Some city stories to take you through the weekend:
- The City has announced plans to redevelop the Brig. What is the Brig? It used to be a naval prison and City correctional facility (before Riker's Island), and is near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, in the Wallabout/Fort Greene part of Brooklyn. The site is 104,600 square feet, and the building will be demolished for new homes, apartments, and commercial and community space. A task force will be assigned to examine:
- Define the share of on-site mixed uses (housing, commercial, community facilities)
- Determine the proportion of affordable, market rate and permanent supportive housing
- Confirm the type of commercial uses, community facilities and parking
- Reach consensus regarding streetscape improvements
The Mayor said, "Increasing the supply of housing is critical to continuing to spur Brooklyn's economic growth." The Brig was also used as a dentention center for the INS, as well as a facility for September 11 clean-up volunteers.
- Police have nabbed the "Subway Bandit" - the robber who robbed about 41 Subway AND Blimpie locations in the city over the past year, most recently six in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Brooklyn resident James Taylor, 38, was arrested after some CrimeStoppers tips. Taylor went to the hospital shortly after being arrested, and sources say it was probably drug-related. Yeah, Gothamist could see that one coming.
- Just as a judge has approved the city's multimillion dollar contract with Snapple, a 17 year-old student is suing the city for $5 million because a Snapple vending machine at school fell on him after he shook it. The student claims he gently shook the machine while the Department of Education says he pulled the machine down.
- A letter is circulating around the NYPD asking police officers to stage a sickout (the "Blue Flu") on August 30, the first day of the Republican Convention. The police are in the middle of contract talks with the city, and have been protesting Bloomberg (along with the FDNY). Gothamist hopes this letter is just a strong-arm tactic in negotiations, because we know that all New Yorkers would be very happy seeing police on August 30.
