger fallout news, The Post reported that a shopping complex in Mill Basin that Forest City Ratner is developing was held up for three years by the state senator because Kruger didn’t want the city to begin a public review on a non-FCR section of the site “and [FCR] was concerned that segmenting the project could hurt its plans, sources said.” Kruger and Bruce Bender, a vice president for government relations at FCR, “are longtime allies,” according to the article, though neither Bender or FCR were charged in the Kruger corruption suit.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Fires Development Firm Linked to Bribery Scheme [TRD]
What was planned for this site was ShopRite (or Stop ‘n’ Shop – I always get them confused). That’s a local supermarket, not a destination place like Fairway, WF, TJs, etc. Sure it will draw people from beyond the immediate area FG, DUMBO, CH, maybe some Williasmburg – certainly the Hasidic section is “local”), but not too far beyond.
FWIW, I once did a comparison between Fairway, Key Food in Greenpoint and FreshDirect. Bottom line, they all wind up about the same, for staples and fancy stuff. Fairway actually wound up being a bit cheaper for most things. They also have a good range of good quality stuff – organic and all that, but also produce in general, fresh food, etc. So in terms of affordability, selection, etc., a Fairway would be slightly better than, and certainly no worse than the typical urban supermarket. No idea if the suburban chains like ShopRite et al are cheaper.
And the neighborhood is not having its community taken away – Admirals Row is a fenced off part of a Government installation, and has been that way for almost 200 years.
Streber, do you live in the projects?
“And nothing you have said supports the idea that the supermarket is for the locals”
Nothing you have said supports the idea that the supermarket is not for the locals, as well as those with cars.
People have given several examples of how large supermarkets with parking are good for their neighborhoods, but you choose to ignore them.
The whole line “this neighborhood is having their community taken away” makes no sense.
They are having a fenced off area they have never been able to visit taken away, and some more cars put on the street in exchange for more shopping options. Hardly a destruction of the community or its quality of life.
>The streets that out-of-area people would use to drive to a supermarket there are already
>clogged with cars on their way to the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge.
Not on the weekends when our residents are enjoying their community. The streets are not the same as rush hour weekdays.
And nothing you have said supports the idea that the supermarket is for the locals… which is what I was arguing against.
To paraphrase what you just said “it doesn’t matter if we bring more cars to their area”…. and your justification is that the people who DON’T live in the area would fancy some more choices.
Meanwhile, this neighborhood is having their community taken away, and their quality of life lowered.
And all I was saying is; stop pretending they need a supermarket. It’s the rich folk with cars who would fancy more choices… it’s not the locals need.
Streber,
Fairway is a schlep for carless people who live in most of the Red Hook projects, and it’s not really practical to take a shopping cart on the bus. The Red Hook projects cover a lot of land and they are mostly 4 story buildings. I believe that some Red Hook residents shop there, but I don’t think it’s cheap enough for low-income families to do their everyday shopping. And who the hell wants to schlep past the veggies, fruits, deli, cheese, butcher, fish, meat, coffee beans, snack bar, etc. just to buy milk or bread or spaghetti? Fairway is set up like Ikea, tempting impulse shoppers who have some time and bucks for upscale bargains.
Certainly plenty of Ft. Greene/Wallabout residents schlep to Pathmark at Atlantic Center. I would love to see some competition.
Fairway does employ a lot of Red Hook residents. I live in Bed-Stuy and there have been many complaints that the supermarkets near the projects bring in their workers from other areas. That does not seem to be the case at Fairway, and I would hope that it also would not be the case for whatever supermarket may be built within the Navy Yard.
The streets that out-of-area people would use to drive to a supermarket there are already clogged with cars on their way to the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge.
The developers are making money off the poor by taking advantage of their political impotence. Richer neighborhoods wouldn’t allow developers to come in and make their community a freeway supermarket stop.
And the spin is “this supermarket is for them!”
No it’s not.
I’m against the development because it’s not needed. The area around commodore barry park is nice and quiet and is a community for the people that live here. This supermarket is making it a freeway for people who don’t.
streber, how is the development making money off of the poor?
I still don’t understand why a supermarket cannot have people of different classes both drive and walk to. Life does not have to be either-or.
I do most of my shopping at the Atlantic Center Pathmark. I (along with many others) walk there. Many others drive and park in the 2 story parking garage. Others make use of the car service always outside.
By streber’s logic this is impossible, so one group or another must not really exist.
I can understand being against this development because they tore down the old buildings. Just don’t pretend you are against it because you love the people in the projects and want to protect them from having too many shopping options.
@g man:
>”Why the parking lot?” So the operator can do enough volume
… so if the operator can’t do enough volume here, then there isn’t enough NEED here… you just made my point. This market is NOT for the locals.
If there was a NEED here, then the operator could do enough volume… we’ve established that there’s plenty of places around here to buy food.
If none of the local supermarkets are good enough, fix em up.
Just stop pretending “oh the poor people in the projects NEED a supermarket here”… when the reality is; “rich people could drive here in their cars and get groceries… and we’ll only be turning a quiet park area of poor neighborhood into a freeway”.
>That supermarket on Myrtle (I assume that’s the one by Farragut- is it across from the >park?) is terrible
Well, if that supermarket doesn’t mean your needs, this one might:
http://bstoner.wpengine.com/brownstoner/archives/2011/03/myrtle_supermar.php
Again, there is no need for a supermarket here.
Developers making money off the poor, pretending it’s for their benefit.
That supermarket on Myrtle (I assume that’s the one by Farragut- is it across from the park?) is terrible. I would never shop there. I hardly think that it could be used as an example of decent food shopping options for people in the neighborhood.