Downtown Brooklynites - hurry up and scour the proposed Nets arena neighborhood for endangered plants (maybe an apartment mold of some kind) or animals (a little known species of rat or pigeon?) so you can stall Bruce Ratner's development plans. A $100 million Staten Island development, one with a Home Depot, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond, has been blocked due to an endangered mint plant! Yes, mint - in Staten Island! Apparently, the Torrey's Mountain Mint (which is quite lovely) only grows in 10 places around the world, one of them being little ol' Staten Island. Blumenfeld Development says, "This [plant] has the potential for creating significant construction timeline issues for us," what with delaying for another two months while plans need to be reevaluated; the mint has also caused a month delay. Gothamist foresees huge shopping mall with courtyard built around the plant. Founder of Wild Metro, the non-profit the city has been working with to designate different endangered flora and fauna in the five boroughs, tells the Post that NYC's natural environment once had "wetlands, savannas, grasslands, shrub lands and forests." Savannas? Maybe NYC should put some more tigers, elephants, and gazelles back in here, to re-naturalize the land.
This story of a mint plant thwarting construction, if only temporarily, makes Gothamist think this should be a new millennial and green (versus piratey) version of The Goonies.
