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New Grants Seek Local Answers to Brooklyn’s Maternal Health Crisis

BQE Admin on November 7, 2024

Brooklyn Communities Collaborative convenes leaders in Brooklyn maternal health for a roundtable discussion (Credit: Brooklyn Communities Collaborative).

By Jack Delaney

A new influx of grants is looking to empower a range of local Brooklyn nonprofits to address the nationwide maternal health crisis from the ground up.

On October 30, health equity nonprofit Brooklyn Communities Collaborative (BCC) announced that it was doling out just under $1 million in grants to 10 community-based organizations throughout the borough, with a focus on equipping mothers with better care, supplies, and information.

This money comes as alarm bells sound at all levels of government over health data that shows little progress is being made in reducing serious complications and fatalities suffered by women during childbirth, a problem few other affluent nations face.

In Norway, the maternal death rate is a non-issue: statistically, zero women die per 100,000 live births. In Switzerland, that number is one. Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan? All hover around three.

Yet the U.S. clocks in at 22, the most significant maternal death rate of any high-income country. This rate worsens if you live in New York City, rising to 43. In fact, the greatest determinant of health outcomes for mothers isn’t geography, but race: Black women in the city are nine times more likely than white women to die during pregnancy.

This gap can be explained in part by a deep-seated history of sexism and racism in the healthcare industry, tracing back to slavery. James Marion Sims, the so-called “Father of Gynecology,” developed his techniques in the 1840s through horrific experiments which two enslaved Black women, Lucy and Anarcha, as well as many unnamed others, were forced to undergo without anesthesia. Sims’ statue was on prominent display in Central Park until 2018, when public outcry finally led to its removal — though not without backlash.

This history extends to the lack of access to midwives and doulas in the U.S., which persists despite the fact that both figure prominently in most countries with lower maternal death rates. “Gynecologists pushed women out of the field of reproductive health by lobbying state legislatures to ban midwifery and prohibit abortions,” writes Professor Michele Godwin of UC Irvine for the ACLU. “Doing so not only undercut women’s reproductive health, but also drove qualified Black women out of medical services.”

Today, the enormous discrepancy in maternal health outcomes between Black and white mothers is perpetuated not only by ongoing structural racism in the health system, said Shari Suchoff, Executive Director of BCC, but by chronic disinvestment in many areas.

“It isn’t just a healthcare crisis, it’s not just a nutrition crisis, it’s not an access crisis, it’s not an education crisis,” she noted. “It’s all of those things together. And the only way that we can solve complex problems is by working together with people outside of our immediate sector.”

To that end, the grants engage hyperlocal organizations that collectively represent a constellation of approaches.

One of these is Seeds in the Middle, which is getting $50,000 to offer mothers prenatal movement and yoga classes, breathing classes, emotional support services, and a fresh food pantry.

“Your baby can crawl around. You can have a cup of tea or coffee, something that helps mental health,” said Nancie Katz, the organization’s Executive Director, of creating a space where mothers can access healthy food while decompressing. “It’s preventative. What we know to be true in Black and Brown communities is that the rates of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, premature death, infant mortality, and maternal death are two or three times that of any community that’s wealthier, particularly white communities.”

Suchoff also highlighted the importance of prevention. “So much of this crisis really starts many years before women are pregnant,” said Suchoff, referencing the toll that chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension can take during childbirth, if mothers don’t have access to preventative measures or medication. “I think that’s why we took a broad approach with this grant program.”

Other grantees, like the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, which is receiving approximately $120,000, are tackling the issue through outreach and community-building initiatives.

The Institute was founded by its namesake, the influential tennis pro Arthur Ashe, and “utilizes a model of community health empowerment and engagement to promote health equity and social justice through strategic partnerships, innovative community-based health promotion and research programs, and the preparation of a more diverse and inclusive workforce of health professionals.”

In this case, that model means meeting residents where they are. “We’re going to be collaborating with barbershops and salons to educate folks on the maternal health crisis,” explained Faven Araya, the Institute’s Director of Community Engagement and Health Equity Research. “Oftentimes, pregnant women are dealing with a lot of changes in their body, and some are abnormal. What are the things that should be concerning? What are the things that you should pick up the phone and call your doctor for? What are some of the things that you should go to the emergency room for?”

Aside from information about recognizing warning signs, the barbers and stylists will also be trained to communicate the rights that residents have around getting connected to appropriate care, and the different venues and spaces that are available to them.

BCC is awarding the largest grant is the Brooklyn Perinatal Network, which will receive $250,000 to “invest in studies of upstream and downstream factors impacting the availability and access to community and social services that address health related social needs.” Other big recipients include the Alex House Project, which will “continue providing career opportunities, comprehensive doula services and mental health, case management and psychotherapy/education sessions,” and the Caribbean Women’s Health Association, which has a mandate to “strengthen community outreach, workshops, and counseling services surrounding sexual health, birth control, and chronic disease management.”

This is the third round of grants awarded through BCC’s Strong Communities Fund, which has given nearly $5 million to local public health groups since it launched in 2020 during the pandemic. Funding for this latest slew of grants drew support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which Suchoff pointed to as a significant development.

“Robert Wood Johnson, a very large national foundation, working in this space is really exciting,” Suchoff said, “because it’s giving up their power to the community to put the money where they think it’s most important. So it represents a real shift in the general funder-fundee power dynamics.”

These local intercessions are especially important, given that a recent report by SUNY Downstate found that the ‘epicenter’ of New York’s maternal health crisis was Central Brooklyn. One hospital in particular, Woodhull Medical Center in Bed-Stuy, has been rocked by claims of malpractice.

But the problem is more systemic than a single hospital. A Department of Health report earlier this year found that “Brooklyn’s communities of color and high-poverty neighborhoods have fewer health care professionals and less hospital capacity per capita than the borough’s wealthier and predominantly white ZIP codes.” And it concluded that wealthier residents went to Manhattan for care, while those on Medicaid were stuck with underfunded local facilities.

City and state officials haven’t been sitting idly by. In 2018, DeBlasio launched a $13 million initiative to close maternal health gaps through implicit bias training, better data collection, support for hospitals, and partnership with community organizations. In 2021, the New York City Board of Health declared racism a public health crisis amid a pandemic that exacerbated longtime inequities, laying them bare.

Governor Kathy Hochul has been proactive on the issue, too. In January, she announced a six-part plan to improve barriers to adequate maternal healthcare, then in May passed a bill making New York the first state to mandate paid prenatal care leave. She penned in $1.6 million for maternal mental health initiatives in the 2025 budget. And in August, she earmarked $27.5 million for maternal and pediatric care at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, following $8 million in funds for the Morris Heights Health Center in the Bronx to build a state-of-the-art maternal health center.

Like the BCC, the government is also starting to look beyond the hospital system for answers to the crisis. As of March 1, New York State Medicaid covers doula services — and the Doula Expansion Grant Program will allow the Department to award $250,000 to community-based organizations for the recruitment, training, certification, support, and mentoring of community-based doulas.

Even so, the latest statistics suggest that the maternal health gap may be growing nationwide, even as other countries make strides in closing it.

Ultimately, Suchoff noted that there’s no “silver bullet” for the crisis. But in her view, the local approach may be an increasingly important component of the solution.

“This is a model that’s worked really well,” she said. “We’ve been able to fund really small organizations who have trouble accessing funding from bigger foundations which can be burdensome to work with, and also created a really nice community of community-based organizations who are working together and trying to break down some of the silos that exist inherently in this work.”

Brooklyn Borough Resident Antonio Reynoso agreed. “For too long, Black and Brown mothers in Brooklyn have been disproportionately impacted by the maternal health crisis,” he said, lauding the grant program. “We cannot secure better outcomes for mothers and infants without first addressing this disparity and identifying the parts of our borough that are most vulnerable. By investing in CBOs that work directly with the most impacted communities, Brooklyn Communities Collaborative is empowering smaller organizations to tackle this crisis and improve maternal health in their own neighborhoods.”

Industry City Fashion Show Celebrates Brooklyn’s Multicultural Design Talent

BQE Admin on October 31, 2024

A runway look from Adeleke Sijuwade’s “L Collection” featured in a “A Very Brooklyn Fashion Show.” Credit: Nicholas Gordon.

By NICHOLAS GORDON

Brooklyn’s multiculturalism and visionary styles were on vivid display at the second annual “A Very Brooklyn Fashion Show” at Industry City in Sunset Park on October 15. It was a kaleidoscopic night of bright fabrics and bold patterns, cool silk and tough denim, graffiti, beads, jewelry, ruffles, and fringe worn by an eclectic medley of fashion models strutting their stuff to a musical playlist as diverse as the borough itself. Hosted by the Brooklyn Made Store during Brooklyn Fashion Week, the show featured the work of over ten local designers with heritage from countries across the globe, including Haiti, India, Nigeria, and Ukraine.

“I love seeing all of these different kinds of models and designers in a fashion show,” said Catherine Schuller, founder of Runway the Real Way, and a curator of the show along with Rick Davy, creator of Fashion Week Brooklyn. “We’re thrilled to be part of an event that honors the spirit and diversity of our community,” Schuller added, in an interview after the show.

As a pioneering plus-size model in the 80’s, Schuller said she was “bit by the diversity bug” and has thrived on creating inclusive catwalks ever since. As a designer herself, Schuller marries comic books with fashion, creating upcycled jewelry and accessories that she describes as “power pieces of heroic adornment,” several of which were featured in the show.

Catherine Schuller, founder of Runway the Real Way and a curator of “A Very Brooklyn Fashion Show,” addresses the audience on October 15. Credit: Nicholas Gordon.

Designer Adeleke Sijuwade delivered a bracing streetwear collection set to the throwback track “Jump” by 90’s hip-hop duo Kriss Kross, mixing elements of hip-hop, basketball, westerns, cartoons, and Sijuwade’s Nigerian roots.

“A lot of the things I create for the runway are things I love, and I draw inspiration from things I’m fascinated with,” Sijuwade said, in a phone interview. “It’s natural for me to be attracted to bright colors and patterns with a lot of details, because these are things African people wear everyday.”

Born in Nigeria, Sijuwade moved to the U.S. at age 6. He visits Nigeria a couple of times each year, he said.

While he enjoys being bold and playful with his creative choices, such as by adding Victorian ruffles, wide collar flares, suspenders, sports jerseys, or overalls to his signature baggy looks, Sijuwade said he is always focused on making clothes that are comfortable and accessible for a broad spectrum of humanity.

“It’s about bringing together different design elements in casual structures, clothing that’s wearable for everyone, no matter what shape you’re in,” Sijuwade said.

Several of Sijuwade’s garments featured powerful images of hiphop icons such as Biggie Smalls hand-painted by African artists that he’d collaborated with on trips back to his motherland of Nigeria.

Sijuwade said his goal is to take his painter-designer collaboration to the next level by exhibiting new pieces at a local museum.

Paying homage to heritage through collaboration is a potent approach for designer Renuka Malhi too, whose work was featured in the show under her brand name of “Re’Malhi.”

“Collaborating with other artists really elevates you,” Malhi said, in an interview after the show. “We uplift each other. It’s a different spirit when we work together with other designers because there’s so much to learn.”

Though for her brand she often makes couture gowns for the red carpet, Malhi said she wanted to change it up for this show with a line called “Little Black Secret,” evoking a mysterious autumn vibe.

In addition to collaborating with shoe designers and Schuller who had some pieces from her line “Power Pieces x S Designs” in the collection, Malhi also teamed up with an artist from Kashmir, India, on a handmade black and white jacket that took several months to complete.

Designer Roselyne Shiyenze takes to the runway with one of her models at the conclusion of the show. Credit: Nicholas Gordon.

“The jacket is coming from the land where artists embroider by hand, sew every single flower, using silks and a lot of fusion with different fabrics,” Malhi said, noting that with her Indian background she’s a huge fan of great textiles and brocades. Malhi was born and raised in Punjab, India, and moved to the U.S. at age 20.

Deeply inspired by the work of her fellow designers in the show, Malhi said she has great appreciation for the creative diversity teeming in Brooklyn and on display in the collections.

“I thoroughly believe that every designer is unique in their designs, everyone brings a story that’s attached to their collection, and I enjoy that,” Malhi said. “I’m looking forward to working with more diversity in the future.”

New Brooklyn Festival Highlights Creole Artists

BQE Admin on October 30, 2024

“What’s beautiful about discovering Creole culture is that you have to embrace multiplicity,” says Kréol Fest organizer Natie.

The idea for Kréol Fest, an upcoming arts bash at Cafe Erzulie in Bushwick on November 3 that aims to celebrate the intersections of Creole cultures through music, dance, visual arts, fashion, and food, came to its organizer, who goes by the mononym Natie, in stages.

The first was in 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests in Brooklyn. “I felt really lost,” Natie, a classically trained violinist who toured with Beyoncé before launching her solo career in 2018, remembered. “I wasn’t marching, I wasn’t posting about it on social media, and I thought, is this me not being a part of the fight?” But an art curator whom she was friends with told her that while it was important to be fighting injustice, there was also a role for those who could “build something to come back to.” Expanding from that kernel, Natie decided to create a weekly jam session called Sunday Art Hang, based out of the Clinton Hill bar Izzy Rose.

“It was right after the lockdown,” she said, “and it was about creating a community so that artists wouldn’t go crazy in their heads by themselves. They would have an afternoon to share what they were doing, where they were at, what they were struggling with. It was for us to hear each other and support each other.” Sunday Art Hang is now in its third year, and recently expanded to a new space at another Brooklyn bar, Umbra.

Yet back during the pandemic, Natie, who is from Réunion, a French department off the coast of Madagascar, found herself for the first time in a bubble with only American friends. “It was a super fun group,” she said. “But when it came to conversations about race, it was really tense.”

“I felt misunderstood, but I realized I also had a lot to learn and understand about the dynamics here: what does ‘Black’ mean, what does ‘white’ mean in this context? That was the awakening of my sense that there is so much to talk about — and without sounding like I’m preaching, I think there’s something to be shared from where I come from, another way to look at how we live together.”

Then, in 2023, Natie connected with a percussion group from Réunion called Rouler Killer that was visiting New York, and convinced them to come to Sunday Art Hang for a night of improvised music. “It was so special,” she said. “That was a preview of what Kréol Fest could be like — that moment really fueled me.”

The third and final component settled into place when Natie’s partner relayed a conversation he’d had with a Haitian artist, whom he was telling about her Creole roots. To the artist, the fact that she came from Réunion seemed disqualifying. “But,” the artist said, “they’re not Creole!”

A recent jazz night at Cafe Erzulie, which will be the venue for Kréol Fest.

It’s in this crucible of questions — about race and belonging, the far-reaching resonances of the term ‘Creole,’ and the role that art has to play — that the festival has taken shape. Running from 6 p.m. until midnight, it will assemble ten artists (including saxophonist Kafele Bandele, visual artist Watson Mere, and fashion curator SA-RA) from a wide range of disciplines, representing five different countries: New Orleans, Réunion, Guyana, Trinidad, and Haiti. The event will kick off with a panel discussion, followed by live performances and an array of vendors.

“What’s beautiful about discovering Creole culture is that you have to embrace multiplicity,” Natie stressed. “Because by nature it is a blend. It’s even more important now, in such a divided climate. Everything is polarizing, a binary choice, and when you engage with Creole culture you have to expand that vision and embrace the fact that it’s this and this and this, and it coexists.”

Ideally, Natie hopes the event will extend beyond this initial installment to become something more. “I want Kréol Fest to exist in ten years,” she said. “I want it to travel. The idea is to uplift each other, and through this shared history see where we can grow stronger as a community.”

Bagpipes, Neo-Trad, and Everything in Between at NYC Tattoo Con

BQE Admin on October 30, 2024

By Jack Delaney

A visitor to the New York Tattoo Convention last Friday might have been caught off guard by the sudden blare of bagpipes, erupting from three kilted men as they strode down the aisles of artists’ stalls. But to Donal Cranny, one of the event’s three organizers, they were no sideshow. Instead, the marching musicians were emblematic of a broader approach: “We wanted a very global experience,” Cranny said.

To that end, the show assembled 340 artists from across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia who converged on Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard over the weekend, from October 18 to 20, for the annual convention’s third edition. Their art drew over 4,500 attendees, who clustered around food trucks, danced to live acts like the hard rock outfit Rebel Angels, and lay patiently on tables as steady hands added fresh designs to their collections.

Tattooing has a long and checkered history in New York City. In 1870, Martin Hildebrandt founded one of the first tattoo parlors on Oak Street in Manhattan, catering to soldiers and sailors for whom a tattoo was partly style, and partly a means for their body to be identified if they were killed in battle. The city banned tattooing altogether in 1961, catalyzing a Prohibition-like underground scene and persisting for thirty six years, until 1997. Today, events like the New York Tattoo Convention are evidence that the practice’s old connotations may be slowly shifting.

Michaelle Fiore, who opened a studio in Gowanus this summer and had attended the previous year’s convention at South Street Seaport, said that the pandemic had changed the scene significantly. “A lot of people are either opening private studios,” she said, “or going in the direction of co-ops where multiple artists are pitching in for a space and then splitting rent down the middle, rather than working for a shop owner.” In her view, customers were gravitating more and more towards these new models — studios based out of artist’s homes, for example — and modern styles, too, such as neo-traditional, a digitally-inflected take on classic motifs. Her own preferences are surrealism, anime, and fine line work.

Fiore also noted that she was already seeing a post-pandemic bump in demand for cover-ups and laser removal, as the pent-up demand for tattoos gave way to second thoughts. Fiore’s mother, a painter herself, sat beside her on a swivel chair and chimed in with the refrain of parents everywhere: “Think about what you’re going to get first!”

Nearby, as “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads played on the loudspeakers, and a shirtless man showed off two hyper-realistic babies’ faces, one on each of his pecs — plus a third on his shoulder blade, which he displayed with a smile to an admiring passerby — Coy Barrientos waited sagely in his sunny stall for customers. This was his first year participating, and he had only recently moved to Grand Junction, CO, from his home in Costa Rica, for a residency at Elysium Studios.

“I’m definitely surprised that I’m even able to make a living out of art,” he said, beaming. He had worked his way up from tattooing friends in his bedroom, to a three-month apprenticeship, before landing this position in the U.S. Like Fiore, he was influenced by Japanese iconography, and agreed that the industry seemed to be changing. One factor, with which artists will increasingly need to reckon, is artificial intelligence.

“You kind of notice the before and after of someone’s Instagram page,” Barrientos said, “when they start to use AI.” For some artists, he saw a marked improvement in their work, so he hesitated to condemn it wholesale. “I don’t really think it’s bad, but it’s a contradiction. If you’re making art, you’re supposed to be making it yourself — otherwise, you’re not really the artist. At the end of the day, AI art is not yours.”

Chumreon Sutcharitakul, owner of the Tattoo Stock shop in Astoria, said that he occasionally used AI-created designs for reference, but doubted that the artist’s role would ever be fully eclipsed. His own start had been decidedly low-tech: with “nothing much” on Youtube in the early aughts, he had resorted to buying instructional DVDs made by tattooer Jeff Gogue on Google. Then, in 2009, he found a spot at a studio on West 4th Street with a clientele of mostly tourists.

“I didn’t have the chance to pick something I wanted to do. It was good for me, and it’s good for beginners because they have to practice many styles,” said Sutcharitakul, who transitioned to his own studio in 2016 and moonlights as an amateur billiards player. “Me, I call my style money-listic. You pay me, I do whatever.”

Though not every vendor was so explicitly mercantile, few contested that tattooing was just as much a matter of savvy business sense as it was artistic skill. “Nowadays, social media is big,” Sutcharitakul explained. “If you don’t learn that too, you’re dead.” Upstairs, as the sun began its descent over the East River, fellow industry veteran Ross Given seconded that sentiment. While he called himself a “dinosaur” when it came to social media, he had a secret weapon: his two kids, whom he relies upon when he needs to shoot a video for Instagram Reels or TikTok.

Given, owner of the Anubis Tattoo Studio in Greenock, Scotland, has been tattooing for 17 years, but he stumbled into it initially. “This wasn’t a career plan,” he said, “or a conscious decision.” After leaving the Royal Air Force, where he had served for 12 years, he had been gearing up to start a new job in private security. By that point, he had been tattooing part-time for two years, inspired by an artist in Norfolk, England, who had given him tattoos of his own while he was stationed there. While back home briefly after military service, he ultimately decided to take the plunge and stay to open his own shop.

“I was kind of lucky, I had some money put aside,” Given said. “And I just thought, ‘I’m going to give it a go.’ In my hometown, there were only two other artists. They were older guys, they weren’t very good.” He flashed a grin. “So I thought, I can’t be any worse.”

At the convention, Given’s winding path seemed the rule rather than the exception. Another artist, Alan Gray, had started tattooing at age 14 while part of a gang in Mexico City, and had dreamed of attending a prestigious program at the National Autonomous University of Mexico for plastic arts. At 20, he moved to New York and has been tattooing professionally ever since. “You’ve got to love this,” he said, “and you’ve got to keep working every day.”

Emanuele Baracchi, cleaning his equipment, explained that he hailed from a small town outside Bergamo, Italy. “[Before tattooing,] I was doing a bunch of jobs. My father had a big pub back in Italy, so I was taking care of the pub as a manager. I worked as a gardener, and as a croupier.” His last job was in a factory that made metal connectors for trains, before he promised himself he would follow his passion for tattoo collecting and become an artist himself.

No matter their background — a past life in the Air Force, a gang, or the foothills of the Alps — that devotion to their work, and desire to keep making, were common denominators. Now at The Grand Reaper, a shop in San Diego, Baracchi summed up the profession’s goals thus: “You try to make a living, but by expressing art through people. And you try to make people confident in their lives. It’s like armor. Every tattoo should have a meaning, a reason.”

The convention concluded with a ceremony for the Best of Show, which went to Hugo Feist and Anton Mariushev for a collaborative piece.

Cranny and business partner Roy Keane conceived of the concept in 2020, as the pandemic was raging. It took two years to actualize that vision, but they are now planning a fourth installment, set to be in Brooklyn again, and this summer they launched a sister convention back in Belfast, Ireland.

“We’re three years in — it’s become like riding a bike,” Cranny joked. “And I like to think that we’re creating a community for people who want to come back.”

Until then, the artists will be scattered across the globe, honing their crafts for next year.

Blessing of the Animals

Oona Milliken on October 17, 2024

St. John’s Lutheran Church & Ascension Episcopal

Annabelle Underwood

Although Greenpoint’s Pastor Katrina Foster says blessing of your pet can’t guarantee a change in behavior, parishioners and neighbors couldn’t resist bringing all sorts of animals to St. Johns Lutheran Church on Kent Street Sunday for a blessing. Foster recently made news here when the 157-year-old historic church went through some renovation. To celebrate the renovation and engage parishioners, Pastor Foster held a ‘writing-on-the-walls’ event.

On this day the pets got their blessing.

Domino Square Opens with a Blast

Oona Milliken on October 17, 2024

Annabelle Underwood

Thousands of people gathered on Tuesday evening, Oct. 1 to celebrate the opening of Domino Square, the newest addition to Domino Park in Williamsburg. The event was free to attend and featured a live DJ, food from Roberta’s Pizza, empanadas from Melanio, ice cream from Oddfellows, and drinks from Other Half Brewery. There was also a selection of activities for children from A Rosie Day. “I know it was a long work in progress and to finally see it become reality is really a wonderful thing,” said Senator Julia Salazar about the new space. “I am privileged to get to represent this beautiful place in the 18th Senate District.”

The public plaza has an egg-shaped concrete center featuring tiered seating along one side with space for vendors underneath. There is additional seating in the opposite corner surrounded by raised garden beds. Above the central area is a canopy for shade during the day and hanging lights for the evening.

It also features a scenic overlook with views of the Manhattan skyline and Williamsburg Bridge. “The only downside is I know there’s going to be less parking, but it’s fine,” said Crystal Ramirez, a Williamsburg resident. “It’s a nice, walkable neighborhood, so I enjoy it.” The space is now open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will host a variety of events like farmer’s markets, outdoor movie screenings, and graduation ceremonies for local schools. The concrete center will be converted into an ice-skating rink in November. Also, a salsa night with over 800 attendees was already hosted in September, according to a published report.

Some residents of Williamsburg who attended the opening celebration said they look forward to more family-oriented, community-building, and cultural events at the venue.

The acre of land is located next to The Refinery at Domino Sugar Factory, a historic building that was reopened as office spaces last fall and constructed by the same developers, Two Trees Management. The developers also constructed the rest of Domino Park, a six-acre waterfront esplanade, and a neighboring residential building, One Domino Square. “There was a big fight over many years over the future of this site,” said the 33rd District City Council Member Lincoln Restler. “We are really lucky that Two Trees came in and for such a bold and visionary plan for this space.” Domino Square was designed by Field Operations, the same architecture firm that worked on the High Line. The company also collaborated with another architecture firm, Studio Cadena.

Two Trees Management purchased the entire Domino site in 2012 for $180 million. The final part of their project to redevelop the area will be another residential building on Kent Avenue. The newest development was initially going to be a 45-story residential building.

“More and more condominiums are not something I like,” said Avi Friedman, a Williamsburg resident. “But it’s nice to see that they can incorporate public spaces.”

Brooklyn Football Club, New York City’s Professional Women’s Soccer Team, is Undefeated Four Matches into USL Super League Play

BQE Admin on October 4, 2024

BKFC forward Mackenzie George maneuvers through Dallas defenders in BKFC’s 2-0 win over Dallas Trinity FC in the club’s home opener at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on Wednesday, September 25. George scored a goal in the first half of the match.

By Nicholas Gordon

Under the bright stadium lights in September’s crisp night air, Brooklyn Football Club put on a show in a 2-0 win over Dallas Trinity FC in its home opener in the inaugural season of the USL Super League. Approximately 500 fans attended the match on Wednesday, September 25, at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.

“It was a great win tonight,” said Matt Rizzetta, Chairman of Brooklyn Football Club, in an interview after the match. “It’s a win for Brooklyn, a win for New York soccer, and most importantly, it’s a win for women’s soccer.”

Rizzetta described the vision for the team as one of “bringing hope and inspiration to this generation and future generations of aspiring women’s soccer players,” with a particular focus on local talent and community values.

“The heartbeat of our project is on replicating and representing the Broooklyn spirit, which is built on grit, hard work, and perseverance,” Rizzetta said. “There are a lot of local girls on the roster that understand what this means for the community, what it means to represent Brooklyn and the five boroughs.”

As New York City’s professional women’s soccer team, BKFC is playing its home matches this fall in the temporary location of Columbia University’s Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. The move comes due to “deficiencies in the soccer turf installation at Maimonides Park that rendered the field surface unplayable,” as stated in the team’s press release.

Brooklyn FC adapted well to their temporary new field, besting a quality opponent in Dallas, a team that the league website forecasted could take the top slot with a win. Instead, BKFC now moves into second place in the standings, while Dallas slides to sixth.

The scoring came early for BKFC, and it came via a highlight reel worthy goal from forward Jessica Garziano. At the 19-minute mark, Garziano picked up a loose ball in the attacking third, took a few touches towards goal, and cracked a screamer from nearly 30 yards out into the upper lefthand corner of the net, past the outstretched arms of the diving Dallas goalkeeper Madison White.

It wouldn’t be the last time White was called upon to showcase her agility against tough shots: she had several good saves on the night, including a diving stop on a BKFC penalty kick in the second half.

Also fraught was the job of the Dallas defenders tasked with containing BKFC forward Mackenzie George for the match. George routinely beat several players in a run, weaving her way through the Dallas defense with quick cutbacks before setting up teammates with clever flick passes on clear paths to goal or for open shots. George scored at the 37-minute mark after carrying the ball with pace through the attacking third and laying out a square pass for teammate Hope Breslin, whose strong shot on goal from the 18-yard line was batted away by the keeper, only for George to knock home the rebound.

“Mackenzie George is such a fun player to play with because you know she’s never going to give up on a ball, and she can beat four players at a time so you always have to be ready when you’re on the field with her,” said BFKC forward Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Pluck, who won several free kicks on the night. Pluck added that George’s positivity off the field is something that unites their team, too.

BKFC midfielder Sam Kroeger, who earned Player of the Match honors, has transitioned seamlessly from her standout collegiate career at Rutgers to the pros, as a crucial connective tissue for BKFC in the midfield.

“Rutgers did a great job preparing me for this opportunity. They have one of the best coaching staffs in the country,” Kroeger said, adding that the BKFC preseason was key for preparing her and her team for the league’s inaugural season as well. “Now, I’m focusing on doing what I’m best at with my skill set, and continuing on the things that I can grow from,” Kroeger said.

BKFC’s newly appointed head coach Jessica Silva credited her group for their efforts playing at the new location, noting that while the team had played one pre-season match at the stadium, they had not had another chance to train on the pitch before this match. “The girls did really well adjusting out there, and sticking to our principles offensively and defensively in transition,” Silva said. “We have a lot of leadership on our team, and this is a special group,”

From left to right: BKFC goalkeeper Neeku Purcell, head coach Jess Silva, center back Allison Pantuso

Brooklyn FC 1 – 0 Lexington SC

BKFC won its second home match 1-0 in a hard fought battle on a rainy night against Lexington SC on Friday, September 27. Again, the club had the upper hand on shots on goal and corner kicks, while also showing defensive prowess throughout the match.

George once more dipped into her bag of tricks just two minutes into the second half, collecting a pass on the far right wing, torching past a defender to gain the endline, and lofting in a cross to forward Isabel Cox, who settled the ball and then booked it from close range.

At the heart of the stalwart BKFC defense, unflappable center-back Allison Pantuso plays on a string with goalkeeper Neeku Purcell, who now has three shutouts in four matches, conceding only one goal so far on the season.

“We have a lot of trust with each other in the back, so people are confident because they know that the person to the left and the right has their back,” Pantuso said. “And Neeku’s got great feet so that gives everyone confidence, too.”

With their unbeaten start to the season, Purcell said they’re now “hungry for more” and looking for ways to improve their style of play every single day. “We know we can always get better after every game,” Purcell said. “We’re watching film, taking note of what we did well and what we can improve on, and then making sure we do that in the next game.”

The USL Super League kicked off its inaugural season in August with eight teams competing in Division One of U.S. women’s professional soccer. Regular season league play will run through next summer, with additional clubs set to join the league in 2025.

Rizzetta, acknowledging that relocating from Brooklyn for the start of their season was a setback, said he was happy that they were able to find a good solution, and grateful for the support and partnership of Columbia University.

Brooklyn Football Club’s first pair of home games might have been played in upper Manhattan, away from their home burough, with the 1 train rumbling past in the background instead of sounds from the Coney Island boardwalk, but it was still two wins, and it was still all New York.

Match action, BKFC vs. Dallas Trinity FC on Wednesday, September 25 at Rocco B. Commission stadium. BKFC won the match 2-0, their home opener.

$68 Mil Environmental Fund from ExxonMobil Oil Spill Lawsuit Ends

BQE Admin on October 4, 2024

The Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund sponsored the new Greenpoint Public Library.

By Jean Brannum

Attorney General Leticia James and DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced the completion of the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund Sept 26, which provided $68.8 million for environmental issues after the Exxon Mobil Oil Spill settlement with the state in 2010.

The Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) concluded as Climate Week concludes. James and Mahar highlighted the many projects made possible by the fund including a new public library, educational center, and green improvements at McGolrick Park and other locations around the neighborhood.

“Although no amount of money can make up for the environmental harm ExxonMobil brought to our neighborhood, funding these incredible projects has been a beautiful start,” said Assembly Member Emily Gallagher.

The projects included the addition of nature walks and bird-watching groups at McGolrick Park in addition to planting and beautification efforts.

The GCEF also sponsored the Greenpoint Library, a brand-new sustainable public library and environmental education center that continues to host programming for local families. A total of 77 grants ranging from $5,000 to $5 million came from the GCEF.

“Working together with the community, and with the generous support of GCEF, we were able to turn the tragedy of an oil spill into a modern, green library which will serve the community for generations to come,” said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Public Library.

Dewey Thompson, founder of the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse, expressed his gratitude towards the fund. The GCEF contributed to the boathouse on the Newtown Creek.

“GCEF offered transformational grants for so many environmentally focused organizations in Greenpoint; not only giving local, volunteer-run non-profits like North Brooklyn Community Boathouse the ability to expand programs and capacity but creating synergies between grantees, such as our partnership with the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center,” Thompson said.

Projects sponsored by the GCEF included improvements made for Msgr. McGolrick Park.

About The Spill

The fund was created in 2011 with funds from the ExxonMobil settlement with the state following a massive oil spill that was discovered in 1978. For 140 years, 17-30 million gallons of oil leaked across 55 acres of underground Greenpoint, according to the Newtown Creek Alliance.

Several years of litigation followed, but eventually, ExxonMobil was on the hook for cleaning up the spill. Since cleanup from Mobil, began in 1979, 12.9 gallons of oil have been recovered. ExxonMobil is currently petitioning the city to allow for consolidation of its groundwater pumping facilities.

ExxonMobil paid $25 million in total for projects that would benefit the community, restore Newtown Creek, and remediate the land, according to an announcement from the DEC. Funding increased to $68.8 million total.

The Department of Environmental Conservation will continue to require ExxonMobil to protect Newtown Creek.

What Brooklyn, NY Commercial Real Estate Lawyers Do

webadmin on September 26, 2024

As New York City’s most populated borough, Brooklyn boasts a culturally vibrant community and the potential for significant returns on real estate investments. Its commercial real estate market is synonymous with high demand and intense competition. Investing in Brooklyn’s dynamic real estate market is a major decision. While it looks promising, handling the complexities associated with New York’s real estate laws and the immense pressure on the commercial real estate market could be tricky, as even the smallest slip-up could cost you money. This clearly shows why you need a trustworthy commercial real estate attorney. Commercial real estate lawyers in Brooklyn, NY, play a crucial role in facilitating property transactions, ensuring legal compliance, and protecting your investment from pitfalls. Let’s delve into the key functions of Brooklyn’s finest commercial real estate attorneys.

Legal Representation

Like regular real estate lawyers, a commercial real estate attorney provides legal representation to clients during the various stages of a real estate transaction process. Such an attorney will also represent the client in judicial foreclosures.

Due Diligence and Contract Preparation

This is one of the most critical roles of a Brooklyn commercial real estate lawyer. Here, the lawyer conducts a full-scale investigation into the property’s history and title to uncover potential liabilities and other risks. If the property is the right fit, the lawyer will need to ensure that all contracts are legally sound to protect clients’ interests and accurately reflect the terms of the deal. Additionally, such attorneys must stay up-to-date with the latest legal requirements, such as the recent amendments to New York’s Property Condition Disclosure Act, to ensure full compliance in all transactions.

Lease Negotiations

Commercial real estate lawyers work closely with property owners to draft, scrutinize, and negotiate commercial leases for properties and businesses. It’s always important to use legal assistance when drafting a lease agreement so as to avoid errors and potential loopholes.

Navigating Complex Zoning Land Use Regulations

Zoning issues hardly pop up in Brooklyn’s residential real estate; however, when it comes to commercial real estates, such as industrial spaces, retail spaces, or restaurants, zoning laws, and land use regulations issues occur frequently. Competent commercial real estate lawyers armed with the golden thread of legal knowledge can help clients fight issues around zoning and land use regulations. In some cases, the attorney would go as far as petitioning for variances, negotiating with city planners, and sometimes even reshaping the zoning landscape itself.

Peacekeeping Duties: Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Conflicts such as landlord-tenant disputes and contract breaches can arise in the world of commercial real estate. In such situations, Brooklyn commercial real estate lawyers don their peacekeeping helmets to negotiate a settlement, depending on the circumstances. However, when negotiations break down, they gear up for litigations with the sole aim of securing a favorable verdict.

Title Insurance or Title Review

A commercial real estate lawyer scrutinizes titles and title insurance, advocating for optimal terms to safeguard your investments. With expertise in document analysis, they can help you mitigate potential risks to your business and assets.

Businesses, Nonprofits, People Debate Weekend Open St On Bedford Slip

BQE Admin on September 25, 2024

The slip lane at Bedford Ave, is commonly called the Bedford Slip. Credit: Jean Brannum

By Jean Brannum | jbrannum@queensledger.com

An application to the Department of Transportation has triggered debate among business owners, street safety advocates, community members, and nonprofits about whether to turn the Bedford Slip, into an open street on weekends.

The North Brooklyn Park Alliance, a non-profit organization that manages parks in the community district, applied to manage the Bedford Slip as an open street for Fall 2024 per request from the Department of Transportation, which is a 100-foot street near the intersection of Nassau Ave, Bedford Ave, and Lorimer St. The slip became a temporary plaza when the G Train was shut down for six months over the Summer.

The temporary plaza received mixed reviews from people who spent time in the street and the eleven businesses on it. While some said they wanted the slip to become a 24/7 plaza, a weekend open street is the only decision the DOT is considering.

During the six-week shutdown, the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance managed the slip, including installing tables and chairs, managing weekend vendors, and sanitation services. The Parks Alliance applied for the weekend closure at the DOT’s request for the Fall 2024 Open Streets program. The DOT makes the final decision on the Bedford Slip and other Open Streets applications based on information gathered during a review period, according to Katie Denny Horowitz, Executive Director of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance.

Businesses Push Back

This debate heated up at two Community Board 1 meetings where several members of the public spoke for and against the slip. One of those places was Awoke Vintage. Owner Rachel Despeaux spoke to the board about how the 6-week closure caused her store to lose business. She said the shutdown diverted customers from window shopping and was worried that she would have to move her business if there is a weekend shutdown, which is her busiest time.

“Why would I willingly pay rent to have a street removed, have my sidewalks essentially removed, and people rerouted into the street?”

Despeux noted that all 11 businesses at the DOT meeting were against the slip. This was repeated by Mignar Tsering, owner of ID Menswear.

Tsering said he was always against the shutdown, even on weekends. He said business was down about 40% during the full-time shutdown. The lack of car access also hindered deliveries. Tsering said on weekends, he has to carry stock into his store, which includes heavy candle-making supplies and candles. He said parking is already an issue in the area and carrying supplies in would difficult.

Tsering also said that when the slip was pedestrian-only, street vendors would set up shop directly in front of his store, which led to a further loss of business. Tsering also said he did not see many people use the slip during the G-train shutdown.

“Every day we were there, and we hardly saw anybody using it, just a few people that were using other delivery guys,” Tsering, whose store is open seven days a week, said.

Lediona and Elona Zharku, who own Tired Thrift, wrote a letter to Councilmember Lincoln Restler expressing their opposition to the shutdown. The Zharku’s said that they pay rent specifically for a storefront with high foot traffic and that the closed slip diverted people from the storefront. A 2019 study from the DOT shows the slip area has one of the highest pedestrian volumes in Brooklyn at around 2,000 people. They also said they hardly saw anyone use the slip and saw more people using McCarren Park.

“We find it unnecessary to have an open street here with a public park so close by. Also, it was very difficult to load necessary supplies and stock into our shop when the street was closed since we could not park our cars outside of the shop.”

Activists Push For The Open Street

This sentiment was a surprise for activist Benji Lampel from North Brooklyn Open Streets Community Coalition, who is for a 24/7 shutdown. He said that in the beginning of discussions about the potential open street, feedback was mostly positive. During the G train shutdown, a petition from Transportation Alternatives pushing for the Bedford Slip garnered over 3000 signatures.

“I was taken very off guard because none of them who I had spoken to had an indication that they absolutely hated it.”

Lampel said that most businesses, except for Billy’s Locksmith and one other place, were on board with the open street. Tsering from ID Menswear said he told some of the advocates that he opposed the idea.

Kevin LaCherra, another resident who was involved in advocating for the shutdown, said that many businesses lost revenue due to the G train shutdown, even outside of the slip. Other reports say the same thing since the G train is the main subway line in and out of Greenpoint.

“I believe that their business was down,” LaCherra said. “They would have no reason to lie, but I don’t think that that is because of the plaza. I think that is because the primary mode into and out of the neighborhood was cut for six weeks. “

While some businesses affirm that they are against it, those for the shutdown continue to say that the open street would help businesses. A report from the DOT in Oct. 2022 said that open streets benefitted businesses overall. LaCherra said he and others spent more money at the restaurants on the slip during those six weeks.

Dan Elstien, a Greenpoint resident who was involved in North Brooklyn Open Streets Coalition, said that while he received pushback from businesses, he thought the six-week shutdown went well and reduced congestion. Elstien said he was at the slip at least once a week.

“It was a lot safer, it was much nicer and helped the bus keep moving,” Elstien said. “We were able to do things you weren’t able to do before, like put down semi-permanent infrastructure.”

LaCherra said that in 2020, the idea came after an accident in which a woman was hit by a car. Many people and activist groups discussed the idea of turning the slip into a pedestrian plaza. Advocacy for Banker’s Anchor, a new pedestrian plaza, was also being discussed among residents at the time.

Crashmapper shows nine accidents at both ends of the slip between Aug 2016 to Aug 2024.

LaCherra said he was also part of a group from the Parks Alliance that helped with cleanup after events. The Parks Alliance hosted pedestrian events in the slip before the six-week pilot. When the G Train shutdown began, advocates for the open street wanted to show that the idea was good after several failed applications for the open street. LaCherra also commented that the slip would be nice on Saturdays when McCarren Park was full.

“There’s barely enough room for a picnic blanket next to the next picnic blanket,” He said referring to the crowds at McCarren Park on Saturdays.

LaCherra also said that while he ultimately wants the slip, he does not see the issue as a battle between business owners and residents. He believes that regulation of the space would make the space good for everyone. Furthermore, he said advocates for the slip have also pushed for loading zones within 65 feet of businesses.

“I think that this is something that, like most things, can be solved with some good communication and trying some things out,” LaCherra said.