As neighborhood booms, locals asked to plan the future of Gowanus
'Bridging Gowanus' public forum on December 9
Things are moving fast in gritty Gowanus. An enormous Whole Foods — complete with rooftop farm and bar — is scheduled to open at Third Street and Third Avenue on December 17, artisanal shops and restaurants are sprouting up like kudzu along Third Avenue, and on Monday, the Lightstone Group began to prep its canal-side properties for a 700-unit apartment complex. A 10-court shuffleboard club is set to open early in 2014.
Along with this explosion in development, however, comes many questions — including how to protect the area’s industrial character, nurture its growing arts and small business community, invest in infrastructure and prevent flooding from the notoriously toxic Gowanus Canal. Last year, Superstorm Sandy caused the canal to overflow its banks, flooding nearby streets and basements with disgusting raw sewage.
Now is the time to plan for the area’s future, say representatives including Brooklyn Council Member Brad Lander and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, who are hosting the first in a series of public forums on Monday, December 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at P.S. 372, 512 Carroll Street.