Urban explorer Bob Diamond rediscovered the 1844 Atlantic Avenue tunnel back in 1980, and was allowed to give tours of it for quite some time. Last year, however, he was stopped from re-entering the site, and now he's suing the city to regain access and start the tours up again. On December 6th, Diamond told us, "I'm pleased to announce that we at BHRA have taken an affirmative step to reclaim our rights to the Atlantic Avenue tunnel and the Red Hook streetcar project. A few moments ago, our attorneys filed a nearly $100 million lawsuit against NYC DOT and the FDNY, for their illegal and immoral activities taken against our public service projects."
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Results tagged “atlanticavenuetunnel”
Bob Diamond Sues City, FDNY For $100 Million After Shutting Down Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours
Bob Diamond Talks About The Demise Of The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel
Last month Bob Diamond told us he was aiming to start up the Atlantic Avenue tunnel tours again in August—and since it's August, we checked in with him this week to see if things were progressing on his end. A little background: the tunnel was shut down late last year, 30 years after Diamond rediscovered it—and it's never been a stranger to red tape.
Old Steam Locomotive Discovered At Atlantic Ave Tunnel?
We heard from a reliable source that during a recent late night excursion to the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel area, a 19th century LIRR steam locomotive was discovered. Allegedly a television network was on hand during the discovery, said to be working from street level with engineering consultants and a Cesium Vapor Magnetometer; the result was "an immediate, strong, clear unmistakable reading." The roughly 175 year old machine is said to be in its original state, and the "only one of its kind in the world."
Diamond Wants Tunnel Reopened, Plans Lawsuit Against DOT
Bob Diamond, who rediscovered the Atlantic Avenue subway tunnel in the early 1980s, and has been giving tours there since, is now suing the city to regain access to the abandoned site. Diamond sent us the above letter, explaining that it's "the opening shot of our lawsuit against DOT. We had to first give them 7 days to respond. When DOT fails to do so next week, the lawsuit papers against DOT will be filed with the Courts. I'm truly sorry it went this way, but its all on DOT's head."
Will History Detective Track John Wilkes Booth To Atlantic Avenue?
Earlier this month Brad Meltzer's Decoded show premiered on the History Channel, and Atlantic Avenue tunnel enthusiast Bob Diamond has just alerted us that tonight the show may be talking about original tunnel dweller John Wilkes Booth! Diamond believes he hid out down there after shooting the 16th President, and that his diary still remains hidden inside, which would "reveal who hired him to shoot Abraham Lincoln."
Bob Diamond Talks About Ban On Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours
Last weekend a film screening event inside the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel was canceled after the FDNY contacted the event's organizers, Rooftop Films. Yesterday the Daily News reported that the FDNY has now shut down all future tours of the historic tunnel, which was discovered by Bob Diamond back in 1981. Their reasoning was that there is only one entrance to the tunnel, via a ladder and manhole on Court Street—however, Diamond tells us there is actually a second possible entrance located near Hicks Street that the DoT will not permit him to connect (something he says would take just five hours to do).
Diamond Says Atlantic Ave Tunnel Tours May Be "Permanently Canceled"
Earlier this morning we noted that the Rooftop Films screenings taking place in the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel this weekend were shut down by the FDNY. Until now, Bob Diamond—who discovered the tunnel decades ago—has been allowed to give underground tours to the public. This afternoon, he told us that those days might be over. Here's what he had to say about the future of the tunnel:
FDNY Shuts Down Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Event
As we mentioned in our indispensable newsletter this week, Rooftop Films was taking their show underground for the weekend. Their "Trapped in the Tunnel" event was to take place in the Atlantic Avenue tunnel, and would have included a tour by Bob Diamond as well as screenings of short films... but the FDNY has just put an end to the fun. (Perhaps calling the event "Trapped in the Tunnel" sent up some red flags.) The Rooftop Films folk have released a statement, saying:
Hidden Parts of Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Covered in Red Tape
Will we ever know what's really hidden in the old rail road tunnel beneath Atlantic Avenue? Bob Diamond discovered the tunnel in 1981, and has been giving tours of it—but now he wants National Geographic to help him unveil more of the tunnel in front of television cameras. Problem is, he needs the city's help to do it.
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