Dock St. Project Opponents Go All Out at City Hall Rally
From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
They Fear Plan Compromises Brooklyn Bridge Environment
By Raanan Geberer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
CITY HALL — An all-star group of elected officials, would-be officials, historic preservationists, leaders of civic groups and neighborhood residents gathered on the steps of City Hall Tuesday to protest Two Trees’ planned “Dock Street Dumbo” development in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The planned development, which would be nine stories with an 18-story tower, would include residential housing, some of it affordable; retail, a parking garage and space for a new middle school. It has been approved by the City Planning Commission (which, however, reduced the height from 184 to 170 feet), the Borough President’s Office (with other modifications) and Community Board 2. It now goes to the City Council.
Most of the speakers made similar arguments against the Two Trees plan:
That it would ruin the view of and from the Brooklyn Bridge;
That the bridge is a historic monument that shouldn’t be compromised;
That the School Construction Authority hasn’t seriously investigated other sites for the much-needed school;
That Two Trees has allegedly used the power of money to lobby and influence public officials; and
That this administration shouldn’t be responsible for making a decision that will be regretted for generations.
The two best-known celebrities scheduled to be at the meeting were David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Great Bridge, about the building of the bridge; and Ken Burns, producer of the TV documentary, The Brooklyn Bridge.