It's Official: No St. Ann's for Tobacco Warehouse
The Post and Times reported on Tuesday’s ruling by a judge that upholds an earlier preliminary injunction blocking the transfer of Dumbo’s Tobacco Warehouse to arts group St. Ann’s Warehouse. In the ruling, Judge Eric Vitaliano found that the National Park Service “acted outside of its legal authority” when it redrew maps so that both…
The Post and Times reported on Tuesday’s ruling by a judge that upholds an earlier preliminary injunction blocking the transfer of Dumbo’s Tobacco Warehouse to arts group St. Ann’s Warehouse. In the ruling, Judge Eric Vitaliano found that the National Park Service “acted outside of its legal authority” when it redrew maps so that both the Tobacco Warehouse and the Empire Stores were no longer considered federal parkland. Jim Walden, a lawyer representing community groups that sued over the structures’ remapping, says the decision makes it clear that “all agencies — city, state and federal — failed in their obligations to the public, putting their ‘vision’ for a private theater above their duties to the public.” The ruling leaves St. Ann’s Warehouse scrambling for a new home since it must leave its longtime Dumbo space next year to make way for Two Trees’ Dock Street development; its artistic director says the organization has recently been looking at spaces in Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Ruling Ends Theater’s Bid for Brooklyn Waterfront [NY Times]
Judge Rips Bldgs. Boot [NY Post]
several things have been accomplished. 1)The three layers of government have been embarrassed for playing fast and lose with public parkland. 2)The Tobacco warehouse will not be privatized by one theater company but rather can continue to be used for a variety of public, open-air activities. 3) the development of the Empire Stores will be subject to the normal public process and not handed over to one developer in a sweetheart deal. 4) the public is not cheated and taken for fools but instead have pushed back.
This was State parkland before it was transferred to the City.
you don’t know how people find fulfillment in stopping government agencies from acting illegally? Hello? Are you insane or just slow to catch on?
I cannot imagine why they would move to Manhattan. That would be a mistake and I think they are smart enough to realize it. They have been talking about collaborating with BAM for years. They should take over the Harvey for half the year -that would be brilliant especially as BAM is building a new multi-stafe theater next door to their main building. Financially it makes a lot of sense for St Anns to share space. They are not a wealthy group. I don’t know how they could have afforded to even maintain the fancy new facility in DUMBO had it been built.
The more I think about it the more I think it is is a blessing in disguise for them.
The co-plaintiffs in this case included the Landmarks Conservancy and the Preservation League of NY, state-wide non-profits. These are the very people one would expect to be watchdogs on behalf of the public interest. The Arts in St. Ann’s Group is a victim in all this, a pawn, and I regret that they are being put through this. But I bet this will make them stronger and I think that moving closer to the newly evolving Brooklyn cultural district around BAM will in the end prove to be a real positive for the group.
How amazing that someone actually was able to stop the Bloomberg administration -or at least give it pause. Kudos to the smart and resourceful people who pushed back against this willful tyrant.
He and his agents are not above the law of the land.