Coming in 2012: CHCA Garden Installation from Ground Up Designers

CHCA Garden Installation Project from Lana Zellner on Vimeo.

Ground Up Designers, the folks who brought you Built and Branded and designed the Franklin Avenue Merchants logo, have just unveiled their latest project, an installation for the Crow Hill Community Garden. The project will rely on community collaboration for its construction, and will serve as a fundraiser for community groups including the CHCA and SOS Crown Heights. Ground Up will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the purchasing of materials on January 16th, and presenting the project at the CHCA meeting the following day (January 17, 2012 at 7:30pm in the Gospel Tabernacle Church at 725 Franklin Ave). They'll also be seeking grants from around the city, and from architecture competitions nationwide. Watch this space, as well as their blog, for updates, and check out their video (above) and press release (below) for more information. 

From their website:

Located in the Crow Hill Community Garden, Ground Up Designers’ latest community project focuses on bringing the neighborhood together to build something beautiful in memory of last summer’s Labor Day shootings. During the course of the project a canopy made of disposable color-cuffs will grow in the garden to raise awareness for organizations within Crown Heights that are working to end gun violence and hopefully inspire others to get involved. All money raised through the donations of the individual cuffs will go directly toward these organization.

Each color-cuff donated to the project will stand as a symbol of it’s donor’s support for positive community growth in Crown Heights — as more and more people donate their personal cuff to the project, a mesh will begin to grow in a lace like pattern. This mesh of cuffs, created of our neighbors’ joint community spirit, will become the canopy of the installation and a place for people of meet and organize throughout the summer. Architecturally, this canopy will be supported by a framework of fanned supporting legs that connect with hinges to a base. Just as the canopy is supported by the legs, the legs are completely dependent upon the canopy. This design was chosen to represent the relationships between the community organizations that support the community, and the individual members that support the organizations — one would not exist without the other.

Beginning in March of 2012, the color-cuffs will be available for donation at participating businesses throughout Crown Heights. If you make donation to the project, you will be given a color-cuff to personalize with a message and then leave in a collection box for pick up.  Once a week, Ground Up Designers will collect the donated ties and add them to the installation. Over the course of spring and summer, the canopy will flourish overhead as the garden’s plants flower and grow underneath. Ground Up Designers hopes that the gathering space beneath the canopy will be used for outdoor community meetings, poetry readings, and other inspiring community events.

Franklin Avenue: The Year in Review

It's the lazy week between Christmas and New Year's when, despite our best efforts, very little work actually gets done, unless you count plotting New Year's festivities (on the Avenue, Franklin Park and Barboncino will both be hosting revelers, and Grand Army Plaza will blast Brooklyn with fireworks nearby). In lieu of sleuthing up any new stories, ILFA looks back at the twelve months of 2011, which has been, in retrospect, a very interesting year in Crown Heights (though it'd be fair to ask if there's any other kind).

January opened with the Avenue still covered in snow from the massive blizzard (one year ago today) that put ILFA's block on the cover of the New York Times (above) and shut down the city in the last days of 2010. Nostrand Park started a year-long conversation about development in "Four Corners," the liminal zone at the junction of Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bed-Stuy and Clinton Hill, and a story I ran about MLK and libraries (told every year on MLK Day by my dad) became one of ILFA's most-read posts of the year. 

In February, the Brooklyn Historical Society unveiled a restored copy of Bernard Ratzer's 1770 Plan of the City of New York, giving us a look at Crown Heights 241 years ago, while a local Wall Street Journal reporter's look at the neighborhood today introduced us all to "ProCro", six letters that nearly exploded the blogosphere, pushed Crown Heights into regional and national debates about gentrification, and even produced a bill in the New York state assembly (more on that to come). On Franklin, Posh Nails BK opened their doors.

March was a busy month on the Avenue. Local architect Manuel Avila Ochoa launched his award-winning project, Participatory Urbanism Crown Heights, while Sweet Basil and Island Thyme (the final iteration of Bristen's, which was hailed as the first of Franklin's "new" restaurants back in 2008) opened up and the Franklin Park Reading Series celebrated its second birthday with a star-studded lineup.

April was a month for politicians in Crown Heights: Mayor Mike came to Franklin for a cup of coffee with local legend Tony Fisher (who had just opened Bob & Betty's) at The Pulp and the Bean, while our State Assemblyman, Hakeem Jeffries, responded to all the talk of ProCro with a proposed ban on real-estate-agent-driven neighborhood name changes that poured gasoline on the gentrification debate and kicked off another round of message-board mayhem (while the bill is nowhere near becoming a law, it did purportedly scare Corcoran into re-defining Prospect Heights' eastern border from Bedford to Washington in its materials). The short-lived Franklin Roadhouse also opened its doors, a friendly spot that never quite found its identity on an increasingly crowded and competitive Avenue. 

In May, a massive police raid on Franklin incensed many local residents and brought officers from the Impact Zone and the 77th Precinct to that month's Crow Hill Community Association meeting for a contentious exchange that included a threat from one officer to "land a helicopter in the middle of Franklin Avenue." Conversations about policing on Franklin (and beyond) continue - locally-written blog Epichorus has some of the best and most thoughtful coverage on the topic. In local political news, Assemblyman Jeffries put himself on the radar as a challenger to incumbent US Congressman Ed Towns next year. The excellent Built in Brooklyn Craft Fair also hosted its first event at LaunchPad.

Problematic policing continued in June, with a hasty, unwarranted, and unnecessarily violent arrest by overeager Impact Zone officers, but it was also a great start to a booming summer, heralded by the opening of The Candy Rush (Rosebud Vintage also opened across the street around the same time, though it might have been in July). Brooklyn's own Howard Adamsky took ILFA on a walk through the Franklin Avenue of his 1950s childhood, and Nostrand Park launched Destination Nostrand to celebrate today's Crown Heights just a few blocks away.

July brought 100-degree heat and the fourth annual Franklin Avenue Kids' Day, an event which gets bigger and better every year (look for appeals and opportunities to get involved early in 2012, as they'll be recruiting right away). The Crow Hill Community Garden bloomed big, the CHCA started a push for the continuation of the Franklin Avenue bike lane, and Owl and Thistle General Store opened up. Last but not least, ILFA got married.

August marked twenty years since the Crown Heights Riots, which generated a plethora of conversations and events that discussed the legacy of the clashes and the state of the neighborhood today (including the exhibit Crown Heights Gold). The long-anticipated Chavela's finally opened at Sterling and Franklin (and has been packed ever since), and at the end of the month, Hurricane Irene rolled into town. 

The annual West Indian Day Parade brought hundreds of thousands of revelers to Crown Heights in September over Labor Day Weekend, but a rash of shootings across the city (including two incidents at the parade) marred the holiday, as did the NYPD's ridiculous arrest of Councilman Jumaane Williams. In the saddest of Franklin Avenue news, Park Place stalwart Denise Gay was struck and killed later that evening by one of 73 police bullets fired during a shootout started by a local man who walked out of his house and shot another man to death before turning his gun on the officers. While it feels trite to follow this tragedy with anything, a few other September notes: ILFA received a trio of complaints about unwarranted rooftop searches, the CHCA marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with its annual daffodil plantings, and Gueros Tacos opened. 

In October, SOS Crown Heights hosted their second-annual Week of Peace, raising awareness about gun violence in Crown Heights and celebrating their successful reduction of violent crime in their catchment area by nearly 60% over the past year. The Panama Day Parade once again wound its way up Franklin, Occupy Brooklyn hosted a General Assembly in a Panamanian storefront church on the Avenue, Barboncino opened, and a freak snowstorm postponed the CHCA's annual Halloween parade. On the last day of the month, ILFA ran our annual neighborhood-change rundown. At last count (updated as of today), there were 37 new businesses, 5 coming soon, 21 renovations completed or underway, and 20 closures since ILFA started blogging.

November began with the news that the giant hole at Eastern Parkway and Franklin Avenue is on the market and may finally be something other than a giant hole in the foreseeable future (for those who've seen the photo in Pulp and Bean and assume that it's just always been a hole, there really was a building there at one point, and there may be one again soon). On the hottest block on the Avenue (between Sterling and Park), The Crown Inn opened its doors to an eager crowd and has been going strong since. 

Finally, December witnessed the first-ever (to our knowledge) holiday lighting of Franklin Avenue - with solar-powered lights, no less - courtesy of the Franklin Avenue Merchants. Seeds in the Middle closed out a great year of service to Crown Heights kids with Soccer for Harmony, Eve and Mike's Pharmacy opened, and Safe in this Place held their first event. 

Quite a year it was, and the one to come will undoubtedly be as action-packed as 2011 was. For all those who shared in the joys and sorrows of Crown Heights over the past year, may 2012 bring you health, wealth, and happiness. An extra-special thanks to all the readers who have shared their stories and thoughts with ILFA over the past year - whether you're a one-time email tipster or a message-board master like MikeF, this blog wouldn't be worth keeping without you.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays From ILFA

Wherever you are and whoever you're with, happy holidays! In the spirit of holiday giving, I wanted to share these three appeals:

- The FDNY is collecting donations for the firefighters who were seriously injured fighting a fire in Crown Heights last week. 

- SOS Crown Heights are doing great work (violent crime is down 60% in their catchment area since they launched the program), but they still had to hold a shooting response yesterday. Support their efforts to keep Crown Heights peaceful here. 

- LaunchPad continues to expand their slate of programs along the Avenue, offering great free events nearly every day of the year. They've only received $4,000 in support to date, less than one month's operating expenses, but they've still cobbled together an incredible few years. Support their arts and community programming here (be sure to designate "Launchpad" as your recipient at the bottom of the page)

Finally, it wouldn't be an ILFA post without some notes about new businesses on the horizon. In 2012, Franklin will get its first baby store, Stork, and Prospect Heights Patch reports that Colala (Chinese and Japanese restaurant) will be open even before 2011 is over. 

Happy holidays to all!

Another Major Residential Development Planned for St. Marks

(part of the site is pictured on the right)

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported yesterday that 505 St. Marks Avenue sold for $4.5 million to a developer, which comes out to approximately $48 per buildable square foot. The CHCA had previously reported that the property would be redeveloped as a halfway house, but this sale seems to rule out that possibility. The buyer is planning a 94,000 square foot, 128-unit, all market-rate residential development on the site of the former day care center, which sits on the north side of St. Marks between Franklin and Classon (just west of the shuttle tracks and the just-finished St. Marks Gardens affordable housing development, and across the street from the Jewish Hospital residential complex). 

The planned development would be a major addition to the area that Nostrand Park dubbed "Four Corners" last year as it continues shift dramatically from a light-industrial area (with some limited housing mixed in) to a residential one. 128 units is a big development - the 8-story St. Marks Gardens next door is only 38 units - and at all-market-rate, it's safe to say it's not going to attract local folks displaced by local gentrification. On the other hand, a new development on a property that wasn't residential before won't directly displace people, though it certainly precludes other uses (like a halfway house or day care center) and contributes to the overall trajectory of change along the Avenue. 

At the very least, this is one site to watch (along with the giant hole) over the next few months. 

Last Minute: Peace Caroling with SOS Crown Heights Today at 3:30 PM

The flyer's got all the information - if you've got the afternoon off, join the SOS Crown Heights folks in spreading peace and joy throughout the neighborhood. 

Cartoon Carnival at LaunchPad Thursday at 8pm

The Kings County Cinema Society hosts their final event of the year tonight at LaunchPad, featuring a slate of class Christmas cartoons curated by cartoon-o-phile Tom Stathes of Cartoons on Film. To ensure holiday cheer, they'll have some tasty booze on offer (donations appreciated). Should be a highly enjoyable evening - even if you're not a cartoon nut, swing by to learn more about the was KCCS supports local filmmakers and film buffs. 

From their blog:

12/22: Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival: Holiday Edition at LaunchPad

December 6th, 2011

Description: We’re oh-so-happy to welcome back cartoon collector extraordinaire Tom Stathes, who will thrill us with some antiquated ‘toon treasures on 16mm in time for Xmas. From Tommy: “To celebrate Christmas 2011, Tom Stathes digs out vintage Christmas cartoons for your enjoyment. We’ll be screening more of an hour’s worth of rare and obscure animation from the 1920s through 1940s on actual 16mm film with a projector. By doing this, Tom is not only keeping alive a form of film presentation that is now quickly dying but also replicates the old semi-professional projected 16mm film screenings which were common in schools, clubs, private homes, and neighborhood cinemas in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Come be a part of our fun and unique holiday experience!” More about Tom’s efforts at his site Cartoons on Film

We’ll have tasty and boozy holiday beverages for a suggested donation, and Tom will have DVD transfers of some of his vast ‘toon collection for sale for all procrastinating holiday shoppers.


Details: Thursday December 22nd 8pm at LaunchPad, 721 Franklin Ave btw/ Park and Sterling. 2/3/4/5 train to Franklin Ave.

Crow Hill Community Association Meeting Tonight: Bring Items for Holiday Drives

The final CHCA meeting of 2012 takes place tonight (Tuesday) at 7:30pm at the Gospel Tabernacle Church  (725 Franklin Avenue). CHCA meetings are always a great way to connect with neighbors in the service of building community along the Avenue, but tonight's meeting is extra-special, in two ways. 

First, CHCA members are contributing to two holiday drives to help those in need here in Crown Heights. At the meeting, they will be collecting non-perishable food, toiletries, and linens (specifically twin sheets, blankets, and towels) for Kianga House, a transitional family shelter located in Crow Hill, as well as warm men's clothing for those who stay at the Bedford-Atlantic Armory. Bring your donations to the meeting!

Secondly, for those looking for a little more neighborly holiday chatter, the Crown Inn will be generously providing $3 drinks (one apiece) to attendees once the meeting has been adjourned. If you haven't been to a CHCA meeting yet, tomorrow's the day to do it!