As the $3.5 billion vision plan combining an all-electric, 60-acre port with a mixed-use waterfront community in Red Hook marked its year anniversary, Carroll Gardens Association hosted a community forum regarding the future of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. 

The attending maritime professionals encouraged residents to put freight transportation at the top of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal’s redevelopment priorities, arguing that moving more goods by water could reduce truck traffic, improve air quality and support waterfront jobs. 

Among attendees at Sacred Hearts Church, held on Sept. 28, was a special guest – Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. “The future of New York is on the water,” Velázquez told the enthusiastic gathering, “The community fought for the process to be transparent, now it’s on us to address the issues.”

“It’s a bridge VS real estate,” said Phaedra Thomas, a Brooklyn industrial expert and former executive director of the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation. Having spent 10 years of her career in Sunset Park, she argued that the Brooklyn Marine Terminal should mainly be understood as transportation infrastructure. 

Jim Tampakis, founder of Marine Spares International and a loangtime Red Hook maritime business owner, proposed a waterborne freight and transportation combined distribution system. According to his plan, goods would arrive at the terminal, be sorted into containers and travel by electric vessels to waterfront sites in the city. Tampakis also proposed to have solar panels on terminal buildings to help power operations. 

The stated vision of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which is overseeing the re-development of the port, includes using the terminal as a major hub in its Blue Highways network. The network aims to move freight by water and reduce reliance on trucks. The representatives from the New York City Economic Development Corporation attended the forum as well.

 “The EDC isn’t the enemy, they just got their priorities wrong,” said Geoff Utmark, a naval architect and maritime entrepreneur, who questioned the priorities guiding the terminal’s redevelopment.

Furthermore, Phaedra Thomas said, “There’re some amazing people at EDC that have brought real life maritime facilities and new investments in Sunset Park, the Navy Yard, Hunts Point, and all along our highway since the containerization happened. That is the maritime resurgence we want to see. I don’t want you to think that anything has died back. It has actually grown in the face of little to no support.” 

“We are in the epicentre of the biggest consumer market on the planet, and that is a fact,” she added.

Thomas argued that bringing more goods into Brooklyn by water could shorten truck journeys and help reduce pollution affecting nearby communities. She also called for longer-term stability for the existing port operations and a broader planning effort to reach the terminal’s full potential. She argued that the port’s future should be planned so it serves the city’s transportation needs, supports union workers and reduces the environmental issues in the neighborhood.

“Let’s put our thinking caps on and make New York City number one, because we are.”

As the sun set over the Gowanus Canal on September 24, shouts of “Hochul, eschucha estamos en la lucha,”(Hochul, listen, we are in this fight) rang from the gates of the Gowanus Generating Station. Community organizations and New York Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes had gathered to demand Governor Kathy Hochul stop the possible expansion of the station, as power companies rush to meet the growing energy demand brought on by Artificial Intelligence companies. 

The Generating Station, which converts primarily fracked natural gas into electricity, is currently set for closure in 2029. The operating company, Alpha Generation LLC (AlphaGen) recently introduced plans to keep the station open while replacing the current generating units with new ones. AlphaGen says the new units will be twice as efficient as the current ones, while easing the stress on a New York power grid that is already stretched very thin. Community organizers believe the expansion is primarily intended to meet the growing energy demands of new AI data centers.

“We do not need dirty energy to power AI data centers, we need Governor Hochel to keep data centers out of New York and we need her to shut down this costly, dangerous and unnecessary frack-gas power plant,” Eric Weltmen, a senior organizer for Food and Water Watch, said while speaking at the protest. 

Weltmen and other organizers have good reason to believe this expansion may feed energy hungry AI data centers. AlphaGen is owned by Arclight Capital, an energy investment firm. In May of this year Arclight was bought for $1.05 Billion by DigitalBridge Group. In a statement specifically about the acquisition of Arclight, DigitalBridge CEO Marc Ganzi stressed the importance of access to energy infrastructure. 

“AI is rewiring the global power equation, accelerating investment across generation, transmission and behind-the-meter infrastructure,” said Ganzi in a press release about the purchase of Arclight.

Continuing up the AI investment food chain, DigitalBridge Group itself was recently bought by Japanese investment bank, SoftBank Group Corp. The deal was initially agreed in December of 2025 for around $4 billion. The press release to announce the purchase of DigitalBridge directly cited the need for improved energy infrastructure to power AI ventures as a reason for the purchase. 

“The planned acquisition of DigitalBridge will strengthen SoftBank Group’s ability to build, scale, and finance the foundational infrastructure needed for next-generation AI services and applications,” the statement read. 

In late 2024, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son took the stage with then President-elect Donald Trump to pledge $100 billion of investment in American AI companies. 

As investors pour billions of dollars into the acquisition of infrastructure such as the Gowanus Generating Station, local organizers fear the safety of their communities is being put at risk to fill the coffers of investment banks. 

“Its really really not good that a big AI data center investor is financing this whole operation,” Santosh Nandabalan, Organizing Director for New York Communities for Change said plainly. 

The plans to expand operation of the plant require permits from the state of New York. This is where the protestors are hoping Governor Hochul steps in, citing the generating station and a reliance on fossil fuels as threats to the environment and public health as reasons to shut down possible expansion. 

Though the new units are supposedly 50% more efficient than the current ones, the fear is prolonged and increased reliance on the burning of fossil fuels for the New York Energy grid. In 2019, the state of New York passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which required 70% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. Reversing the 2029 closuring a fossil fuel powered generating station, would be in direct conflict with that act.

“We are here today. We will come back tomorrow. We will come back as many times as we have to, to ensure that the governor gets the message that we need to close the plant,” said New York assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes.  

In 2020, a similar plan to modernize the generating station was walked back after heavy pushback from the community. That plan however, was not backed by multi-billion dollar investment banks. Local organizers are expecting a long fight but are still confident they will come out on top. 

City Parks Foundation’s cleanup event at Bensonhurst Park on Wednesday brought out local volunteers, but one says the refurbished park still “could use all the help it can get,”  

The September 23 cleanup attracted a small group of neighborhood residents. Senior Community Engagement Coordinator Karley Chamblee did not attend due to other foundation events held that day in Brooklyn.

City Parks Foundation, otherwise known as CPF, is a program built upon improving NYC Parks. It hosts sporting events, art shows, and educational programs. The foundation’s goal is to create an accessible and safe park for each community. The programs CPF provides are located in more than 330 parks, recreation centers, and public schools across New York City. 

Bensonhurst Park is a 17.5 acre park on Cropsey Avenue between Bay Parkway and 21st Avenue. The park contains baseball fields, basketball and handball courts, fitness equipment, playground and sprinkler system. It’s close to P.S. 101, Joseph B Cavallaro Middle School, Saint Peter Catholic Academy and other schools.  

The park has undergone drastic transformation over the past five years. Then-Councilmember Justin Brannan announced a massive renovation project in 2019. According to the Brooklyn Paper, then-Mayor Bill DeBlasio, Councilmembers Brannan and Mark Treger raised $7.86 million in funding for the renovations. 

The park’s initial repairs included  replacing outdated and worn out benches, repaving walk-through areas, sprinkler system equipment and improving playground equipment. It was completed in January of 2021. 

Long time Bensonhurst resident John Silas has been volunteering at the park since before there were any organizations to do so. He found “It’s My Park” through an Instagram post of a volunteer. Silas cleans up garbage and gardens whenever needed. 

“I’ve been living in this neighborhood for 43 years and have been going to this park forever,” Silas said. “It’s the least I could do.”

Silas said there the park had a distinctive character but knew it was inevitable given the park’s poor condition. “I used to really like the way the park used to look, but now it kind of looks like any other park,” Silas said. “But change is good. The park is better for it.”

There are problems still within the park. Caesar, who chose not to give his last name, is another volunteer and parkgoer. He said the bathroom has been a real issue. He claimed that the bathroom re-opened with the renovations and it satisfied the park’s needs. It closed due to plumbing and cleanliness issues. It remained closed for months and recently re-opened.

“If a park is open and the bathroom doesn’t work, how does that make sense?” Ceasar said

Ceasar also mentioned that security has increased but does not prevent people from drinking and doing drugs in the park. “This place is a playground and there are still people who think of it as a partyhouse,” Caesar said. “It’s just not safe for people and families.”

Churches United For Fair Housing (CUFFH) and Hands Off NYC threw a party Sunday for the Bushwick Latinx community to celebrate immigrant families and generate awareness for constitutional rights. Although the event is usually an outdoor block party, CUFFH moved it indoors to Xanadu Roller Arts due to rainy weather.

The venue was decked up in neon lights, metallic streamers and handmade ‘ICE OUT’ signs. Community members were in their Sunday best, with little girls running around in frilly skirts and adults in traditional South American attire. The organizers provided guests with free lunch, and access to roller skates for a spin on the course. The event welcomed people of all ages, seniors mingling with young adults and families creating memories together.

Gabriel Fantacone, CUFFH’s Deputy Director of Civic Engagement, spoke about how the organization usually throws an annual appreciation party for it’s members, and why it was important to have more this year. “We partnered with Hands Off, who we’ve worked with in the past— and we’re trying to spread more awareness about immigrant rights, have our community members engage with business owners who have been involved with housing advocacy and just overall letting people know they have access to resources.” Fantacone also shared that they had 324 volunteers signed up to work the event, and that both organizations were extremely pleased with the turn out. CUFFH is a grassroots advocacy organization founded in 2009 that provides affordable housing services and integrated social resources.

Hands Off NYC is a coalition that trains organizations, unions, faith leaders, and everyday people to protect their communities from ICE and stop the Trump administration’s consolidation of power. Jim from Hands Off, who preferred not to give his last name, said that gatherings like the ‘Know Your Rights’ party are a major hub for educating people about just how much power they truly hold. “We’ve trained about 2500 businesses in New York City, and each of them have been surprised at the fact that they can actually say ‘no.’” Hands Off trains volunteers free of cost and provides them with supplies such as ‘NO ICE’ cards to distribute to local businesses. The more volunteers there are, Jim said, the more people truly “know their rights.”

Overall, the event was extremely lively, and really felt like a celebration of the community. There were birthday parties going on simultaneously, which only added to the fun. Some independent charities were also invited to set up booths, including a fund selling jewellery to raise money for families affected by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Most guests belonged to South American and Latinx communities, and CUFFH founder Rob Solano addressed them in Spanish. Fantacone summarised his remarks in English, after which Solano’s five-year-old daughter closed the event with a wave to the crowd.

On Sept. 15 South of Prospect residents gathered for the very first workshop of a long-term improvement plan for the corridors of Coney Island Avenue & McDonald Avenue led by the Department of City Planning and three New York City Council officials. The workshop focused on community housing, economic development and local infrastructure of the large south of Prospect Park area, including the neighbourhoods of Kensington, Midwood, Ditmas Park and Borough Park.

Rita Joseph, a member of the New York City Council for the 40th district was one of the officials who opened the workshop, held at P.S. 889 on Hinckley Place. “I grew up just around the street,” Joseph said, “This is a long overdue meeting to start treating Coney Island Avenue and McDonald Avenue as a community asset rather than just a place.”

She encouraged South of Prospect residents to ask questions and participate in the activities, “Make your voices heard,” said Joseph.

Almost a 100 people attended the workshop. Residents grouped at tables around the room participated in a visioning activity to help identify the key issues. They supported the idea of mixed-use buildings with small businesses on the first floor and apartments above them. Many of the attendees also called for more affordable housing, additional community spaces and better support for locally owned businesses, as one of the major priorities was keeping the economy local. According to the residents, mixed-used buildings would expand small businesses and create additional housing along both corridors.

The participants also discussed the need for better parking, more buses and bicycle lanes. Some of the attendees raised concerns about poor street lighting and the narrow subway stations, including limited entrances to the Beverley Road and Prospect Park train stations on Q train line, which causes unsafe conditions in the neighborhood.

These concerns also reflect the results of a survey provided by the Department of City Planning. According to 1,865 survey participants, 84% of which live in south of Prospect area, the main three priorities for the plan are street conditions, affordable housing and open spaces.

The September 15 th workshop was just the first step forward to building a better environment. There will be a virtual meeting held on Wednesday, September 23 rd for those who couldn’t participate in the opening event. As the draft of neighborhood plan comes together, community members will be able to view and share their thoughts about the process.

“Today is the beginning stage. We’re here to work hand in hand with you to make our neighborhood safer and more affordable,” said Council member Farah louis, “Good thing happen when neighbors get together!”

  Every year during Labor Day, people from all over flood Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn for the   West Indian Day parade. On Sept. 6 in preparation for the event, Prospect Park Alliance and Smorgasburg hosted “Islands in the Park: A Caribbean Jam”. The event featured different activities and food vendors to celebrate the Caribbean community.

  Smorgasburg is a food festival that takes place in Brooklyn, with two locations; Williamsburg and Prospect Park. Multiple vendors from various cultural backgrounds serve every weekend in the summer until October. 

  For the event Federation Sound, a popular Caribbean DJ collective, had their member, DJ Danglez, on the turntables playing a mixture of new and old Caribbean hits. 

  Greg Will, also known as DJ Danglez spoke about what these events mean to him as a fellow Caribbean.

  “So I grew up in a house full of DJ’s. My stepfather and his family were DJs before I was born, so I kind of grew up with it,” said DJ Danglez.

   This is Danglez second time deejaying the Smorgasburg event. He expressed how his sets go off of the vibes and how he uses music to cater to multiple demographics.

   “I think you could plug me in any room and I can play a set for whatever the room looks like,” stated Danglez. 

  Many individuals dressed casually wearing flags representing their countries for a pop of color. 

     Lawn chairs and blankets filled the area with different families who relished in the sounds of the Caribbean. New York City (NYC) has a large Caribbean community, concentrated in Brooklyn. An estimated 1 million people gathered at Eastern Parkway for the West Indian parade, from all different backgrounds on the day following Smorgasburg.

  Right outside the tri-state area, a group of friends from Connecticut came out to the Smorgasburg event to immerse themselves in Caribbean culture. 

  Keyla Casildo, who is stationed in Connecticut but originally from the city, attended the event to get a taste of home. She expressed how the cultural scene is different in Connecticut compared to the city.

 “We came for the vibes, great food because we are stationed in Connecticut and the festivals do not hit and we are from the city so we miss it real bad,” stated Casildo.  

   Angela Herrera, another resident from Connecticut talked about enjoying her favorite cuisine and finally being able to enjoy it at this event.  

 “I love oxtail, I had oxtail and cocoa bread from the vendor E Cocoa Bread. It was really good, it was a little spicy but I told them to go light on the spices.” stated Herrera. 

   Oxtail, Jerk Chicken and a variety of other Caribbean dishes were served during the event by multiple vendors. Jerk Chicken is a traditional Caribbean cuisine which features chicken doused in spices and peppers. Oxtail, aptly named, is the tail of an ox that is served with another Caribbean staple, rice and peas and gravy. 

The 59th annual West Indian Day Parade traveled along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, drawing an estimated million people on September 7 – including Mayor Mamdani – to what has become one of the city’s biggest festivals, and with that come safety concerns that have followed it for years.

The festival was slated to end around 5:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than last year, because of safety concerns. However, that didn’t stop altercations from arising.

People wasted no time flooding the streets Monday morning with flags representing different Caribbean nations and memorabilia from their cultures. It didn’t take long for the floats to settle in and the vendors to start selling. “The parade personally means to me that my people have conquered and sacrificed so much to get a day of celebration for all of the hardships we have gone through.” Nathaniel Smalls, a Brooklyn resident representing Barbados and Guyana.

However, this year, as in years past, some violence followed. There were two separate shootings that occurred around the parade, with three people injured. According to Fox 5, a man was shot in the buttocks, and another man and a woman both suffered graze wounds to their legs.

“It was really the same as it is every year,” said Keanu May, a Brooklyn resident celebrating his Jamaican culture. “But I would like the violence to be toned down cause that really lessens the excitement of what we really should be celebrating.”

Last year’s parade saw a similar level of violence. According to NBC New York, at the 2025 West Indian Day Parade, there were four different shootings with seven people shot. In 2024, according to Brooklyn Magazine, at least four people were shot, with one man dying in a shooting along the route of the parade.

Many people still enjoyed the day. “The parade was great as a whole,” said Snalls. “We as people just need to come together more and settle all differences for just 1 day and enjoy life on earth.”

On Sept. 8, Brooklyn College community and faculty members gathered at the Woody Tanger Auditorium to honor Dr. George Cunningham – A Brooklyn College professor for 48 years and a former chair of the Africana Studies Department.

During the memorial, Cunningham was remembered as a father figure who advocated for his colleagues, offered personal support to students and challenged them intellectually. According to his former students, his lectures extended beyond literature into resistance, responsibility and fighting for freedom.

Cunningham, born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Baltimore, earned a doctorate in American Studies from Yale University. In 1978, he joined Brooklyn College’s Africana Studies Department. Along with his service as Deputy Chair and two terms as Department Chair, Dr. Cunningham co-edited Representing Black Men and co-founded the Black Filmmaker Foundation.

Robert Jones Jr., a former student of Brooklyn College, described Cunningham as one of his first Black male professors during his time in Brooklyn College, that fundamentally changed his life. Professor Cunningham believed reading books was one of the most important things in life. Through his course “Reading Race,” he deepened Jones’s love of literature and taught him to approach reading and writing with a critical eye.

“He gave me a passion for resistance that I’ll forever pass on,” said Jones. According to him, Professor Cunningham also taught his students about civil responsibility, literary gatekeeping and the importance of education. He gave the students a path to run free. “Professor Cunningham was one of the very few people who knew the importance of freedom and to protect it, every hour, every minute, every second.” As he fought back tears at the end of his tribute, Jones described Dr. Cunningham as someone who “had his neck pressed bravely on the blade, daring them to cut.”

Former students described Professor Cunningham as a demanding teacher. Despite all other courses, responsibilities and deadlines, he expected all students to read multiple books during the semester and come to class prepared to discuss it all. “Pick up the damn book,” he would joke.

While he demanded rigor, he also offered support. Dr. Cunningham’s efforts continued outside classroom, as he helped his graduates find their direction in life, encouraged them to pursue higher degrees and offered them various job opportunities. “He’d remember to call you on your birthday,” said a former Brooklyn College student, Zinga Fraser, “He called me when my mother passed and talked to me for hours.”

Professor Cunningham shaped the lives and careers of his colleagues as well. The faculty members remembered him as a presence who knew how to light up the room. Linda Day of Africana Studies Department remembers her first encounter with Dr. Cunningham. “Are you an activist?” he asked Day during her interview in Brooklyn College in 1991, and her answer sealed the deal. “Throughout my career, he was the one who fought for my job and made sure I stayed at Brooklyn college,” Day said.

The speakers remembered him as a campus leader that always stood up for his co-workers, advocated for fairness and often took responsibilities nobody else wanted to take. Dale Byam of Africana Studies department mentions “If I needed help, everybody would tell me to call George, and he would always respond “Why not? Let’s do this!”

Cunningham is survived by his four first cousins along with many other relatives and friends. After nearly 5 decades in Brooklyn College, Professor Cunningham’s legacy continues through the students and faculty that he mentored. “He’d fight for you till hell freezes over,” says Fraser, “And when it does, he’ll fight on ice.”

New York City is dubbed the “city that never sleeps,” operating twenty-four hours with no breaks. But Coney Island, wide awake in the summer as an iconic tourist destination, sleeps during winter, until the scorching heat returns. 

To most New Yorkers Coney Island is the beach, the Cyclone and Luna Park. It is constantly labeled as a summer attraction. Summer crowds jump around from the boardwalk to the rides to local dining options. All day, the MTA’s Stillwell Avenue station brings waves of visitors, who follow the same routine as those who arrived earlier. It is the season where businesses, both corporate and local, are able to thrive off the large crowds. 

But after the summer, foot traffic diminishes to a trickle of local residents taking the subway to work. The long lines are reduced to three to five people. Business operating hours, which once stretched from noon to midnight or beyond, now end by 10pm. Local businesses, without a brand name to carry them through the off season, close early or shut down entirely. Surf Avenue at night becomes a deserted, quiet space.

Two related development plans are in the works that might swell Coney Island’s resident population and maybe draw visitors to Coney Island in the cooler months.

On December 11th, a one billion dollar reconstruction for the Coney Island boardwalk was approved, according to Grace Tang, program director at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, who spoke at a Community Board 13 meeting. The plan includes renovating the boardwalk using existing materials, replacing broken wood panels and unleveled concrete floors.

“Once design kicks off, we’ll reach out and work with the Community Board 13, New York City Housing Authority, the alliance of Coney Island, the Aquarium, and many others,” Tang said. Aside from offering new housing space, the ground floor of these new buildings also includes space for businesses to build new restaurants. As of now, there is an Asian cuisine restaurant being built in the space, adding more restaurants in the area.

The boardwalk renovation is part of the “Coney Island West” plan, first announced by NYC Mayor Eric Adams in 2024 that also includes 1,500 units of new housing and an upgrade to the sports center. Mayor Adams said, “We are delivering mixed-income affordable housing, investing $42 million to renovate Abe Stark Sports Center, and making significant improvements across streets, sewers, and the public realm. Coney Island’s best days still lie ahead, and today, we are starting the next chapter of its bright future.” 

The plan intends to encourage local business and address many issues that were caused by Hurricane Sandy, as the storm’s impact on the area is still present to this day. But the Coney Island West plan also stirs fear of gentrification.

Rosalina Khanis, a longtime native of Coney Island, said, “When I was little there were a lot of mom-and-pop shops and overall family-run businesses where everyone knew each other, and now it feels more commercialized, where it’s for business rather than being a community.” Khanis added, “Gentrification, on one point, is ok to bring in more younger people, but on the negative side, the sense of community really goes down.” 

Some businesses, though would be welcome. The current Coney Island area lacks 24-hour delis. Delis on Surf Avenue close down for the night by 11pm. As of now, there is only one deli open for twenty-four hours. The deli is located next to the Coney Island-Stillwell Av, and a worker, Jaheem, who preferred to not give out their last name, said, “People come to us because we are the only deli open all day and all night. MTA workers getting off work come here instead of McDonald’s. We’re the better option.”

   Ruby’s, a popular family-owned restaurant, may also benefit. A former worker, Brandon Zayas, commented, “Rudy’s will only benefit from any change happening to Coney; the place has been in business for decades and is considered a local landmark.” Ruby’s is currently closed for the winter season.

One development plan was recently defeated: the plan to introduce a casino. The selling point for the community was that a casino would boost the area’s economy by attracting year-round foot traffic. The casino proposal encountered pushback from Brooklyn’s borough president, Coney Island’s community board members, and City Council members. Talks regarding the proposal have lingered in the air since 2022, but finally, in 2025, the casino idea was shut down. Dubbed as a victory for the community.

Over 13 years after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, the waterfront community of Gerritsen Beach still suffers from the same vulnerabilities as it did during Hurricane Sandy, as residents say little has changed. 

Before the storm hit in 2012, Gerritsen Beach was considered Zone B in the city’s emergency management plan. This designation was a critical factor in the neighborhood’s preparation and response to the storm, because unlike Zone A, the residents of Zone B were not instructed to evacuate when the storm came. The flooding started with people’s basements but very quickly escalated.  

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that Gerristen Beach would now be considered Zone A, and pledged better social services and improved infrastructure to prevent similar disasters in the future. 

Some homeowners have since elevated their houses to fit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) construction standards, including the base flood elevation (BFE). BFE is the height floodwater is expected to reach during a base flood, which has a 1% chance of occurring any given year. This is true for resident Barbara Curran, who lost her house due to flooding during the storm. She said it took roughly five months to rebuild and elevate her home, but that it worked. 

“Since we elevated our house we haven’t had any flooding,” said Curran. 

Her house used to be below sea level, something that many people in the neighborhood still struggle with. “Many homes with basements continue to flood during heavy rain or coastal storms,” said Curran. 

Since Gerritsen Beach was not originally part of Brooklyn’s floodplain, “…[houses] were not built to current flood resilient construction standards provided by FEMA and reflected in the New York City Building Code,” according to the Department of City Planning (DCP). 

A proposal to rezone Gerritsen Beach under the DCP’s Resilient Neighborhoods initiative entered public review in October 2020, but there haven’t been any updates since then. DCP did not respond to inquiries about the plan’s status. 

According to Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo, the proposal appears to have stalled completely. “We were promised DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] sewer shut offs as well as generators for the stores on Gerritsen Avenue and many other updates. But, as far as I remember nothing has been done,” said Scavo. 

She added that no significant action was ever taken. “City Planning proposed how Gerritsen should be zoned and elevation heights but only a few houses have followed the plan,” said Scavo. 

The reason for this is straightforward: “The cost for floodproofing is very high. Most homeowners can’t afford it,” said Scavo. 

With elevation out of reach for many residents, some advocates are pushing for alternative strategies to reduce flooding. One option, permeable pavement, uses alternative materials designed to soak up storm water and prevent flooding. At a Town Hall meeting at Brooklyn College on Oct. 22, permeable pavement advocate Rona Taylor, Executive Director of the Central and South East Brooklyn Community Development Corporation (CXSE BK), described how it would work. 

“It’s a type of pavement where when it floods, the water can go into this material and then it absorbs the water and then when it’s hot, the water evaporates and it cools the air,” said Taylor.

The first implementations of permeable pavement were installed in South Brooklyn over the summer, but there have been no announcements of where it may be installed next. 

For a waterfront neighborhood like Gerritsen Beach, such infrastructure could offer relief. But implementing permeable pavement would require extensive construction and major funding, both of which remain uncertain. 

A new affordable housing project is set to be built in Bath Beach, with the remodeling of the New Utrecht Library and the adjacent parking lot, to create new apartments that will be part of a new city program called “Living Libraries.” 

Living libraries are a city initiative that is part of the “City for Yes for Families” led by the city government, as well as the Economic Development Corporation, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Housing Preservation and Development. The program involves remodeling existing libraries and adding affordable housing. 

Over the last few years, the Bath Beach/Bensonhurst area has seen many changes, including business openings and closings, and project delays. Still, one of the major topics under discussion is adding housing to the area.

In 2023, the area received notice of a new homeless shelter under construction, and the community’s reaction was adverse. Both Councilmember Susan Zhuang and Assemblymember William Colton, along with many residents, protested for over 100 days straight to hope that the shelter wouldn’t be built. 

The reasoning is that the homeless system is flawed, and businesses and schools surround the location at 2501 86th St. The current fight is ongoing as the neighborhood approaches the demolition date of the building that will become a homeless shelter. 

In late September, Mayor Adams announced the redevelopment of the New Utrecht library as part of the “Living Libraries program.” Its goal is to develop more affordable housing. His administration, earlier this year, announced that it “created, preserved, or planned approximately 426,800 homes for New Yorkers. This will include the 69-year-old library and the parking lot next to it. 

“Earlier this year, I told New Yorkers that we would make our city the best place to raise a family; projects like New Utrecht and how we get it done. This ambitious project will deliver affordable housing, high-quality services, and a state-of-the-art library, all in one location,” said Mayor Adams.  

The current stage of the process is the community engagement section, which seeks to understand the community’s views, including those of the public and government officials who represent it.

“At this very early stage in the process, my priority is to determine how our residents feel about the project,” said District 47 Assemblymember William Colton. “For this reason, I am reaching out in a variety of ways to those who live and work in the area, to determine what questions and issues they may have about what is being proposed, and any concerns that they may feel need to be addressed. My intention, once I clarify this, is to advocate strenuously on behalf of my constituents, to make sure that their needs are taken into account.” 

As of now, Community Board 11 hasn’t taken a stance on the project. They are waiting for residents to contact them. 

The library project isn’t new in New York; in 2017, the Fifth Ave Committee announced plans for an affordable housing project at the Sunset Park Library in Sunset Park. The project includes a renovated library and 50 units around it, which were reopened in November 2023. 

At the time, people were mixed on the project, as it could lead to gentrification or displacement from the community. Another issue is that some residents aren’t able to access that housing due to costs and background checks. 

“Yeah, it’s affordable for some people, and that’s great, but the reality is that a lot of people in Sunset don’t have the paperwork necessary to even apply for this type of housing. Not to mention the process is long and tedious,” said Antonio Meza, who has been a resident in Sunset Park for 15 years. “Overall, I’m more for more affordable housing, but the process to obtain it needs to be improved.”

As of now, there is no set date for the construction or demolition of the New Utrecht Library, but the questionnaire regarding people’s reactions to the NYC Housing Preservation and Development deadline is scheduled for December 19. 

In the morning of November 5th, the Magen David Yeshiva on McDonald Ave, in Gravesend, Brooklyn, was graffitied with a swastika symbol. It was spray-painted on a fence pillar in front of the Yeshiva building and on a nearby school window.

This is offensive to the Jewish community, as it reminds them of the Nazis and antisemitism happening in New York City. 

“The vandalism of the Yeshiva is just another reminder that anti-Semitism is still with us. Anti-Semitic hate crimes are more common than other hate crimes in America, and it’s only becoming more prevalent,” said Richard Shlayan, a resident of Brighton Beach and part of the Jewish community, in an interview.

Currently, the NYPD is looking for the suspect, and surveillance video shows him fleeing the scene on a bike towards Avenue S. 

This offended the community, so the following day there was a heavy security presence in the area. Men who identified as security were patrolling while kids were still in school, as well as McDonald Park across the street. 

This has prompted newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani to speak out on X.“This is a disgusting and heartbreaking act of antisemitism, and it has no place in our beautiful city. As Mayor, I will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors to root the scourge of anti-Semitism out of our city,” said Mamdani.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2024, there were a total of 976 incidents of Jewish Hate, and in Brooklyn, there were 253 incidents. The organization is also concerned about the severity of incidents across the city. 

William Colton, Assemblymember of District 47, put out a press release stating, “I am confident that the culprits who committed their shameful acts in the dark of night will be identified, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But, we must go further to ensure the safety and peace of mind of all of our religious and ethnic communities,” said Colton.

As of the writing of this article, no arrests have been made. Currently, the Yeshiva has not made any public statement. 

The Jewish community is still doubtful of the future steps the government could take to combat hate speech.“Our government and institutions have failed to combat this crisis, if they’re even trying,” said Shlayan.

The number of animals entering shelters has been increasing, so Petco has partnered with several animal welfare organizations to host adoption events. On September 6, they brought dogs and cats for adoption to Bensonhurst. 

As of June 2025, approximately 2.8 million cats and dogs were entering animal shelters annually in the United States, according to data from the Shelter Animal Count. This influx has led to significant overcrowding, particularly in urban areas like New York City, where some shelters have been forced to stop accepting new animals due to capacity limitations.

The Animal Care Center of NYC (ACC), a non-profit organization, faced a challenge in July 2025, when its animal population exceeded 1,000, leading to what ACC called “a capacity challenge.” ACC reported more than 600 animals surrendered by their owners in June 2025.

Despite this, the group is still accepting new animals into its shelters. Furthermore, ACC is expanding with a new shelter location in the Bronx scheduled to open by late 2025. But the ACC’s primary goal is “to end animal homelessness,” according to an ACC coordinator. 

The ACC regularly organizes adoption events across different parts of New York City, collaborating with numerous other animal rescue organizations. Furthermore, ACC has established a partnership with Petco, allowing it to showcase adoptable animals at select Petco stores. 

Petco’s Bensonhurst location frequently hosts adoption events, providing a place for different organizations to showcase animals in need of homes. Key organizations that have participated in these events at the Bensonhurst store include Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), Pup Start Rescue, See Spot Rescued (SSR), and Best Friends Animal Society. 

The event is designed to provide prospective adopters with an understanding of the responsibilities and emotional aspects of pet adoption, ensuring that they are prepared to provide a lifelong, caring home for the animal they choose to adopt. The adoption process typically begins with a thorough interview about expectations of adopting a pet. Organizations prioritize understanding an applicant’s history with pets, their current living situation, and their approach to caring for the animal. Once the initial assessment is complete, applicants will then be required to provide identification and pay an adoption fee before they can take their new pet home. 

The rate at which pets are surrendered by their owners to shelters remains high. A recent case highlighting this issue involves a dog named Coco. Coco was surrendered by her owner, though the specific reasons behind this decision are unknown.  

A volunteer from the ACC, Jake, observed Coco’s gentleness with other humans, noting that she would be an ideal companion for an owner, capable of“just to sit on their lap and watch TV. It’s like a companion.” Jake said.

During this event, there were lots of cats and dogs waiting to be adopted. There were several types of animals to choose from, both big and small. The volunteers helped out the community by letting people take out the dogs for a walk, petting or playing around with the cats.

Despite many animals creating a busy and sometimes challenging environment, the staff genuinely seemed to enjoy caring for them and strongly encouraged continued adoption. 

Tasha, who preferred not to give his last name, is a current mobile adoption coordinator and travels across the city to ensure that every animal’s basic needs are met. 

“I think this is what leads to like our capacity challenges, is […] if we overpopulate with cats, we can put pop-up crates in a room and double our capacity. For example, in like certain rooms with dogs, it’s not an easy solution because you can’t just throw six dogs in an area or without being very deliberate about who it is.” Tasha explained. 

Patriotic feeling was in the air at a Veterans Day event at the Federation of Italian Organizations of Brooklyn (FIAO) in Bath Beach. Officials who came out were Council Member Susan Zhuang of District 43 and Assembly Member William Colton, who honored local veterans on November 12th. 

Forty-five veterans attended the event at FIAO, representing many branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. 

Many were very excited to talk to the officials and make a personal connection with the people who run the area. The veterans got thank-you cards from children at P.S. 186.

Susan Zhuang says, “It was an honor to join Assemblyman Colton in recognizing the veterans who have served our community with such courage and commitment. Honoring their services is important, but matching that respect with real action is even more important.” She promised to keep working with her colleagues to expand and improve benefits and services, and to ensure South Brooklyn won’t be overlooked. 

The ceremony opened with Deacon Anthony Mammoliti of St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church, who began with a prayer. Deacon Anthony was an army veteran himself who was recognized for his decades of service. The ceremony ended with another prayer from Iman Ahmed Ali of IQRA Masjid, a community non-profit. 

Another local official, Assemblyman William Colton, reminded everyone in the room about the importance of Veterans Day. “Each one of them put their life on to serve the American people, supported by their families, who make sacrifices every day so they can answer the call of duty… These ceremonies are meant to remind everyone of the important role veterans have played in the life of our country. No words can express our gratitude for all they have given and continue to give. We need to provide for our veterans. We need to make sure the government works for you.” 

The long-awaited reopening of the Gerritsen Beach Public Library has been pushed back to Dec. 11 due to construction delays, nearly a month after its previously scheduled Nov. 12 return. The branch has been closed since July 15, 2024 for an extensive capital project aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure across the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) system. 

The BPL website was updated last week with the new date, attributing the delay to the final stages of construction, stating, “it’s taking a little longer than expected to put the finishing touches on the renovated branch.”

The closure is part of a wider, system-level rebuilding effort managed in collaboration with the city’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC). With a city and state capital budget, BPL has $240 million to spend for reconstruction on a third of its libraries. The renovations can take much longer than necessary because of their costs and management, as stated by the NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. According to DDC estimates, the project could take up to three years to complete, though the Gerritsen Beach location had expected to reopen ahead of schedule. 

To fill the gap left by the closure, BPL has relied on Bookmobile visits and events taking place online or at other libraries to maintain a presence in the neighborhood.

Marisa Kuras, the library’s assistant branch manager, spoke about the project at a Community Board 15 meeting on Oct. 28th, offering insight to the maintenance and to discuss the reopening day plan. 

“Gerritsen Beach Library closed for a necessary repair for the roof, the facade, and our community rooms,” said Kuras. “And for the last sixteen months our staff have been performing outreach in the community. But our patrons always let us know how much they miss their library and how excited they were for when we reopen.”

Despite the frustrations surrounding the extended timeline, BPL officials say it will be worth the wait. In a Nov. 15 update posted online, the library said it was “thrilled to welcome patrons back to a renovated branch featuring a new roof, ceilings, lighting, furniture, plus a dedicated children’s area and a brand-new teen space.”

If the Dec. 11 date sticks, the reopening will restore a long-missed community center that has served Gerritsen Beach for nearly a century.