Nabe Groups Get State Grant to Study Gowanus Brownfields
In one of his last acts as Governor, Eliot Spitzer sent a little love to Brooklyn in the form of a $250,000 grant for a team of local groups to study and identify brownfields along the Gowanus Canal and in abutting properties. The money is going to Friends of Community Board 6, Friends and Residents…
In one of his last acts as Governor, Eliot Spitzer sent a little love to Brooklyn in the form of a $250,000 grant for a team of local groups to study and identify brownfields along the Gowanus Canal and in abutting properties. The money is going to Friends of Community Board 6, Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, and the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation for all three to work together to complete a nomination study for five brownfield sites along the Gowanus Canal. The funding was doled out as part of a $7.25 million package meant to spur economic revitalization in blighted areas across New York State, and it will allow the organizations to hire consultants. Once this acreage is transformed into clean, usable land, it will be a tremendous asset to our community,” said Assemblyman Felix Ortiz in a statement yesterday. “I am very enthusiastic about this important initial step towards achieving our goal.
Brownfield Study Funding Notice [ny.gov]
Photo by wallyg.
10:21, I have never applied for BOA funds but have managed almost a million dollars in similar state grants. Very little of the money can be used for operating expenses.
As for denton’s comment, a quarter-mil’ is a fairly good-sized grant. There is a limited pot of money for projects statewide each year.
8:20PM
GCCDC is broke! They need the funds to sustain their organization. The Friends and the Froggs are included because GCCDC has a history of being exclusionary and may be attempting to change that stigma.
The Toxic Targeting report is old (1999?) so they may justify the funds stating that the data needs updating. However, there hasn’t been much new contamination of Gowanus properties in over twenty years so there’s not much to update.
This “documentation” process is funded every few years and is a waste of tax dollars. If you compare today with the old PICCED Gowanus Study (1988?) you’ll see not much has changed.
This is $250,000 of our tax dollars being flushed down the toilet and it won’t flow into the Canal.
10:30 PM If the GCCDC already did this study and has a report then why are they partaking in this grant? Shouldn’t they just review what they already have if that’s the case?
Hey 10:18 those are some pretty serious charges. You’re pretty misinformed and bitter, aren’t you. Who do you work for, Buddy Scotto? deB?
The friends group isn’t illegal and the community Board makes its facilities available to all non-profits. When I was volunteering at Families First down the hall I know we used to use their fax machine, copier, computers, etc. The CB staff was always friendly and helpful.
I heard, but don’t know for sure, that Hammerman isn’t paid for being the executive director of their friends group, that he does it as a volunteer. Why would anyone do that is beyond me but you gotta give the guy some credit if its true.
Why are you all so focused on the quote friends unquote group and there is no mention of the GCCDC? Check out who is on the board there and then check out the Independent Neighborhood Democrats. Talk about “political clout.”
250k is chump change to a baller like Eliot Spitzer.
6:43
I regret to inform you that to test someone’s property for toxins you’ll need permission. The 8% of Gowanus property that’s City-Owned is already being tested with $250K from Councilman DiBlascio.
This is a HUGE waste of government funds that could be spent on much better things.
Remember – this is NOT funding for our community board – it is for a “friends” group who has enough political connections to procure pork-barrell funding.
http://www.toxicstargeting.com already did this for the Gowanus Community Development Corporation in 2002 – all the friends need to do is ask for a copy of that report.
Friends of Community Board six is a not-for-profit that is illeaglly using the Community Board’s facilities, with the District Manager hired as the Executive Director who uses City Facilities for the promotion of this not-for-profit which is in clear vioaltion of the City’s conflict of interest law! see:
http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?npoId=100649565
Hey, let me explain something to you two: You have to know
(1) what toxins
(2) are where
before you do a clean-up.
Oh, and for those you partaken in the ‘abolish the community boards’ discussion today, and the ‘they’re nothing but NIMBYs’ conversation earlier this week, please note that a community board is doing something useful here.