Category Archives: District News

BID Releases 2016 Annual Report

The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Business Improvement District (BID) has released its 2016 Annual Report, highlighting its work on the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill commercial district over the past year. We released the report at the organization’s annual meeting, which is recapped here.

In 2016, as the report notes, the BID was active in serving local businesses, marketing the district, hosting community events and arts programs, and managing the avenue’s public space. Click through the report above, or download here, to find out more about the BID’s work during 2016.

Past annual reports can be found here.

Call for Artwork Extended: Black Artstory Month

The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership is proud to present the 5th Annual Black Artstory Month, titled The Altar: Rituals of Healing in the African Diaspora.

Programs and exhibitions are curated by Suhaly Bautista-Carolina:

The Altar is an exploration, through the lens of arts and culture, of healing rituals that span the African Diaspora; a celebration of the practices that fuel us and allow us to thrive in the world as African Descendants; an acknowledgment of our individual and collective healing practices as innate acts of resistance. Through visual art installations, performance, film, poetry and other creative mediums and practices, viewers will encounter how artists are honoring these longstanding healing rituals and traditions. The Altar is thus both an exhibition and an offering of healing strategies, anchored in community, that aim to overcome stress, reinforce our intentions in the world and heal trauma. It is an invitation to learn how we can spiritually protect ourselves and each other and a commemoration of our legacy of healing throughout time and place.

Keywords and concepts:

Altar, Offerings, Heal, Spirit, Soul, Breath, Power, Transference, Inheritance, Ritual, Tradition / Traditional, Generational / Intergenerational, Ancestry / Ancestors / Descendants, Lineage, Timelessness / Time / Temporal, Recipes, Natural Knowing, Blood Memory, Art as release, Art Therapy, Religion, Church, Sacred spaces, Holiness, Liberation / Freedom, Community / Communication, African Diaspora.

Artwork and idea submissions are due by: Please note that deadline has been extended to Monday, November 21st at midnight.

For additional information and to submit, please email Suhaly Bautista-Carolina at blackartstory@myrtleavenue.org.

Please submit:

name, email, website
artist statement
3-5 images of work (jpg)
1 paragraph that ties your work to the theme

Black Artstory Month celebrates the influences and contributions made by African Americans within the visual and performing arts worlds. The month-long celebration, which was designed to coincide with Black History Month, will take place from February 1-28, 2017 at venues, storefronts and merchant spaces along Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

FREE events will take place every Friday in February and visitors can also enjoy the artwork any day on display at independent businesses along Myrtle Avenue.

Your Full Round-up of New Construction Along Myrtle

While many construction projects on or around Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are wrapping, new ones are just beginning. The recent building boom is a mix of private developments, as well as the reconstruction of Myrtle Avenue itself as part of the creation of the new Myrtle Avenue Plaza. Below is a summary and status update of 11 local construction projects currently in development:

220 Classon Ave. Source: CMC Development.

220 Classon Avenue

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church filed new building plans with the city’s DOB to construct a 16 story tower on their property at the corner of Willoughby Avenue and Classon. The residential building will include 142 apartments and rise to a height of 163 feet. Pratt Institute also recently plans for a tower on this block, though it’ll only rise ten stories, reaching 118 feet in height.

The new development calls for the demolition of the historic rectory, but will leave the landmarked church intact. DXA Studio Architecture provided designs for the new building.

504 Myrtle Avneue in Clinton Hill, between Ryerson Street and Grand Avenue.

504 Myrtle Avenue

A new eight story building is fully framed out at the site of the former Pratt Station U.S. Post Office. When completed in spring 2017, the building will hold 141 apartments and 20,300 square feet of new commercial space on the ground floor. Commercial spaces are currently available and being marketed by Winick Realty.

28 apartments will be set aside through the city’s affordable housing program. Details have not yet been released on how to apply for these units through the city’s affordable housing lottery.

The project is being developed by Madison Capital Realty and was designed by HTO Architects.

501 Myrtle Avenue

Demolition work has begun at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Ryerson Street on the former one story building that housed Sapolo Restaurant. New building plans call for a six story building that houses 10 apartments and a 1,700 square foot ground-floor commercial space.

The project was designed by Raymond Chan Architect.

531 Myrtle Avenue

Windows have gone in at the new five story building that has risen at the former White Castle site, at the corner of Steuben and Myrtle. When completed, the building will house 27 apartments and three storefronts spanning 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

The European Wax Center has been announced by broker RKF as the first commercial tenant. Two commercial spaces are still available and interested tenants can contact RKF.

525 Myrtle Avenue

The former site of Myrtle Car Service, between Grand and Steuben, now holds a topped-out seven story mixed-use condo building. On the ground floor, one commercial and medical-use condo are available, as well as 22 residential condos on the upper floor.

The new building was designed by Gerald J. Caliendo and is being developed by FBS Realty.

Pratt Institute Dormitory

A new 10-story tower has been planned for 135 Emerson Place, between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues. Developed Pratt Institute has announced that the building will hold 148 beds for student housing. The project will result in the demolition of a one story garage building that faces Myrtle Avenue, between Emerson and Classon.

Cannon Design served as the architect for the project.

Myrtle Avenue Plaza

Construction work is underway to build the new Myrtle Avenue Plaza, which will span two blocks alongside Myrtle Avenue between Grand Avenue and Emerson Place. Click here to read more details about the new 25,000 SF pedestrian space.

After a summer break, crews have currently finished resurfacing Myrtle Avenue, allowing two-way traffic to be restored. The final phase of plaza construction, including pouring of new sidewalks and creating plaza features, is underway and is scheduled for completion in December 2016. Plantings of new trees and installation of plaza fixtures, including seating, will take place in early Spring 2017.

491 Myrtle Avenue

This formerly vacant lot (which witnessed a building collapse in 2009), will be home to a new five-story mixed-use building. Six new apartments and 1,220 square feet of commercial space will comprise this 5,000 square foot building.

The commercial space is currently available to lease. Contact Ripco Real Estate for more information.

The project is being developed by MLR Holdings and was designed by Isaac Stern.

Ingersoll Senior Housing

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced in spring 2016 that a 16 story tower will rise within the Ingersoll Houses at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street. The new building will exclusively provide affordable housing for seniors, with 144 apartments available in either studio or one-bedroom configurations. NYCHA estimates the building will be available for move-in in early 2018.

Click here to view a NYCHA fact sheet about the development.

86 Fleet Place

A 32-story tower has topped out at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Fleet Place in Fort Greene. The building is the largest of four projects that part of Red Apple Development’s Myrtle Avenue holdings. Next door to the tower, flanking the south side of Myrtle Avenue between Fleet and Ashland, sit the development company’s other three buildings: The Giovanni, The Margo, and The Andrea.

Residences are currently being leased within The Margo by Corcoran. Retail leasing within The Margo and Giovanni are being represented by Winick Realty, which recently announced the signings of Gold Coast Bank and The Wine Legend. Contact Winick to learn about the remaining commercial spaces.

134 Vanderbilt Avenue

The former Gulf Gas Station at the corner of Myrtle and Vanderbilt Avenues, which closed in 2014, is slated to see a new eight story building. The new development will house 46 apartments and 8,050 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

Construction work has not yet begun, though new building permits were issued in June 2015.

The property is being developed by All Year Management and was designed by ODA Architects.

Hudson Jane, American Comfort Coming to Fort Greene

photo credit: Laurie Rhodes

Hudson Jane, a new cafe and wine bar featuring American comfort food is opening in Fort Greene at 360 Myrtle Avenue in Spring of 2017. The cafe will feature innovative takes on “down home” dishes, delicious fine fare in a casual setting. Great for eating in but lots of grab and go menu items too, perfect for quick and on-the-go, breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

“It’s truly about love, good food and community,” share Hudson Jane owners, Executive Chef Meg Johnson and Creative Director Jen LaPorta, who met at Gottino wine bar n Greenwich Village 8 years ago before marrying in 2008. At the time, Meg was a chef and Jen was a regular. She knew the key to my heart for sure, shared Jen, who from an early age was taught by her Cuban grandmother, “mima,” that the most important ingredient of any dish is love.

The new eatery is named for the location of one the couple’s first dates, a Greenwich Village eatery at Hudson & Jane Streets.

When the cafe opens, neighbors can stop by for breakfast, lunch, dinner, wine and/or other beverages, and desserts as the cafe will be open from 7am to 10pm or later seven days per week. Fresh-brewed coffee, pastries, sandwiches, snacks, wine and full meals will be available. Some menu items include mushroom spaetzle (roasted mushrooms, dashstiener fondue and truffle oil); roasted sardines; candied kumquat (roasted fennel and dill dust); mac n’ cheese (comete, 5 spoke creamy tumbleweed, fontina and bread crumbs); mima’s swingin’ sirloin (braised oxtail and cuban white rice); preserved lemon chicken (with green olives and baguette); moroccan spiced lamb stew (with pearl couscous, harissa, tomato and cucumber salad) and wheat berries (spring pea, feta, dill, chamomile vinaigrette and pea tendrils). Check out Hudson Jane’s website and menu here for a comprehensive view of their eat-in and grab and go delicious menu offerings, from small plates, big plates, desserts, cheese, wines and cocktails, mocktails, charcuterie and provisions. Ice cream will also be served at Hudson Jane, perfect for eat-in or warmer weather on-the-go in the Park of other parts of the neighborhood.

Many items on Hudson Jane’s menu can be prepared into delicious vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, paleo and other renditions.

Hudson Jane will also have a retail shop near the front of the store featuring provisions such as jams, canned goods, cured meats and also curated collection of locally-designed and made housewares.

Look forward to tastings and cooking classes coming soon to Hudson Jane as well.

Chef Meg has extensive experience working at restaurants in Seattle and Dublin, and NY restaurants including Gramercy Tavern and executive chef at Casellula Cheese and Wine Cafe. She treasures shopping for ingredients at the local green market and has developed close relationships with local farmers. She started cooking with her grandmother as a a small child.

Jen grew up in Miami where food, including magical Sunday dinners, were at the heart of her close-knit Cuban community. She works in the fashion industry.

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Looking for ways to invest in a small business start up?

While currently in the build-out process of their commercial space, Hudson Jane has launched a crowdfunding campaign as well as equity partner opportunity for all interested in supporting them as they continue to build funds for this new endeavor: Contact Chef Megan and Jen for details of the equity partner opportunity, or check out their crowdfunding campaign with perks like monthly 4-course dinner for one, two or more + seasonal craft cocktail hour with passed bites. Other opportunities to support include purchase of single supper club dinner or lunchbox, having your name or the name of a loved one placed on the menu or purchasing a Hudson Jane tote bag for $25 dollars.

Hudson Jane doesn’t have a phone number just yet, but please follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest to learn more about them and follow their progress thru to opening.

Hudson Jane, 360 Myrtle Avenue, corner of Adelphi.

NYC Parks & UNIQLO Sponsor Open Call for Public Art

Last week, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver joined UNIQLO USA CEO, artist Alexandre Arrechea, local elected officials, and community members at Fort Greene Park to announce a partnership that will bring more public art to city parks. UNIQLO has committed $200,000 to the Art in the Parks: UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant to install original artworks by a rotating roster of New York City-based artists in 10 destination parks. The chosen locations are Joyce Kilmer Park and Virginia Park in the Bronx; Fort Greene Park and Herbert Von King Park in Brooklyn; Thomas Jefferson Park and Seward Park in Manhattan; Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Rufus King Park in Queens; and Tappen Park and Faber Park in Staten Island.

Grant recipients will be selected through an open application process and will be chosen by a committee of arts professionals from the five boroughs, as well as NYC Parks and UNIQLO USA representatives. Proposals will be judged according to artistic and creative merit, response to the surrounding community, and suitability to the site. Priority will be given to proposals that respond directly to the park and its neighborhood. The deadline for submissions is November 13, 2016. For information about upcoming grant info sessions and details about how to apply, visit the project webpage.

The first round of artists will be announced in January 2017, with their artworks going on display in spring 2017.

Photos by: Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

Football Fun on Myrtle Avenue

Sundays are fun football days at Five Spot Soul Food. The neighborhood staple is tailgating from noon to 6pm with live games via Direct TV. Come join in and have a free hot dog when you purchase a pint of draft beer. Smoked hot dogs are available for $2 and for a buck more, you can get a $3 smoked brisket sandwich. Buffalo wings are available for 50-cents a piece. Five Spot also offers the following: $12 pitchers (domestic) on Sundays, $1 Blue Point Oysters, $7 Frozen Margaritas all day on Mondays, $7 Long Island Iced Teas all day on Thursday & more!
Five Spot Soul Food, 459 Myrtle Avenue at Washington Avenue
(718) 852-0202

Football is also on full display at The Emerson Bar, the mellow Clinton Hill hang out with craft cocktails, draft beer & a relaxing garden patio. The game is shown at 1pm sharp on Sundays with a special of $1 off all bottled beer all day, $3 Bud Light and Highlife. More games show on Monday night with $6 Rolling Rock and shot combo.
The Emerson, 561 Myrtle between Emerson and Classon
(347) 762-1310

Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, the relaxed gastropub with extensive selections of upscale pub grub and local craft brews, will show all New York games on Sunday and also feature the locally cast games. They have rotating beer specials during all games. Check out their bar menu here.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, 419 Myrtle Avenue
(347) 799-2382

Myrtle Goes TEAL for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September marks ovarian cancer awareness month and you may find teal ribbons along Myrtle Avenue promoting the national campaign that is spearheaded by Tell Every Amazing Lady (TEAL), an ovarian cancer awareness group that began in Brooklyn in 2009.

The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership, along with Myrtle Avenue’s small businesses have teamed up with TEAL to place ribbons upon the district’s street trees and storefronts. Since TEAL’s primary mission is to educate women about ovarian cancer and to raise funding for research, several businesses are providing an opportunity for their customers to easily donate to the organization:

Corkscrew Wines: Purchase a bottle of Sequals Friulano (it boasts a teal label) and $1 from the sale will be donated to TEAL to support their annual TEAL Walk.

Peck’s: Throughout September, Peck’s traditional black and white cookie will become teal and white. Profits from cookie sales will be donated to TEAL.

21 Tara: Purchase a teal beaded bracelet – available for $10 – and $1 will be donated to TEAL.

To learn more about, donate to, or sign-up for the annual walk in Prospect Park on Sept. 10th, visit the TEAL website.

Thank You to Our 2016-2017 Sponsors!

50 banners now grace Myrtle Avenue’s historic streetlights, from Flatbush Extension to Classon Avenue. These banners sponsors support our work with our local businesses, community partners & residents in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill & Wallabout, Brooklyn.

A big thank you to all our banner sponsors for 2016-17:
Aufgang Architects, Airbnb, Apple Bank, Bergen Bagels On Myrtle, Brooklyn Family Dental, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, BKG Coffee Roasters (Brewklyn), The Corcoran Group, Gentleman Farmer Fort Greene, Green in BKLYN, Key Food, LIU Brooklyn, Madison Realty Capital, Park Avenue Building & Roofing Supplies, Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, Pratt Institute, St. Francis College Brooklyn, St. Joseph’s College NY, & TD Bank & our 2016 Sponsors: Doug Bowen, Douglas Elliman. Thank you for helping us create job opportunities for local youth, improve the neighborhood for older adults, expand access to affordable healthy food & more.

View our Myrtle Avenue businesses’ banners in this slideshow below:

A video posted by Myrtle Ave Bklyn Partnership (@myrtleavebklyn) on Sep 8, 2016 at 12:18pm PDT

If you are interested in sponsoring our neighborhood initiatives please contact rebeca@myrtleavenue.org.

Cheap Lunch Eats at Cultura Pan Latin Cooking

We love that Cultura Pan Latin Cooking highlights delicious dishes from all across Latin America, stop in for their $5 to $10 lunch specials.

Try a Bowl, Burrito, or Quesadilla for only $7. Choice of filling with white rice, beans, Mexican salsita, pico de gallo, sour cream, & queso fresco. Served with side mixed greens salad. Add guacamole for $2. Fill it with grilled chicken, seasonal vegetables, Dominican Beer-Battered fish, grilled shrimp w/ onions, peppers, & chimichurri Argentino or carne asada.

If you try the Quesadilla Antigua, the Old-fashioned Mexican quesadilla with cheese blend and choice of filling it is served with small side salad, guacamole, and pickled onions. Order plain cheese or add chicken, vegetables, ropa vieja (shredded beef slow cooked with peppers and onions in tomato sauce) or grilled shrimp.

Sandwiches are available for $10 and they are served on torta bread with either homemade french fries or side salad. Try the Cubano Perfecto with Mojo-marinated roast pork, swiss cheese, smoked ham, pickled cucumbers, and mustard or the Torta de Pescado with breaded fish, carrots, zucchini, onions, cheese, and smokey chipotle aioli. The Ropa Vieja is another option of Old-school Cuban ropa vieja (shredded beef slow stewed in tomato sauce with onions and peppers).

Arepas Rellenas are delcious. The $7 sweet corn arepas are stuffed with queso fresco fundido. Served with baby mixed greens salad and sour cream.

Additional Fillings: Vegetables $2: Collard greens / tomatoes / green tomatillo sauce
Ropa Vieja – $2: Braised short ribs / peppers / onions / tomato sauce
Camarones $3: Shrimp / peppers / onion / chimichurri argentino

*20% off to Pratt and St. Joseph’s students & staff with ID.

Cultura Pan Latin Cooking 413 Myrtle Avenue, just west of Clinton Avenue
(718) 855-8106

Rendering Revealed for New 501 Myrtle Ave

A rendering of the new building planned at 501 Myrtle Avenue has been posted on the construction fence. The new project replaces a one-story building which housed Sapolo restaurant at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Ryerson Street.

In November 2014, property owners filed plans to construct a six story, mixed-use building on the site. Once completed, the ground floor will house an 1,800 square foot commercial space, with ten apartments spread across the upper-floors. The building was designed by Raymond Chan Architect.

This construction project is one of five new buildings currently being built along Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill. In addition, construction work is underway for the new Myrtle Avenue Plaza, which is slated to be complete in late 2016. Find more details about these various construction projects here.

La Rina Is Open for Business

A very BIG welcome and congratulations to LaRina, which opened on Myrtle Avenue this month.

The new Fort Greene restaurant, La Rina Pastaficio & Vino (pasta factory and wines) owned by Giulia Pelliccioni and head chef, Sylvia Barban, both also of Aita restaurant in Clinton Hill, opened their doors at 387 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene last week. Giulia also owns Aita Trattoria in Crown Heights.

La Rina makes housemade dry and fresh pastas as well as a range of Italian dishes and wines.

Both owners are originally from Italy, Giulia from Central and Chef Sylvia from Southern Italy, but their menu will reflect menu items from a wide variety of regions in Italy.

LaRina will have an inventive menu, with a wide variety of wines, small plates and a focus on fresh, delicious and affordable.

LaRina Pastificio & Vino, 387 Myrtle Avenue between Vanderbilt & Clermont
(718) 852-0001

AFROPUNK BROOKLYN 8/27 & 8/28

AFROPUNK returns to Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene, Brooklyn this summer; now in its 11th year the weekend music festival (August 27th & 28th) is jam packed with live music on three stages, a festival and good summer vibes all around.

Described by The New York Times as “the most multicultural festival in the US;” this year the line up features headliners such as the newly Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Ice Cube, Tyler the Creator, Flying Lotus, Janelle Monae, TV on the Radio, The Internet, Parliament/Funkadelic legend George Clinton & more. More than just a weekend in Brooklyn, the AFROPUNK movement expands into international terrain too, experiencing it on its home turf makes AFROPUNK BROOKLYN that much more special.

Click HERE for the full line up.
Click HERE for tickets.

Come sundown, AFROPUNK BROOKLYN will extend the festival experience and creep into the streets, bars, and restaurants of Myrtle Avenue for AFROPUNK After Dark. Dance to a celebrity DJ set, enjoy pop-up performances, film screenings, art installations, & drink specials. The park might close, but the party keeps going on Myrtle & beyond.

Dining the Sidewalk Cafes of Myrtle Ave

Summer is the perfect time to stroll the neighborhood and find all the places you would like to try infused cocktails & summer recipes. Make sure to swing by all of our sidewalk cafes and enjoy dining outdoors on Myrtle Avenue this summer.

Lulu & Po, the cozy Brooklyn neighborhood eatery that serves New American food with great wine and classic cocktails is said to “offer a shot at sweet redemption, along with a menu that fits perfectly into today’s local-and-seasonal small-plates Zeitgeist“. Head to the lovely Carlton block, eat, drink and relax with small-plate fare plus craft cocktails in a casual, pocket-size venue. We recommend the spanish octopus or the burger (voted best by DNA info). Menu here.
Lulu & Po, 154 Carlton at Myrtle Avenue
(917) 435-3745

Los Pollitos III has a wonderful sidewalk cafe at the corner of Myrtle and Ryerson. Stop in and enjoy dining curbside with delicious Mexican fare such as burritos, tacos (hard or soft shell), quesadillas and more. Los Pollitos III is known for its classic guacamole & chips made fresh with tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno and the the well-known margaritas during happy hour (frozen fruity flavors). We recommend the tortilla soup & crispy flautas. Menu here.
Los Pollitos III, 499 Myrtle Avenue at Ryerson
(718) 636-6125

A “go-to destination in Clinton Hill”, Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, is a relaxed gastropub, on Clinton & Myrtle Avenue with extensive selections of pub grub, entrees & local craft brews. The pub offers 24 quality draft beers, 40 quality bottled beers, 2 highly unique cask ales, an extensive wine menu and delicious assortment of small plates, salads and large plates for lunch and dinner and weekend brunch. Take a seat in the inviting sidewalk cafe and enjoy the neighborhood life. Fish Tacos are a must. Hours of happiness are from 4pm-7pm Monday -Friday. See menu here.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, 419 Myrtle Avenue at Clinton Avenue
(347) 799-2382

Sandbox Pack & Ship New Mobile Shipping Service

Sandbox Pack and Ship, located at 417 Myrtle Avenue between Clinton and Vanderbilt Avenues, has a new mobile shipping service.

Do you have packages or boxes to ship? Are you tired of long post office lines? Is there just not quite enough time in the day to carve out for necessary postal business?

Please consider Sandbox Pack & Ship’s new mobile shipping service! Call Sandbox at (844) 854-2819 or check them out online at http://www.sandboxmobilecrew.com to schedule a pick up, right from your front door. Mobile shipping available M thru F from 10am to 10pm.

No time to pack the box properly? No problem – Sandbox has you covered again. Their full service van allows them to take care of package/box packing and wrapping, weighing and shipping (incl USPS, UPS and/or FedEx, your delivery method of choice) and they can handle cash or credit card transactions. Sandbox will calculate the cheapest and most practical service for the specific date that you need your package to arrive. All done onsite at pickup.

The only “catch” is this: call or go online to make your arrangements at least 30 minutes before you need the package to be picked up. Enjoy the convenience of no muss, no fuss, right from your very door shipping.

Whether you are shipping a package out for your business or a birthday present to a family member, Sandbox has got you covered from any location in Brooklyn.

To take advantage of any of the special offers below, please mention “Myrtle Avenue” when you call or make arrangements online:

Special Offers:

Pickup fee waived the first time for any shipping transaction of $50+
15% off the total of any 5 packages or more.
Check out Sandbox’s new video about their mobile services below:

Sandbox Pack & Ship, 417 Myrtle Avenue between Vanderbilt & Clinton Avenues
(844) 854-2819

Sapolo Site Preps for New Build

The owners of Sapolo restaurant in Clinton Hill have begun demolition to prepare the site for a new mixed-use building. Work crews were seen today removing windows and finalizing interior demolition within the existing one-story building.

In 2014, plans were filed to create a six story building on the site, which sits at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Ryerson Street. The new building will include 10 residential units and a 1,882 square foot ground-floor commercial space. The current restaurant space measures only 1,691 square feet.

The owners of Sapolo restaurant are also serving as developers of the property, which they have owned since 1999. It has not yet been announced if the restaurant plans to return to the site following construction.

This development marks the fifth building currently under construction along a four block stretch of Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, between Hall Street and Emerson Place. The new Myrtle Avenue Plaza is also under construction within this same area. Find out more information on these various construction projects by clicking here.

Summer Events at Fort Greene Park

This summer Fort Greene Park has a full calendar of free events that you won’t want to miss! On Wednesday mornings, families and friends can swing by for the back by popular demand morning concerts, Music in the Grove. Come bring the kids to check out bands like Rolie Polie Guacamole, Astrograss, The Roz & Val Show & more. Sundays you can find storytime on the lawn and Saturdays the Conservancy is offering Fort Greene Park Walking Tours, the Wallabout Historic Walking Tours, the Jazz Fest & several outdoor cinema nights. See the calendar below or click calendar.

JULY

Music in the Grove Concerts
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Music in the Grove: Kids Concert with Mil’s Trills
10am-11am

Wednesday, July 6, 2016
10:00am-11:00am
Music in the Grove: Kids Concert with Jon Samson/Cocreative Music

Wednesday, July 13, 2016
10:00am 11:00am
Music in the Grove: Kids Concert with Astrograss

Wednesday, July 27, 2016
10:00am 11:00am
Music in the Grove: Kids Concert with Vered and the Babes

The one hour concerts are rain or shine, and will take place on the southwest of the Monument Plaza.=

Saturday, July 9, 2016
11:00am-12:30pm
Walt Whitman Walking Tours of Fort Greene Park

Saturday, July 16, 2016
11:00am 12:30pm
Wallabout Historic Walking Tour

Dance & Music Performances
Thursday, July 21, 2016
7:30pm-8:15pm
Gibney Dance Company Performance
Join in an evening of excerpts from Gina Gibney’s Duet. Duet is an intimate reflection on Gina Gibney’s past works. These movement conversations are drawn from evening-length works beginning with the 1992 Landings and extending to Gibney’s present day work in process.
Meet at Fort Greene Park (performance mounds on the northwest corner of the park)

Saturday, July 23, 2016
3:00pm-7:00pm
Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival: Presents Erik and the Jazz Masters
Come and have fun to the 7th Annual Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival. Bring the family and listen to free music performed by Eric Frazier.

Storytime with Greenlight Bookstore
Sunday, July 17, 2016
3:00pm 4:00pm
Story Time with Greenlight-Wildlife of New York: A Five Borough Coloring Book

Pratt Plans New Dorm on Emerson Place

Pratt Institute has filed plans for a new dormitory, to rise along Emerson Place between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. NYC Department of Building records indicate that a 10 story tower is planned for the site, which Pratt has owned since 2012.

The new dorm, which will reach 118 feet in height, will include 124 new dorm rooms for the art college. The building, which will have almost 57,000 square feet of floor space, will only cover 19% of the large building lot.

Cannon Design served as the architecture firm for the project.

The site has sat vacant since 2006, following the demolition of a processing facility from the 1930’s which belonged to the M.H. Renken Dairy company. A photo of the former building is included below. Several buildings from the Renken Dairy complex still remain and have been turned into retail spaces and apartments, including 580-584 Myrtle, which was recently designated a historic landmark by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

135 Emerson, seen in 2005, prior to the demolition of the M.H. Renken Dairy complex.

Details Announced for Senior Housing at Ingersoll Houses

Source: The New York Times

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has announced details for a new affordable senior housing building to rise within the Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene. Real estate development firm BFC Partners has been selected to build a 16-story building at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street. The residential building will offer 145 apartments to low-income seniors.

According to NYCHA, residents of the new building must be at least 62 years of age and earn 60% or less of the area median income. The new development, titled Ingersoll Senior, will also house a senior center which will provide cultural, health and social services for community residents.

The site of new affordable senior housing at Ingersoll Houses. Image Source: The New York Times.

The building’s footprint will sit within an area that is currently an open grassy area, abutting St. Edwards church.

The development at Ingersoll Houses is one of three buildings being developed on NYCHA property, which will provide 489 new units of new affordable housing.

More details about these developments can be found in The New York Times.

Fly By Night Tickets for Locals

Thousands of birds will illuminate the Brooklyn Navy Yard through unprecedented twilight performances. Creative Time and the Brooklyn Navy Yard will be presenting Fly By Night, artist Duke Riley’s largest project to date. Beginning in May, a massive flock of pigeons will fly in elegant harmony above the East River as Riley orchestrates a series of performances occurring regularly throughout late spring. At the call of a whistle, thousands of birds will emerge from their home in a converted ship docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a historic site now home to a vast creative community including numerous artist studios. The birds will circle above the river as the sun sets over Manhattan. Small leg bands, historically used to carry messages, will be replaced with tiny LED lights, illuminating the sky in a transcendent union of public art and nature. Fly By Night is free and open to the public, but space must be reserved in advance. Spaces can be reserved at creativetime.org.

Duke Riley remarks, “The first time I flew birds, I looked up and forgot the rest of the
world’s noise. Pigeon keeping is like a religion, and those who enter into this relationship find more peace in their birds than anything else. My hope is for the audience to look up at these beautiful creatures and experience that same rapture, a freedom like no other.”

Fly By Night pays homage to pigeon keeping, both in New York and farther afield. Pigeons have been domesticated for thousands of years and kept by people around the world for companionship, sport, and service. Locally, each neighborhood in New York once had a community of pigeon keepers (or fanciers, as they are commonly known); a dense network of rooftop pigeon lofts stretched across the five boroughs. While property development and population shifts have caused the practice to wane, Fly By Night reflects back on and makes visible this largely forgotten history.

“We are thrilled to partner with Creative Time to bring Fly By Night to the Yard,” says David Ehrenberg, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. “This free public arts programming will provide an amazing opportunity to open our doors to the local community for a spectacular arts event, and to allow the public to get a first-hand look at our growing community of artists, manufacturing, innovation, and creative companies.”

Meredith Johnson, Creative Time curator, states, “Weaving together old New York and new, Fly By Night asks us to stop, watch, listen, and revere this extraordinary creature that has shared the triumphs and tragedies of the human experience—uniting individuals, cultures, and generations of fanciers in a tale of both the ancient and modern city.”

Fly By Night will raise awareness not only of the Yard’s rich naval history but also its diverse artistic community of painters, photographers, sculptors, ceramists, installation artists, muralists, fine furniture makers, designers and visual artists. The Yard will also serve as a hub for ancillary educational programming and events presented by Creative Time.

For more about the Artist, Duke Riley click HERE. Are you a ‪Fort Greene‬ or ‪Clinton Hill‬ Resident and interested in Tickets to‪ ‎Fly By Night‬? Please e-mail Suhaly at SuhalyBC@creativetime.org for local resident tickets.

Lead project support for Fly By Night is generously provided by Philip E. and Shelley Fox Aarons, Ellen and Bill Taubman, Kate Engelbrecht and Jed Walentas, and the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation. Major Creative Time programming support for 2016 has been provided by the Ford Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Construction Progress Updates on Myrtle Avenue

Sidewalk closures, scaffolding and construction crews have become common place along several stretches of Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. The recent surge in construction work is both private developments of mixed-use buildings, as well as the reconstruction of Myrtle Avenue itself and the creation of the new Myrtle Avenue Plaza. Below is a rundown and status update of all the projects currently planned or in development.

Along Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, there are nine new projects currently under construction or planned. Combined, these projects will add 1,125 new housing units and 70,500 square feet of new ground-floor commercial space.

531 Myrtle Avenue

Former site of White Castle, at the corner of Steuben Street, this new five-story development will have 6,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor with 27 apartments above.

The project is being developed by Greystone Property Development and was designed by AB Architekten. Commercial space is currently available to lease through RKF.

525 Myrtle Avenue

Former site of Myrtle Car Service, between Grand Avenue and Steuben Street, this new seven-story building will have 22 apartments on the upper floors and 2,650 square feet of commercial condo space available on the ground floor.

The project is being developed by FBS Realty and was designed by Gerald J. Caliendo.

504 Myrtle Avenue

Former site of the Pratt Station Post Office, between Grand Avenue and Ryerson Street, this new eight-story building will have 141 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. 28 apartments are slated to be filled through an affordable housing lottery, details of which have not yet been released.

The project is being developed by Madison Capital Realty and was designed by HTO Architects.

504 Myrtle Avenue

As seen in the previous photo, foundation work has been completed and framing for the building is now rising quickly. In addition to new stores and apartments, the building is also slated to house 95 under-ground parking spaces.

491 Myrtle Avenue

The project is being developed by MLR Holdings and was designed by Isaac Stern.

501 Myrtle Avenue

In November 2014, the owners of Sapolo restaurant filed plans to construction a new six-story building. The plans call for a 1,700 square foot commercial space on the ground floor, with ten units of housing above.

The restaurant remains open and no date has been announced for when work might begin.

Plaza Construction at Hall Street_April_ 2016 (6)

Myrtle Avenue Plaza

Construction work resumed in March, following a winter hiatus. Currently, crews are installing new curbs and pouring new sidewalks. All subsurface work, including the installation of new sewer and water lines, was completed in late 2015.

Construction activity has closed the eastbound driving lane of Myrtle Avenue, between Hall Street and Emerson Place. All car and bus traffic must detour to Willoughby Avenue to continue east. Please click here to read full details about the B54 reroute and temporary relocation of bus stops. These traffic changes are scheduled to be in place until late July 2016.

134 Vanderbilt Avenue

Construction work has not yet begun, even though new building permits were issued in June 2015.

The property is being developed by All Year Management and was designed by ODA Architects.

The Margo: 180 Myrtle Avenue

This fifteen floor building will have 228 apartments on the upper-floors, with 10,603 square feet of commercial space and 500 square feet of community facility space on the ground floor. The building will also house a garage in the basement with 133 parking spaces. Up to ten storefronts are currently available to lease, marketed by Winick Retail Specialists.

The building topped out on August 2015 with most major construction has been completed.

The property is being developed by Red Apple Development Group and was designed by Dattner Architects.

The Giovanni: 81 Fleet Place

This fifteen floor building will have 205 apartments on the upper-floors, with 11,773 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The building also houses a 150-space commercial parking garage in the basement, operated by Quik Park.

The building is now open, with residential apartments available to rent through Corcoran Real Estate Group, and up to five storefronts available to lease through Winick Retail Specialists. At least one storefront has already been leased to Wine Legend, a full service wine, beer and spirits shop.

The property is being developed by Red Apple Development Group and was designed by Dattner Architects.

86 Fleet Place

The fourth and final Myrtle Avenue development by John Catsimatidis’ Red Apple Group will be a 32-story tower. The building will include 440 apartments, with 10,025 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Up to four storefronts are currently available to lease through Winick Retail Specialists.

Construction is well underway, with foundation work completed and framing quickly rising.

The building was designed by Goldstein, Hill & West Architects.

86 Fleet Place

Red Apple Group’s 32-story tower sits between the 15-story Giovanni and the 37-story Toren building at the corner of Myrtle and Flatbush Avenue extension.

Room for Local Business Growth

The new buildings rising on Myrtle Avenue will bring many new storefronts and opportunities for the commercial district to serve the daily needs of local residents. In total, these nine buildings will add up to 26 new storefronts, growing Myrtle Avenue’s commercial footprint by 13%.

“In conversations with property owners and brokers of these new spaces, we’ve advocated for businesses that are most in demand by local residents. Our recent consumer surveys and a district retail assessment found opportunity in sectors like specialty food shops (butchers and ice cream), family clothing, boutique retailers, and services like gyms and urgent care, so we’ve focused our business attraction efforts in these categories.”- Meredith Phillips Almeida, Executive Director, Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership

Click here to view a list of available retail spaces or to view the current business attraction brochure, It’s On Myrtle Avenue.

Below is a map of the new privately developed buildings along Myrtle Avenue that are either currently planned or under construction.

Rare Installation of Sol LeWitt’s at Pratt Institute 4/1

Though Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #990 is rarely produced, the Pratt Institute fine art students were determined to take on the challenge of re-creating this highly-detailed, large-scaled (10 feet by 20 feet) installation of Wall Drawing #990 in the Alumni Reading Room of Pratt Institute’s Library.

The completion of Wall Drawing #990 is quite a feat for the students, who originally thought the project might take a week or two. However, due to its complexity, the piece took ten months to install—involving 100 students, staff, faculty, librarians, and administrators from across the Institute.

Sol LeWitt is a pivotal figure of art in the 1970s as minimalism transitioned to the conceptual art movement. His Wall Drawing series began in 1968 and consisted of 1,259 drawings that were systematically installed directly on walls according to the artist’s specific – yet at times ambiguous – instructions. As part of the class led by Visiting Assistant Professor Angela Conant, students have been at the forefront, collaborating with the Sol LeWitt Estate to bring the original Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing to Pratt Institute.

Wall Drawing #990 is accessible for view at Pratt Institute Library Alumni Reading Room on the 3^rd floor, 200 Willoughby Avenue on the following dates.

Friday, Apr 1 10am- 5pm
Friday, May 6 10am- 5pm

For more info visit Click HERE.

Pic of the Week: Cheese Balls

This week make it a priority to swing by Spice & Grill to try their delicious and warm cheese balls, made fresh on a daily basis. The Nepalese Indian restaurant also offers a slew of tasty breads including naan, butter naan, garlic naan, chili naan (stuffed with green chili), peshwari naan (stuffed with coconut) & others like aloo paratha filled with mashed and spiced potatoes. The restaurant is open everyday until 11pm and the restaurant takes 10% off any order payed in cash!

Spice & Grill, 441 Myrtle Avenue at Waverly Avenue

INSIDE/OUTSIDE Black Artstory Artwalk

Our 4th Annual Black Artstory Month titled SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED acknowledges the significant role that community building, cross-sector collaborations and collective actions have played within the Black Community in their pursuits for political freedom, cultural revolutions and social change through art. The FREE performances, talks, film screenings, and public art experiences all take place on Myrtle Avenue and coincide with Black History Month. ART: INSIDE/OUTSIDE features the work of 15 artists at window murals, art exhibits, and installations.

Click HERE for the Artwalk Map.

Sidewalk Closure Slated for Four Months

For the next four months, the sidewalk between 490 and 504 Myrtle Avenue will be closed due to construction, creating a detour for some pedestrians. The sidewalk, which runs along the side of Key Food Supermarket, serves as a connection for many pedestrians coming to Myrtle Avenue from the Willoughby Walk Co-ops and Pratt Institute’s campus.

The sidewalk, which enters Myrtle Avenue at Ryerson Street, is closed due to construction at 504 Myrtle Avenue (site of the former Pratt Station Post Office), which is currently being redeveloped. The pedestrian walkway will return in a few months, after major construction activities are completed.

In the meantime, residents looking to access Myrtle Avenue from the south can either walk one block west to Hall Street or head east and enter Myrtle Avenue on the west side of Blick Art Supply store, at Grand Avenue.

Connect with the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to hear the latest news on local construction activity.

Black Artstory 2016 Kicks Off on Myrtle Avenue

Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership is proud to present the 4th Annual Black Artstory Month, titled SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED acknowledges the significant role that community building, cross-sector collaborations and collective actions have played within the Black Community in their pursuits for political freedom, cultural revolutions and social change through art. The FREE weekly performances, talks, film screenings, and public art experiences all take place on Myrtle Avenue, coincide with Black History Month and feature the work of 50 artists. Partners include: BLDG 92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Leisure Life NYC, Pratt Institute, and University Settlement at Ingersoll Community Center.

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED recognizes Arts’ ability to act as a medium and conduit to expose, question and inspire when other forms of communication or action fall short, will explore themes that include cultural, racial, gender and identity politics. Rather than framing the month’s programming /exhibition content around one theme, participants were invited to respond to a series of prompts that included but were not limited to: Obama’s 2008 ‘Race Speech’; the Young Lords/Black Panthers/ Black Lives Matter; Intersections of Art and Politics; the Role of Religion and the Church in Social Change Movements; Worker Assembly Lines; Protests; the Civil Rights Movement; Police Brutality; Collective Change and more. Programs and exhibitions are curated by Daonne Huff.

FREE events will take place every Friday in February (7-9pm) and visitors can also enjoy the artwork any day at ART INSIDE/OUTSIDE, a self-guided Artwalk featuring artwork of 15 New York-based artists, on display at 12 independent businesses along Myrtle Avenue between Flatbush Avenue Extension & Classon Avenues and at BLDG 92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Click HERE for the ART INSIDE/OUTSIDE Artwalk Map.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Event: ART: INSIDE/OUTSIDE (Self-guided Artwalk)
Date: All Day/ Every Day Feb 1-29
15 artists have activated interior and exterior spaces along Myrtle Avenue between Flatbush Avenue Extension & Classon Avenue with 15 window murals and art installations. An additional exhibit is located at BLDG92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. From hair braiding to Black Lives Matter to President Obama on Horseback to cleaning greens—artists seek to assemble, seek to gather, seek to build communities within private quarters and public squares. Click HERE for the ART INSIDE/OUTSIDE Artwalk Map.

Event: BLACK ARTSTORY MONTH KICKOFF: MEET ME AT THE GYM
Date: Friday, Feb 5, 7-9pm
*Arrive Early
Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Avenue
A Night of Performance, Engagement & Art featuring Ingersoll Community Center Youth Drum Line, Gospel Group Manifest, Sophia Dawson and her Roller Skating Crew, Victorious Dance Company, live painting by Ashton Agbomenou, artmaking workshops with SONYA (South of the Navy Yard Artists), Spoken Word Artist, Alyssa “Lady Logic” Saunders and more. Taking inspiration from the community gatherings of organizers during the Civil Rights Movement and experimental art Happenings, the night is equal parts artistic expression and community building.
RSVP HERE

Event: Conversation: Art as Protest, Protest as Art
Date: Friday, Feb 12, 7-9pm
Leisure Life, 559 Myrtle Ave
*Space is limited/ RSVP Required
Moderated by Erica Cardwell with Panelists Jamal T. Lewis & Janisha R. Gabriel
This panel will discuss the collective power of radical artistic communities. Artists will share their “entry points” and define “radical” as black practitioners and art makers.
RSVP HERE

Event: FILM: re-work/re-frame
Date: Friday, Feb 19, 7-9pm
Pratt Institute’s Film/Video Center, 550 Myrtle Ave
*Space is limited/ RSVP Required
Featuring films by Yisa Fermin, Lindsay Catherine Harris & Esteban del Valle
A Night of Short Films & Documentaries spotlighting voices unheard or unseen. A night to re-view and re-frame perceptions and interpretations of lived experiences.
RSVP HERE

Event: PERFORMANCE: The Glass Eye Featuring Hot Hands & members of Victorious Dance Company
Date: Friday, Feb 26, 7-9pm
BLDG 92 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, 63 Flushing Ave at Carlton Avenue
The placement of a camera on a body of authority as a deterrent of violence to another has created new forms of perception and symbolism concerning race relations and the growing paranoia for “the other” from both citizens and those sworn to protect them. The Glass Eye is a multi-disciplinary performance piece for voice, music, dance and film concerning the disembodiment of the black body through police violence; and the subsequent protests in reaction to these incidents—witnessed through the camera eye.
RSVP HERE

220 Classon Avenue

504 Myrtle Avenue

501 Myrtle Avenue

531 Myrtle Avenue

525 Myrtle Avenue

Pratt Institute Dormitory

Myrtle Avenue Plaza

491 Myrtle Avenue

Ingersoll Senior Housing

86 Fleet Place

134 Vanderbilt Avenue

JULY

531 Myrtle Avenue

525 Myrtle Avenue

504 Myrtle Avenue

504 Myrtle Avenue

491 Myrtle Avenue

501 Myrtle Avenue

Myrtle Avenue Plaza

134 Vanderbilt Avenue

The Margo: 180 Myrtle Avenue

The Giovanni: 81 Fleet Place

86 Fleet Place

86 Fleet Place

Room for Local Business Growth

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