Wednesday: Brooklyn Warehouses Die, Brooklyn Landmarks Born; The Freedom Tower Is Somewhere In Between

Mr. Greenpoint! [NYDN]

• Ages ago Greenpoint was diagnosed with Condoitis, the irreversible condition in which old Brooklyn warehouses are sold to residential developers until there's no neighborhood left. Thankfully, the city is now offering "counseling" to industrial companies who have suffered from the illness--especially in hotspots like Greenpoint or Williamsburg or Sunset Park or Red Hook. (NY Daily News)
• A little more on the Freedom Tower fun: Columbia's Elliott Sclar points out "the absurdity of using taxpayer money to bail this thing out one more time." What does he mean? Government agencies were the primary tenants when the World Trade Center opened in the 1970s--which helped cause the citywide real estate depression. But of course that would never ever happen again. (NY Times)
• The next historic district created by the Landmark Preservation Commission will probably be a 471-house chunk in northern Crown Heights. It's not only the commission's biggest move in a decade, but it's also a big step away from the old landmarks of old-money Manhattan. Yet the Brooklyn neighborhood has mixed feelings--because the designation has been many years in the making, and because residents fear a loss of independence over renovations and construction. (NY1)
• Yesterday marked another loss for rich people who believe there shouldn't be waste transfer stations in rich neighborhoods. Horror! A State Supreme Court justice will allow construction at the East River and 91st Street, which will help minimize the amount of garbage trucks barreling to outer boroughs (and to already-trashy Jersey). (NY Times)
• - Max Abelson