360 Smith Street Happenings Update

Today is as good a day as any to review the status of things surrounding that controversial development at 360 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens that would be built by developer Billy Stein and designed by architect Robert Scarano. Several members of the CORD organization, which grew out of the backlash against the new building, attended an open house yesterday at Council Member Bill de Blasio's district office. Mr. de Blasio has prominently targeted Mr. Scarano, although he has been less vocal, according to many Carroll Gardens residents following the blow-by-blow, about the bigger issues they want addressed--rezoning and expansion of the tiny Carroll Gardens landmark district.

In any case, an email from CORD reports that a "Town Hall" meeting with Mr. de Blasio to discuss rezoning and landmarking issues won't be held until after Labor Day. (Last week, they had said it would happen very soon.) In addition, Mr. de Blasio has told resdients that actual permits for the 360 Smith Street building are not imminent and that the process "has been slowed down due to recent investigations of the architect," Mr. Scarano.

Instead of the "town hall" meeting, Mr. de Blasio will reportedly hve a smaller meeting with residents about the 360 Smith building. Residents say they are anxious to see plans for the building--which have been approved by the Department of Buildings--but that the developer has not offered to show them to anyone.

The group says it wants to keep up pressure on Mr. de Blasio:

CORD is suggesting our members call Mr. deBlasio's office to persist in asking more questions and getting even more answers! The Borough of Brooklyn is our home, after all, and the Councilman is supposed to be there to help us constituents is he not?

So, based on that last statement, we're guessing that not everyone is entirely content.