Once Upon A Time On The Shores Of The Gowanus: Frank Shifreen And "The Monument Redefined " Show

Brooklyn's Public Place: From Brownfield To Senior Housing
A Film By Matt Sollars

I happened to come across this video by Matt Sollars of the CUNY Graduate School Of Journalism. I am posting it here because it is a must see video for everyone in Carroll Gardens. Sollars examines the redevelopment of the Public Place site between Smith Street and the Gowanus Canal. He writes:

The future of a former fuel processing plant on the edge of Carroll Gardens has sparked fierce debate in the Brooklyn neighborhood. While some want the sprawling site, known as Public Place, to be used for senior housing or as a park, others fear the brownfield can never be made safe.

Both Buddy Scotto of Scotto Funeral Home and Brad Lander the Pratt Center for Community Development are interviewed in the piece. Their gung ho attitude towards building housing, especially senior housing, on toxic land is chilling.


Bravo to Betty Stolz of the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation who argues that Public Place should become a park for the local community. Her comment is simple but to the point:

"Why stick people someplace that can kill them. I wouldn't want my mother living there."

Obviously Mr.Scotto and Mr. Lander (who is running for City Council) don't have those qualms.

Related Reading:

Once Upon A Time On The Shores Of The Gowanus: Frank Shifreen And "The Monument Redefined " Show

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