Coney Island: Last Day for Astroland

Sunday was set to be the last day ever for Astroland. Thor Equities are keen to flatten the site so they can get on with their plans to build time-shares. As Gowanus Lounge puts it: "Our sadness isn't so much that Astroland is going, but that it may be going long before its replacement comes along. Next year, if developer Joe Sitt uses the land as a bargaining chip to pressure the city or exacts revenge for a rejected plan or evicts the former owners because he couldn't squeeze an extra $500,000 in rent from site, the vacant land surrounded by a blue wall of plywood will sit as a dagger through the heart of one of the most diverse destinations in all of Brooklyn."

Save Coney Island Astroland: Posters for the Rally

Posters have been released for Sunday's midday rally to keep Astroland open. Here they are as letter sized PDFs for you to print out and take along. Just click on the thumbnail to open the PDF.

Big Eminent Domain Rally at City Hall, Wednesday.

Carlton Avenue, Brooklyn The below information comes from a press release posted by Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn. New York City Property Owners, Tenants and Advocates Unite to Fight Eminent Domain Abuse After Second Anniversary of Infamous U.S. Supreme Court Kelo Decision TIME/DATE: 1PM, Wednesday, June 27 PLACE: City Hall Steps PARTICIPANTS: Home and business owners, and tenants from Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; Duffield St., Brooklyn; West Harlem, Manhattan; Willets Point, Queens; Councilmembers Tony Avella and Letitia James; and activists from: -- Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn -- NoLandGrab.org -- Historic Districts Council -- Fifth Avenue Committee -- New York Community Council -- Society for the Architecture of the City -- NY Solidarity Coalition with Katrina and Rita Survivors -- Willets Point Business Association -- Harlem Tenants Council -- Coalition to Preserve Community -- West Harlem Coalition -- 550 Riverside, 55/69 Tiemann Pl. Tenants Alliance -- Coalition To Save The East Village -- Coalition for a Livable West Side -- Lower East Side Residents for Responsible Development -- Duffield Street Block Association -- Green Party of Brooklyn -- Park Slope Greens -- United Neighbors for Brooklyn -- Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association -- Brownstone Revival Coalition -- Fans for Fair Play and more... Willets Point, Queens

Duffield Street Eminent Domain Threat: "It's Racist"

Today at City Hall the FUREE rally raised media awareness of the planned use of eminent domain to seize historically valuable properties in downtown Brooklyn in order for an underground car park to be built. The properties are widely believed to be part of the Underground Railroad where slaves were hidden and helped to escape. Joy Chatel, (pictured below, second left), spoke of the need to preserve the site in order for future generations of children to connect with their past, and prevent peer-induced violent crime. Council Member Charles Barron, (below far left) said flatly, "This [use of eminent domain] is racist". Most of the speakers called the AKRF analysis, which stated there was insufficient evidence of the historical connections to prevent the seizure of the properties, a lie. Jorge Montalvo (left) from NYC EDC was on hand to answer questions. He can be reached on 212 312 4266. Joy Chatel from FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality) can be reached on 718 643 1385. Here at BIB we have copies of the FUREE press release which we are happy to email out or post up on the blog. Just drop us a comment requesting them. Further Reading. No Land Grab FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality) The Underground Railroad