Greenpoint Clearing Land for Waterfront Development

1.

This beautiful old brick building would have made nice housing - too bad. Seems obvious it was torched.

2.

Curb's title to the post might not be a joke. This site is within the waterfront rezoning, and the owner will be starting development soon. Very cheap way to prep the site.

3.

It's called "developer's insurance."

4.

I heard a rumor that all the buildings on fire were broken into last week. Nice way to prep for "developer's insurance"

5.

If this fire was set, it was a disgusting act of architectual vanalism. Sickening and also a threat to the local community. Its a sad day for the people of New York, there was a lot to this building worth preserving.

6.

isn't this complex owned by joshua gutman, who also owned a building in dumbo which burned down a few years ago?
just wondering.

7.

Grandpa, this wasn't architectural vandelism - the buildings were going to be demo'ed for new construction anyway.

8.

...but putting people at risk is never good.

9.

was one of these buildings one with the skatepark in it?

10.

This was arson for sure. Duh.

11.

I heard explosions at 2am last night that sounded like bombs. I live 9 blocks away. Not sure if it is related since they said it started at 5am.
Total arson.

12.

I live about 5 blocks away and heard that sound too... Thought it was around 11:30 last night though. If arson, I hope he loses his property and goes to jail.

13.

5 1/2 years ago, my building was evicted in Dumbo by the Department of buildings with no warning--we fought our eviction and got the building back, only to be tortured by our landlord who had been responsible for the DOB kicking us out--we were paid to drop our lawsuit and leave 3 1/2 years ago--
2 years ago, that building, 247 Water Street, went up in flames, 2 weeks after the community board denied my old landlord a zoning change to make it residential--
This is the same guy, Josh Guttman, who owns the Greenpoint Terminal, which burned this morning--
Two fires in two years--how many other major fires do you know of ?
Apparently this is the biggest in 10 years, aside from 9-11--
Firemen were injured in both blazes--
Driving by there a few weeks ago, I had noticed that he recently took out all the windows and replaced them with concrete block, I was wondering why he had done that--after publishing his plans to develop the site, it was clear he would tear it down--
Apparently David Yaskey (City Councilman, I think) was pushing for landmark status for the complex, and Josh had gotten a demolition permit last month--
Someone needs to bring him up before the Brooklyn DA--
He thinks he is beyond the reach of the law, and so far, he's been right--
I have a list a mile long of the things he did to us when we moved back into the building, it was crazy--
Maybe you have heard this story, it hit the news like wildfire and the Brooklyn Live Work Coalition (now defunct) was born out of it--we used to go to Albany to get politicos to pass a law to protect Brooklyn Loft tenants--
As you can imagine, it didn't pass, but I got a good hard look at just how ugly politics can be--

14.

I am not sure to what extent the other buildings have been damaged....I used to Romp thru this building often. In a word it is Magic.

WE MUST GET THE REMAINING BUILDINGS LANDMARKED!!!!!!
UNLESS THIS CAN BE USED AS A CALL TO ARMS THEN WE ARE ALL REALLY PATHETIC.

WHO IS WITH ME?

PS
I JUST MOVED FROM 184 KENT 2 AN APT 3 BLOCKS FROM THIS BUILDING SO YES I AM PISSED!!!!

15.

i think about wed last week and the week before i've heard countless fireworks explosions going off by the waterfront. Happened a few years ago. Anybody know what this was?

16.

Hey number 6 -

The answer is Yes.

He should go to jail - pending investigation and conviction of course.

17.

I hope Josh Guttman goes to jail over this. He will be found guilty this time. (Fire investigators, please do your job)

He is the devil himself -UTTER SLEAZE

I lived IN DUMBO in one of his buildings so I know him personally and I know firsthand how he operates.

His minion Jacob was seeing leaving the scene of the first buiding Guttman burned on Water Street a couple of years ago.

This guy has Israeli mob ties and should be put in jail.

If anyone has anything else on him, please post because I am a documenatarian and I am going to do an expose on him.

18.

Re:Josh Gutman. He is a major shark, lowlife and scumbag with a long history of intimidation and crimes of all sorts behind him. It is time someone finally takes him out of commission. I hope there will be some kind of trail this time to tie him to this very serious crime and that politicians who have fed at his trough for long enough, will be able to step back and allow justice to be done. It is long overdue!

19.

Let's suppose that at this very moment, some very dedicated people are monitoring Mr. Gutman's movements. Let's also suppose that they will remove him at the first opportunity. The "Israeli mob" is a joke, capable of nothing worse than bagel-throwing.

20.

This is where he lives, in case anyone's interested.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=48+Lawrence+Ave,+lawrence,+ny&ll=40.609764,-73.733076&spn=0.001556,0.00339&t=k&om=1