The BQE triple cantilever is nearly a quarter century beyond its design life, and to make matters worse, the wear-and-tear from 150,000 vehicles daily, road salt, and water penetration are accelerating its deterioration. Since ongoing repairs are costly, but do not address the highway’s initial design deficiencies, only major reconstruction will extend its life 50-75 years. Its reconstruction will take more than five years to complete starting in the2020s at a cost of nearly $2 billion. NYCDOT has determined that by 2026 the segment from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street, including the triple cantilever, will no longer support the weight of trucks. If the reconstruction is not completed by then, 16,000 trucks daily will have to be re-routed onto local streets. Their diversion will create massive traffic congestion and imperil the health and safety of residents throughout Brooklyn. An implementation approach, called Design-Build, which is in widespread use nationally, would allow the project to be completed before this diversion becomes necessary and at a significant cost savings. Its use must be authorized by the State legislature, which has not yet passed this measure.Read More...

The final court hearing on the BHA’s lawsuit to prevent the construction of two residential towers on Pier 6 concluded on November 15th.  Justice Carmen Victoria St. George of NYS Supreme Court presided over four days of hearings after her assignment to the case last summer. During this period she continued the attempts of the prior assigned judge to reach a settlement, but was no more successful. Justice St. George will now make a final ruling on the lawsuit.Read More...

On August 4th, Justice Lucy Billings granted a preliminary injunction barring the developers at Pier 6 from undertaking any construction "that is irreversible or incapable of restoration to its original condition" pending the Court's eventual final ruling on the merits of the the BHA's Petition.  Justice Billings subsequently made public a written decision (Preliminary Injunction Ruling)memorializing her order, which reiterates her August 4th oral statement that to the extent the developers continue construction activities in this period, they will have to "proceed at their own peril" and that any construction activity that takes place before the new judge, Justice St. George,  issues the final ruling on the merits of the BHA's Petition "will not affect the court's determination of the petition." The written decision also explains why the Court did not grant the full preliminary injunction the BHA had sought to stop all construction activity.  In that part of the written decision, Justice Billings observed, among several other reasons, "the lack of a convincing showing that petitioner [the BHA] is likely to prevail on the merits of its claims."  Justice Billings had not discussed her view of the BHA's likelihood of success in her oral ruling on August 4th.  The reference in the written decision to a "lack of a convincing showing"  on the merits is disappointing.  Nonetheless, the fact that Justice Billings entered the preliminary injunction as she did suggests that she found the BHA's claims to be serious.  In any event, the BHA continues to belief that its claims are firmly grounded in the facts and the law, and looks forward to presenting them to Justice St. George, who will decide the ultimate merits of the BHA's Petition. No timeframe has yet been established for Justice St. George to issue her final ruling.Read More...

The State’s legislative session ended on June 21st leaving much important business unfinished.  Of critical importance to Brooklyn Heights, and to the entire region, was the State Legislature’s failure to authorize the City’s use of “design build” in undertaking the rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.  As a “creature of the State”, the State must specifically delegate to the City the authority to use this approach in its infrastructure projects. 

Read More...

At the NYC Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Open House on June 28th, members of the Design Team that will be developing and assessing design options for the $1.9 billion BQE Rehabilitation Project met with community residents to answer questions and hear their concerns. Read More...

Clark Street Station to be closed on weekends till Spring 2018

Starting on Friday, June 16th, reconstruction of the Clark St Tube will be in effect every weekend. Service through the tunnel will be stopped from 11:45 p.m. Fridays until 5 a.m. Mondays. Work is expected to last until the Spring of 2018. The Clark Street Station will be closed, and no  or  trains will be stopping at Borough Hall.Read More...

Get ready for something new. This coming Fall, the BHA will debut  on September 29th an exciting benefit event to pick up where our traditional House & Garden Tour left off. Introducing the 2017 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, a new way to celebrate the historic district we love and showcase the design creativity of Brooklyn today.Read More...

Our 2017 Annual Meeting was a huge success, thanks to the BHA members and community residents who filled the auditorium at St. Francis College on February 27th! You can watch YouTube videos of  the panel discussion on the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) Streetcar Project and of the BHA’s Community Awards presentations here. And be sure to follow us on our new YouTube page.Read More...

In January, the NYC Department of Finance (DOF) released actual market valuations and assessments for the recently-completed properties in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The new data supports the BHA’s legal claim that the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (BBPC) misled its Board, which led to the Board approving the construction of two residential towers on Pier 6.Read More...

The BHA’s new website features a fresh look and a deeper way to engage our members and the Brooklyn Heights community. Read More...

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is poised to designate 181 and 185 Montague Street as individual landmarks in January 2017. The LPC’s action would protect the buildings from inappropriate exterior changes or demolition. Read More...

After failing to gain support among the community for the redevelopment of the LICH site that would have likely included affordable housing, a public school, and retail space, but also been considerably larger than what current zoning permits, Fortis announced in November 2016 that it would build the As-Of-Right (AOR) Plan.Read More...