Good News and Bad News at McCarren Pool

There is good news and bad news to report at Gowanus Lounge's favorite abandoned site in Brooklyn (now that the best part of the Greenpoint Terminal Market has been dramatically dispatched by the fire gods). First, the good news: Bloc Party will be playing a McCarren Pool on July 29. Now, the bad news: Doesn't look like the community groups that want to turn the long closed pool back into a (!!!) pool (which comes with a $40 million pricetag) will prevail anytime soon.

After paying for a $200,000 cleanup of the derelict pool for last fall's successful and wonderful "Agora" dance presentation (cool photo of which is from swatt's flickr photostream, Ron Delsner Presents of Clear Channel Communications snagged a contract with the city to produce McCarren Pool concerts this year. (We're guessing the stage will be in the deep end by the old lifeguard platform?)

While rocking out in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint moonlight will be cool to some, there could be an eventual lead balloon effect among future neighbors (five lux buildings are under construction in the immediate area and more are coming).

Right now, ignoring the fact that North Brooklyn community groups seem to be losing another fight to ensure that a community asset is used for the benefit of the existing community, GL can only say: Bloc Party at McCarren Pool in July!