May 2, 2007
One Year After the Greenpoint Warehouse Fire
A year ago, the Fire Department was trying to put out the massive ten-alarm blaze at the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse. It took a day and a half for the FDNY to control the fire. A homeless man, Leszek Kuczera, apparently started the blaze while trying to burn insulation off copper wire, only for him to get off with a plea agreement.
Of course, the convenience of Kuczera as a fall guy who didn't even plead guilty makes some people believe the fire is still an open case. The Daily News offers this dramatic update:
A year after the city's largest inferno in a decade engulfed 15 buildings along the Brooklyn waterfront, the historic site of the Greenpoint Terminal Market remains a charred wasteland and a sore spot for locals.And while owner-developer Josh Guttman was eyed with suspicion given his history with other properties, Guttman still hasn't developed anything on the land.Nobody has been convicted in the arson fire that broke out on May 2, 2006, and eventually took 6 million gallons of water to extinguish. And nothing has been developed on the scorched earth where the warehouses once stood.
"That fire destroyed one of the most beautiful industrial buildings on the waterfront. and that's a permanent loss," Councilman David Yassky, who represents the area, said yesterday. "There's nothing good about it."
Who do you think started the fire? What do you think will go there?
Photograph by f.trainer on Flickr; f.trainer has a set of photographs that shows the warehouse before and after the fire
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Well, what happened to the hapless Polish hobo they collared for this? Oh, he retracted his confession and got six weeks in rehab? That's weird.
What's the financial discrepancy between restoring landmarked historic buildings and building new behemoths from scratch? I wonder.
Does this particular developer have other suspicious fires on his record? I don't know, never looked into it.
Whatever they build, I'm sure the new buildings will mostly be affordable units that benefit the community and reflect the architectural character of this historic industrial & residential neighborhood.
Where are the fire marshal reports? Why doesn't Yasski subpoena them if he gives such a crap.
"Whatever they build, I'm sure the new buildings will mostly be affordable units that benefit the community and reflect the architectural character of this historic industrial & residential neighborhood."
She said, firmly tongue in cheek? right? please?
I'm shocked they are taking so long at developing that land. This area is a mess. Developers are going apeshit over the real estate market.
Our backyard is undergoing a massive transition as I write this. They are wasting no time at all putting up another one of those high rise apartment building no one who lives here can afford. Shown here Yep, the Mobile on McGuinness Boulevard and Meeker Avenue has been totaled. Hello, large high rise. (At least that's what we're guessing since that's what's going up everywhere else.)
Anyway, if a view of the BQE gets these guys a hard on, certainly waterfront property does the trick.
The cynical side of me steps in. Something seems very fishy about this to me....
I recall reading somewhere that the alleged hobo arsonist wasn't even in the city at the time of the fire; he was doing some sort of contractual job in NJ or CT or something.
Guttman sure polished the right wheels to shut this travesty up. It's a shame.
It was Guttman, case closed. The only common thread in all of his other properties' fires is him.
Then again, New York does have a long history of arson...
Come to think of it, I can think of another real estate magnate whose properties were extensively damaged a few years ago. The phrase "pull it" comes to mind.
The most logical suspect is Guttman.
He has the most to gain and his properties have a bit of a history of visits by the FDNY.
Basically all developers today are greedy SOBs, crooks and rats with personal gain and little civic responsibility. Ratner and Thor Equities are two sinister examples. Another is Toll Brothers, who made all their money building little boxes of ticky-tacky that all look just the same in the suburbs that don't have the infrastructure to handle development. No doubt a lot of quid pro quo was going on, so arson and cover ups are just minor little trifles with these evil empires.
The Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse was an unused and useless structure benefiting no one. It produced no income for its owner and offered no housing or workspace to anyone. What good was it?
The fire accelerated the redevelopment process. Changes will start soon rather than 10 years from now. Housing, green space, and perhaps some commercial space will rise on this choice property. The new facilities will add to the well being of the city rather than impair it.
"The fire accelerated the redevelopment process"
are you kidding? you're really coming on here and promoting arson as a way of getting things done, no_slappz?
"The fire accelerated the redevelopment process"
Exactly! You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
Sometimes pesky things like laws get in the way of sealing a really great deal, and you gotta just move. Go for it.
Firefighters are paid to put out fires. Creative solutions like this just make sure they have something to do. They like a great big challenge like a 2-day inferno. Keeps 'em on their toes.
The folks whose homes were threatened by this massive fire will surely quit their bellyaching once they get a glimpse of the fabulous views available from the resulting new units. Think of all the great new restaurants and boutiques their new neighbors will bring with them!
So, now, folks, please move along. There is absolutely no story here. Nothing to see here at all. Stop asking questions.
End of thread.
Kuczera pled no contest to burglary and criminal mischief. This is tantamount to a guilty plea, but is often used in plea argeements.
So the guy did something. Otherwise he wouldn't have entered the plea. Is this post insinuating that the D.A.'s office is in on the plot? If he didn't do anything, presumably the D.A.'s office would have dropped him and continued the investigation.
Still, given Guttman's background, this thing does sort of stink.