May 12, 2007 / Not Just Nets / Carroll Gardens–Cobble Hill / Perspective / Brooklyn South

No room for this here hotel

By Ariella Cohen

The Brooklyn Paper

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Ironically, it was the hotel that was to rise across the street from the Brooklyn House of Detention that got cuffed and sentenced to a quiet, bureaucratic death this week.

“Application withdrawn” was the only explanation given when the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals cancelled Tuesday’s schedule hearing on the 262 Atlantic Ave. project.

No muss, no fuss and no hotel. This was a case of public process victory. The people (and maybe the Marriott) spoke against the developer’s proposal for a hotel, the city listened — and fast as an inmate’s visiting hour, the hotel with jail-front views died.

“There are a lot of [other] uses that are as-of-right,” said Brian Leary of Massey Knakal Realty Services, who is representing the site’s owner.

“It could be a national restaurant franchise. It could be offices, retail or residential. It could be a car dealership. We’ll let the market decide,” he said.

An attendant at the surface parking lot that now occupies the block-size site between Smith Street and Boerum Place offered the most conclusive analysis of the withdrawn application.

“They’re trying to make it classy here,” he said.

Yes, “they” are.

And the effort has been going on a long, long time.

Atlantic Avenue took decades to become the eclectic strip of restaurants, antique shops, bars, boutiques and bond shops it is now.

The growth was jumpstarted by community activist who pushed for the creation of a “Special Atlantic Avenue” district between Court Street and Third Avenue that limits the size of buildings and regulates their signage. The rezoning forced stores to replace large signs designed with driver in mind and put in smaller, less neon signs that were less blindingly ugly for a pedestrian. Developers were barred from demolishing buildings unless city officials had approved a clear and committed reconstruction plan. The goal at the time of inception was insuring that the street outgrow its mid-century identity as a place of vacancy and gas stations.

And yes, it’s working.

We have the Smith, a 93-room boutique hotel going up at 75 Smith St. We have an eight-story condo is going up at 240 Atlantic Ave., right next to the would’ve-been hotel. And of course, there is the bigger and better-than-ever House of D coming on with its new jailhouse shops.

The city’s refusal to change the area’s pedestrian-friendly zoning to allow for the hotel showed support for the brownstoners of Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill.

Now, as a new generation of residents (and inmates) are moving to the area, it’s time to look back at that rezoning. We are at another crossroads — and the best proof is the stalemate at 265 Atlantic Ave. It is a parking lot that could have been a hotel that will now be decided by “the market.”

But until the market decides, it will be a parking lot for a little while longer.

The Kitchen Sink

Fuhgetabout the cheese: A new vegan eatery opened last week on Warren Street near Court Street. The place is called Jill’s and the soy-whatever is supposed to be delish. …

The Municipal Arts Society awarded Fairway developer Greg O’Connell its “Best Neighborhood Catalyst” prize this week at a very-Midtown gala. Wonder if he wore his favorite overalls? No disrespect, Greg, but the real award should have gone to Fairway’s olive bar (talk about a contribution to the community!). …

An art gallery is on the way to the corner of Union and Columbia streets, next to the Coffee Den. Details are still a little impressionist, but keep your eyes open. …

The first week at the Gowanus Yacht Club was a PBR-soaked success. Bartender Matt said the place was packed “every night and then some.” Now that the weather is nice, expect the open-air beer garden at Smith and President streets to be “loaded” until November.

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper