There was some grumbling in November when the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation agreed to hand over control of the Civil War-era Brooklyn Tobacco Warehouse to the exceptional performing arts presenter St. Ann's Warehouse, which currently operates in a space across the street in DUMBO. Critics felt that the contract-selection process lacked transparency, and now several local groups have joined forces to sue the National Park Service, the New York State Office of Parks and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation. And in a bombshell twist, they say they've uncovered proof of some rather shady legerdemain carried out by the city and state.

A lawyer for the Brooklyn Heights Association, the Fulton Ferry Landing Association, and the New York Landmarks Conservancy says her clients obtained documents through the Freedom of Information Law which show that city and state officials "launched a secret plan to remove the Tobacco Warehouse from the park’s map so that it could be given to a private organization for free and for its sole and permanent use."

Jane McGroarty, President of the Brooklyn Heights Association, said in a statement, "The purpose of having protected parkland is to guard it for open access by everyone, regardless of background or ability to pay. After 5 years of programming with many events by a diverse collection of groups with varied missions, including art, cultural, musical, and recreational, the government has secretly turned over the keys to a monopoly of one." The group has the support of Congressmember Nydia Velazquez, Councilmember Steve Levin, Assemblymember Joan Millman, and State Senator Daniel Squadron, who says:

I've long said that transparency and community input are crucial as we work together to help Brooklyn Bridge Park reach its full potential. The Tobacco Warehouse is a big part of that potential, and a unique community amenity—the process for determining its use must adhere to these principles. If true, the issues being raised today are disturbing and call the process into further question; they must be dealt with swiftly.

St. Ann's Warehouse and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation have not yet responded to requests for comment; we'll update if we hear from them. But while we're on the subject of St. Ann's, we highly recommend the theater's current visiting production: The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church. It's a depressing title, but the show itself is the exact opposite of depressing.