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May 1, 2009

Contamination Found at 384 Bridge Street, Lawsuit Filed

384-bridge-fall-0509.jpg
Back in January we wrote a post about the delays at 384 Bridge Street, Greg Wolpert's 450,000-square-foot project that had broken ground and then suddenly halted last summer. At the time, we referenced a sticky C of O problem at one of the properties in the footprint that threatened to shave off 90,000 square feet of buildable space from the development. Problematic but not necessarily a deal killer. Now, however, an even more serious threat has come to light, one with repercussions potentially beyond the site itself. According to a lawsuit filed by the developer, 384 Bridge Street, LLC, in State Supreme Court on April 15 against the owners RK&G Associations, LLC, the site, which formerly was leased to Bridge Cleaners, is contaminated with a dry cleaning solvent known as PCE. The contamination is alleged in the suit to have spread to the adjacent Catholic high school and another building at 141 Lawrence Street. According to the suit, the PCE was discovered last July (not long before this photo was taken) as various tanks were removed from the site as part of the construction process. This led to DOB permits being revoked in response to official notices from the Department of Environmental Conservation. Two days before the suit was filed, the site was admitted into the State's Brownfield program. The developer is seeking the $1,200,000 it has spent since work was stopped last summer plus "substantial" additional funds that will be required throughout the investigation and remediation process. Ugly.
A Wrench in 388 Bridge Street's Plans? [Brownstoner]




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:00 AM | Comments (16)
Categories: Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Environmental

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Has anyone walk around there? It's a Ghost town and this nightmare project will turn into blight. Thanks Assholes!

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at May 1, 2009 9:15 AM

The ghost town is not just Downtown Brooklyn, but Brownstoner itself lately. If the only-slightly-miffed-sounding What is reduced to being the lone disinterested commenter on an uninteresting thread about an uninteresting corner of Brooklyn, then maybe its time to throw up something slightly race-baiting or edgy. Something to rile up Team Bear. Can't you find anything to ignite the renter/owner debate? C'mon. Kitten-eating pitbulls? Rent control abuse? Gentrification? No cars parking in the bike lanes these days? Anything?

Posted by: Beau Guest at May 1, 2009 10:11 AM

"The ghost town is not just Downtown Brooklyn, but Brownstoner itself lately. If the only-slightly-miffed-sounding What is reduced to being the lone disinterested commenter on an uninteresting thread about an uninteresting corner of Brooklyn, then maybe its time to throw up something slightly race-baiting or edgy. Something to rile up Team Bear."

ROTFFLMMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Quote of the month!!!!!

Beau Guest I thought it was me! The collapse of the Mutant Asset Bubble has taken the crunch out of Brownstoner! Great observation.

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at May 1, 2009 10:20 AM

I'm still here, What.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 1, 2009 10:22 AM

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Wednesday was the highest traffic day EVER on the site...85,000 pageviews.

Posted by: brownstoner at May 1, 2009 10:26 AM

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but Wednesday was the highest traffic day EVER on the site...85,000 pageviews."

You know something Brownstoner? You can tell Bullshit just by looking at the reaction!

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at May 1, 2009 10:33 AM

And that was the day you took down the OT, correct? LOL

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 1, 2009 10:34 AM

I have to agree with the What on this one. Yes, it can happen.

Bridge Street was a viable, lively retail strip for as long as I've been in Brooklyn. It had established itself as a fabric market on both sides of the street, with a dedicated trim store, large fabric stores selling quality goods and two stores selling and servicing sewing machines. Shoppers looking for fabric and related goods did not have to go into Manhattan, Bridge Street had it all. When I was doing costume design, through the 80's and 90's, I bought fabrics and trims for over 15 shows and operas there, and it was good stuff at a good price.

In the last 10 years, the rents went way up, and most of the fabric stores closed, and were replaced by schlock shops and $.99 stores. Bridge St. Cleaners even moved, and they were there, I think, for at least 50 years or so. Those contaminants are old. I miss being able to go there for fabrics, I had gotten to know many of the store owners and workers, and they got big business from designers, and successful local tailors and dressmakers. Again, more small businesses displaced, and their business's business gone elsewhere. For what? A contaminated hole in the ground that will probably be stalled for years and years to come.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at May 1, 2009 10:36 AM

You would have thought that someone would see the drycleaners- who had been there for years- and think to do tests before ripping everyting out. Drycleaning esstablishments are known for using serious chemicals- no one had the foresight to check it out first?

Posted by: bxgrl at May 1, 2009 10:38 AM

"I have to agree with the What on this one. Yes, it can happen."

Morris I was Downtown about 2 weeks ago and I walk into Bridge St. I said to myself "Oh no, this is a disaster". Plus Citypoint (formally Albee Square Mall) may not get built! Downtown looks terrible...

The What

Someday this war is gonna end..

Take a walk down there if you don't believe me!

Posted by: Return of The What at May 1, 2009 11:09 AM

I used to spend so much time on Bridge St. Like MM I did costume design and bridal for some years and loved Bridge St. It did have its ups and downs but overall it was a street of bustling small businesses and much needed ones at that. I was down that way a few weeks ago- I can just see most of downtown Broooklyn getting the same developer treatment at the cost of needed business and to the detriment of the very people who kept downtown alive and viable for so many years.

Someday I'd love to see a real cost analysis that proves destroying a business district for luxury condos is really a plus. If anything, this situation proves (yet again) it isn't.

Posted by: bxgrl at May 1, 2009 11:24 AM

I believe you, What, it's awful. The grand plans of the downtown development people are turning into a crater here, a crater there, two blocks away, condemned buildings, with the biggest pit of all at AY.

Some of this is bad timing. Most is just over reaching in the first place. "Build it and they will come" doesn't always work.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at May 1, 2009 11:41 AM

I lived on Bridge St (across from the old Bridge Cleaners) and loved it. Every train was within a few feet, the rent was reasonable and it was generally a nice place to live. (Although you had to stomp down the street at night to scare the rats away.) The people who owned the businesses around there were friendly and they served a lot of people. Then Laboz started emptying the buildings and the construction of the Sheraton was unbearable, so we moved. I got in some scruffles on the belltel blog with belltel people who were elated that those businesses were being forced out ("it's just more money in my pocket"). Sadly, it doesn't seem like anyone's benefitting now.

Posted by: talknerdytome at May 1, 2009 11:49 AM

"I believe you, What, it's awful. The grand plans of the downtown development people are turning into a crater here, a crater there, two blocks away, condemned buildings, with the biggest pit of all at AY."

I hope the GOD that I never see another Asset Bubble in my lifetime! When you loan money to Financially Challenged Retards this is what you get. It will take generations to fix this mess we call The Mutant Asset Bubble. Good job Retards!

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at May 1, 2009 11:57 AM

Agreed, What. Totally.

Posted by: bxgrl at May 1, 2009 12:41 PM

If you want to know more about what's happening with Wolpert, 384 Bridge Street and the people he has done business with, visit: http://70willoughby.com

Posted by: willoughby at May 4, 2009 1:33 PM

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