Some Thoughts on Toll Brothers Condo Complex along the Gowanus.

Hey Ma! Look what they want to build across the street from me!!
Those of you who know me or even just read this blog know how feel about this, but here it is, the Toll Brothers plan for a huge condo complex with 577 housing units, retail space and just because they are nice some "community space". I am sure if they had it their way and weren't constructing in a politically active community, it would probably be gated. Toll Brothers usually build in the suburbs and I heard that's what they do out there. They are chomping at the bit for the zoning to change from light industrial to residential and plan on having it done by 2011. Yippee!!! Hope the pump is installed by then!

NEVERMIND THE FACT THAT:

1. The area is a toxic and aquatic brown field. The Gowanus was dredged by Edwin Litchfield in order to facilitate the Industrial Revolution. Y'know that cool old building on the corner of 3rd St. and 3rd. Avenue? Well, that was his office. The area was filled with highly unhealthy industries such as coal processing plants and fertillier factories which left behind a high count of dangerous substances such as sulfites, pesticides, formaldehyde amongst many, many others.

2. It is in a flood zone. The area has a flooding problem that includes sewage which will most likely INCREASE once the Atlantic Yards are built in addition to all the new buildings on 4th Ave. In order to remedy this. it is said that they are planning on RAISING the ground and building on top of that. This sounds iffy to me as Bond Street will then become a valley between the raised ground on 1rst, 2nd and Carroll Streets and the proposed raised ground along the canal. Just don't seem natural. In fact, the WHOLE project is working against the forces of nature. There really isn't much of a shoreline (in terms of width) to speak of either so I am sure construction will cause more problems. The project is working against the environment, despite what the local kayaking group, the Gowanus Dredgers think. The Dredgers are like the "non profit" Gowanus Community Development Corporation who feel that building along the shores will make the canal cleaner somehow. If you believe that, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you! They will build and then forget about you! The Dredgers had a "fund raiser" over the summer, which was sponsored by the Toll Brothers AND Boymelgreen (another Gowanus developer). Quite despicable!

3.In addition to raising the ground they are going to have an underground parking lot for 260 cars!!! Excuse me but since when did everyone in NYC own a car? Or is that a given when you buy a luxury condo?

So, we are going to have all these cars, all these new residents and no PLANNING about how the neighborhood is going to HANDLE all the influx of people. I suppose more things will have to be built, more schools, more supermarkets and let's do it during a RECESSION!!! Brilliant! Well, if one good thing comes out of it, maybe Carroll Gardens will FINALLY get a Post Office out of the deal. I think that's the only deal we will probably get out of this.

I say clean it up; make it a state park with historical ties to the industrial revolution. Something that you don't have to open up the earth and expose the wildlife and local residents to god knows what. I go to the neighborhood meetings where the Army Corp of Engineers & the E.P.A do their presentations and you know what? They NEVER paint a good picture about what is IN the canal, NEVER! And they would if they could but they just state the facts.

This was announced a couple days ago and has been all over the blogs and the news. It is SO in my face that it is almost difficult for me to talk about. I knew it was coming for years but never REALLY believed it. Will it happen? I think so. Our Mayor cares about nothing but the all mighty dollar. Environmental concerns are a joke when there is valuable land to be built upon.

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