We Are Gowanus Organizing Stoop Sale To Benefit Fight Against Rock And Roll Playhouse

photo courtesy of We Are Gowanus

Members of We Are Gowanus (WAG) have organized a block wide stoop sale for this Saturday, June 22nd from 1 PM to 5 PM on DeGraw and Sackett Streets from Hoyt Street to Bond Street.
All proceeds from the sale will be used by the group to fight "against the implementation of a nightclub in a residential area."

We Are Gowanus was formed in early May by residents whose property abuts an old 6,570 SF warehouse building at 280 Bond Street that impresario Peter Shapiro wants to transform into the Rock And Roll Playhouse (RRPH).

According to RRPH's web site, the venue will feature "family friendly programming during the day, as well as programming for adults, such as educational talks, jazz and theatrical performances in the evenings."

We Are Gowanus asserts that Shapiro spoke of the evening programing more in terms of a late night music venue featuring jazz and possibly other music seven days a week for those 21 and older. It would also feature a full bar with a last call around 1:30 AM, 2 AM on week-ends.

Members of WAG believe that RRPH's children's programing is "a supterfuge meant to dull community opposition so that his liquor license and building modifications sail through city bureaucracy."

Swing by the stoop sale this Saturday and support your DeGraw and Sackett Street neighbors.

'We Are Gowanus' Members Attend Community Board 6 Meeting To Express Concerns About Proposed Rock & Roll Playhouse In Gowanus

We Are Gowanus member  Katya Jestin addressing Community Board 6 on Wednesday night.

 Katya Jestin of We Are Gowanus

 Members of We Are Gowanus in the audience

At this month's Community Board 6's general meeting, which was held this past Wednesday, members of We Are Gowanus (WAG) took the opportunity to express concern about Peter Shapiro's proposed Rock And Roll Playhouse (RRPH), which is slated to open in Gowanus later this year.

In anticipation of the developer coming before Community Board 6's Permits and Licenses Committee to seek a full liquor license for his proposed venue, WAG wanted to make sure that CB6 members  were aware of issues regarding the conversion of the 6,570 SF building at 280 Bond Street between Sackett and Degraw Street that will house the Playhouse.

According to its web site, Rock and Roll Playhouse will offer "family friendly programming during the day, as well as programming for adults, such as educational talks, jazz and theatrical performances in the evenings."

Speaking for WAG,  Katya Jestin explained that the development is totally incongruous with the existing R6B zoning.  Furthermore, she pointed out that Peter Shapiro's insistence that the Rock and Roll Playhouse will be a theatre around children's programing is inconsistent with what he told members of WAG.

At a meeting in early May with homeowners whose property abuts the warehouse, Shapiro spoke of the evening programing in terms of a late night music venue featuring jazz and possibly other music seven days a week for those 21 and older. It would also feature a full bar with a last call around 1:30 AM, 2 AM on week-ends.

WAG is suggesting the disharmony between what Shapiro said to WAG, what the DOB plans show, and what he is saying to the public can be explained by the fact that the impresario's pitch  of a day time children' space is "a supterfuge meant to dull community opposition so that his liquor license and building modifications sail through city bureaucracy."

"We ask all of you to please keep in mind all the facts, to examine this closely, and to consider what we have told you when he comes before you," Katya Jesting told the Board.

Video By 'We Are Gowanus' Shows Potential Impact Of Peter Shapiro's Rock And Roll Playhouse On Its Neighbors

280 Bond Street in Gowanus

Open space attached to 280 Bond Street

 

Members of We Are Gowanus collecting signatures for petition this past Saturday

The Rock & Roll Playhouse Impact from We Are Gowanus on Vimeo.

Since learning of Peter Shapiro's plans to turn an industrial warehouse at 280 Bond Street into The Rock & Roll Playhouse (RRPH), opposition from area residents against the venue has been mounting

Homeowners on Sackett and Degraw Street, whose property abut the 6,570 SF building, first got wind of the proposed venue in late April, when they received a certified letter from Burda Construction Company indicating that work to turn the warehouse "into a theatre and a restaurant that will include daily programing for children 10 and younger" would commence shortly.

To better understand the plans, the homeowners reached out to Amy Striem, RRPH's executive director. When Striem indicated that Shapiro, who also owns Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg and the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, would be applying for a full liquor license as well as a Place Of Assembly Certificate, they ask for a meeting with Shapiro.

The meeting between residents, Shapiro, Striem, Larry Burda of Burda Construction and Devlin Goldberg, the Children's Program Curriculum Director, took place on May 14th, 2013. Father Robert Powers of nearby St. Agnes Church was also present.

During their conversation, homeowners learned that besides the kids classes and family-friendly programming,  Shapiro intends to operate an over-21 jazz club after 8 PM that would offer live music seven days a week and feature a full bar with a last call at 1:30 AM, 2 AM on week-ends.

The residents also learned that Shapiro had no plans to soundproof either the inside or the outside walls of the brick warehouse, though the building extends deep into the backyards of several homes on Degraw and Sackett Streets. To make matters worse, the music stage will be placed at the back of the building, closest to the residential buildings.  In addition, Shapiro plans on installing large doors between the building and a large 3686 SF outdoor space.

In response to the initial misrepresentation of the project and of Shapiro's disregard for their concerns, the residents have joined together and have formed We Are Gowanus. In an impressive effort to protect their quality of life, they have reached out to the community and local business owners and have collected over 600 signatures so far.

They have just released the video above, showing the impact of the Rock & Roll Playhouse on the neighborhood.
From We Are Gowanus:
"The animation is based entirely on plans submitted to the NYC Dept. of Buildings. Everything is to scale. The purpose of the video is to help folks in the neighborhood visualize Shapiro's plans. The animation is based entirely on the plans he submitted to the DOB. Everything is to scale. The building is HUGE and can fit a lot of people. This is its real, legal occupancy potential. The video makes the fact clear: It's location on a residential block is entirely inappropriate."

To refute Peter Shapiro's recent assertions that RRPH will primarily be a" family-focused destination", WAG has also sent PMFA the following statement:

Father Powers was one of many citizens who heard Mr. Shapiro lay out his plans on May 14, plans supported by Mr. Shapiro’s own filings at the Department of Buildings. Mr. Shapiro is being disingenuous when he tells Daily News readers and the public in general that his Rock & Roll Playhouse will be a small family-friendly venue focused on childhood education. Such a child-centered venue does not need a full liquor license, which Mr. Shapiro is seeking, and cater to the 21-and-up crowd, which Mr. Shapiro has said it will.

Father Power’s comments follow below:

On May 14, I was invited to a meeting with neighbors whose homes on the block are closest to 280 Bond Street and with Peter Shapiro and his staff, and I attended the 90 minute meeting. One of the two churches of my parish, St. Agnes, is on the block. 

I don't hang out in nightclubs but Mr. Shapiro's description of what Rock n Roll Playhouse will be after 8 PM---jazz shows with a full service bar that will close at 1:30 AM on weeknights and 2 AM on weeknights--sounds like a nightclub. I was surprised to see the statement attributed to him in the online version of the Daily News today: "This is not a nightclub." 

My neighbors' concerns are legitimate: noise from patrons leaving the venue; noise from an old brick building that has no soundproofing; discrepancies between Mr. Shapiro's claims of an occupancy of 200 and the building's and property's square footage that could potentially hold hundreds more. This nightclub could ruin the tranquility of this neighborhood, and my neighbors deserve better. 

Father Robert M. Powers 

Administrator,  Parish of St. Paul &  St. Agnes

You can reach We Are Gowanus via their new website here.
You can find the group's new Facebook page here.
And if you would like to sign their petitions, click here.

"Rock And Roll Playhouse": More Details About Peter Shapiro's New Gowanus Venue

Photo credit: Googlemaps.com

280 Bond Street

Warehouse building at 280 Bond Street

View of open garage, which will be used as outdoor space by venue

On Monday,  I posted  about the Rock And Roll Playhouse, a new venture by Peter Shapiro, which is slated to open later in 2013 in Gowanus.  RRPH will feature children's music programing by day, family programing and shows in the evening, followed by evening jazz performances at night. In addition, Blue Ribbon Restaurants will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Yesterday evening, I received an email from Shapiro and the Rock And Roll Playhouse with a letter to the community, which provides additional information regarding the new business at 280 Bond Street, between Sackett and Degraw Streets.

I am reprinting the letter in full below.

May 20, 2013

Dear Community,
The Rock and Roll Playhouse (RRPH) is a new business located at 280 Bond Street in Brooklyn, which we expect will open to the public later this year. We are currently under construction on site with a number of improvements to the interior and exterior of the building, and wanted to take this opportunity to share more details about the eventual programming of the RRPH.

The RRPH was created on the premise that all people are musical and that families should have a space where they can enjoy music together. Our team is comprised of people with diverse backgrounds in education and music who have come together with the goal of creating a new and better type of destination for families. Our education team has developed specific programming for RRPH that emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, using music as the core while simultaneously encouraging cognitive, physical, emotional and language development skills. 

Developmentally appropriate programming has been created for four age ranges: Babies (under 1 year old), Little Rockers (2-4 years old), Rockers (5-7 years old) and Big Rockers (8-10 years old). We expect RRPH will offer over 20 different programs for the different age groups including: Beatles for Babies, Little Rockers, Rockers, and Big Rockers; Reggae for Babies and Little Rockers; Rock and Roll Storytime for Little Rockers; a theatrical Rock and Roll Stories for Rockers; World Music for all age groups; Drawing Rock and Roll; and Introductory programs focused on Songwriting, Guitar, Percussion and Keyboards. 

In addition to such specific programming, the RRPH will also offer an area for children to play in both our outdoor garden and our indoor main space. These spaces will have play equipment from Imagination Playground and Feel Good Designs, which we expect will create a beautiful and stimulating environment for families of all ages. The outdoor courtyard will be transformed from what is currently a concrete truck parking lot to a grass covered lawn with Willow and Juniper Trees.

Family friendly shows will be offered before 8 p.m. to our customers. Those shows will include musical performances, theatrical performances, and special shows presented by the children participating in our programs.

During the evenings, we also plan to host adult workshops and will work with members of our education team to develop programming for adults. Examples of adult programs include talks and workshops led by prominent artists about music, film, and the arts, and we are currently developing the curriculum for an adult version of Rock History Workshop.

Following the daytime activities and traditional family dinner hours, we also hope to use the play space as a seated venue where adults can enjoy jazz and educationalprogramming. The capacity for seated events will be approximately 96 persons (total legal capacity for the building 182). We will not begin the evening jazz performances until after the RRPH has successfully opened and become part of the community. We will work closely with the community on the timing and nature on the evening jazz programming. 

We are also pleased to be partnering with our friends at the acclaimed Blue Ribbon Restaurants to operate the food and beverage at the RRPH. The RRPH will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and feature an approachable menu highlighted by children friendly ingredients that allows parents the flexibility to choose healthy meals for their families.

Peter Shapiro, the owner of the RRPH, began development of a family-focused destination for the enjoyment of music two years ago after seeing first-hand how much families enjoy afternoon Family Bowl at Brooklyn Bowl, a business he founded in Williamsburg. A father of two young children, Peter is a both a businessman and an active member of the communities in which he lives and does business. Besides Brooklyn Bowl and the RRPH, he is responsible for a number of businesses which involve music, including Jazz and Colors in Central Park, Relix magazine, and The Capitol Theater. After an extensive search for an appropriate site for the RRPH, Peter signed a lease for the disused space at 280 Bond Street in October 2011. 

We are eager to be good neighbors and work with the Carroll Gardens/Gowanus communities to ensure that the RRPH is a unique and valued asset to the families in the neighborhood. To that end we have identified local vendors and craftsman to assist with the renovation of the space, dialogued with members of the community to understand their concerns, paid careful attention to the layout and structure of the space to ensure that it addresses those concerns, including considerable effort with professionals regarding noise reduction and attenuation construction and materials. 

We are excited to bring this family-friendly space to the neighborhood and appreciate the support we have received from those we have shared our plans with. We look forward to becoming a valued member of the community.  If you have any questions, please email us at: community@therockandrollplayhouse.com. 

Sincerely,  The Rock and Roll Playhouse Team

Because the team stated in their email to me that Peter would be more than happy to answer questions, I took the opportunity to ask him if he would consider using this particular site for music classes and activities for families without the late night jazz club.
His reply:

"Family friendly programming has always been the primary focus of The Rock and Roll Playhouse. "Jazz at The Rock and Roll Playhouse" is an idea we thought would be a fun and positive asset to the community and compliment our Blue Ribbon dinner service when the kids are asleep. When we initially open, we do not plan to host jazz performances at night. We look forward to exploring when to begin hosting evening Jazz performances with the input of the community." 

It's encouraging that Peter Shapiro will seek input from the community. Since the warehouse building on Bond Street abuts residential buildings, the late night portion of Shapiro's plan will certainly impact the lives of the families who live just steps away. Understandably, residents of those neighboring homes have expressed serious concerns about the Playhouse.
They have recently formed We are Gowanus and are currently collecting signatures here.

I forwarded RRPH's Community letter to We Are Gowanus  and asked the group for a response. 

Here is WAG's rebuttal :

May 21, 2013

Dear Community,

Peter Shapiro is talking about childhood education, but he’s building a nightclub. His latest letter shows how disingenuous he really is in dealing with the neighborhood’s valid concerns.

To be clear, his own statements to residents and his Department of Building plans show plainly that a nightclub is exactly what Shapiro will install there, if given the opportunity. To recap what we already know: the 21-and-over nightclub would be open 7 days a week, serving alcohol up until approximately 2am. It will be capable of hosting more than 1500 standing patrons at a time.

Few in the area would quibble with Shapiro about opening a children’s school and small restaurant in the neighborhood. Simply put, that is not what he intends to do. Shapiro, in his letter, makes it seem as if children and families are the focus of his new venue, while the nightclub is an afterthought. In truth, Shapiro has it the other way around.

He has meticulously laid out the plans for his nightclub, while little thought has gone into the supposed education facility he describes as providing classes from morning till night. Shapiro’s DOB plans show no hint that a child might ever grace the door of the Rock & Roll Playhouse for any educational pursuit at all. According to officially filed documents, there are no classrooms planned, only mezzanine offices that propose to hold a maximum of 6 people. It must be assumed then, that instruction will occur interspersed amid patrons consuming food in the Theater space, where they will be offered breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. At 8pm, the 21-and-over crowd takes over and will be served alcohol up to 2am.

In fact, there are no child-sized toilets planned for the venue, nor does anything else seem specifically child oriented in the filings or conversations that the neighbors have had with RRPH representatives. Has Shapiro begun the laborious process of city certification and insurance to open this day school? We have no evidence of that.

The truth is that Shapiro has little understanding of what it would take to open a school in the location because he doesn’t really intend on opening one — except as a wedge to gain a full liquor license for a 21-and-over club. Let’s be honest here. What is the moneymaker for Shapiro, the man who brought New York the famed Wetlands and is currently franchising his deservedly popular and industrially situated Brooklyn Bowl? Is he really aiming to pack 280 Bond with tykes dancing to “Beatles for Babies,” or does he hope for hundreds of 21-year-olds with disposable cash drinking until 2am? The answer seems clear.

If you have any questions or would like to support our organization, please email us at wearegowanus@gmail.com.

Sincerely, We Are Gowanus                                                    

'Rock And Roll Playhouse' For Kiddies Or Adults? What's Peter Shapiro Really Planning In Gowanus?

"

280 Bond Street

280 Bond Street, between Sackett and Degraw Street

Main building of 280 Bond Street

View of open garage space, which will be used as outdoor space by venue.

View of residential homes abutting the open garage on Degraw Street

View of 280 Bond Street's side and back wall, 

which abut residential homes on both Sackett and Degraw Streets.

Construction on 280 Bond Street (foreground) has already started

Photo courtesy of Anthony Erice

Photo courtesy of Anthony Erice

Letter sent by Burda Construction to residents whose property abut 280 Bond Street

 

                                                                         Zoning Map of area

Photo credit: Googlemaps.com

Map provided by We Are Gowanus via Eymund Diegel

"Rock And Roll Playhouse"
Music School For Kids Or Noisy Over 21 Jazz Club?
What's Peter Shapiro Planning In Gowanus?

At the end of April, home owners on Sackett and Degraw Street, whose properties abut 280 Bond Street, an 5,650 SF industrial warehouse, received a certified letter from Burda Construction Company regarding upcoming renovation to the building. According to the letter, the work would involve alterations to the existing warehouse into The Rock & Roll Playhouse (RRPH). The letter noted that the Playhouse would include a restaurant and "daily programming and classes for children 10 and younger."

In order to better understand the plans for the building, several homeowners contacted The Rock & Roll Playhouse and spoke to Amy Striem, the company's executive director. During the conversation, according to residents, Striem again highlighted that the Playhouse would be family-oriented and kid-friendly.

The 'Playhouse' would be a children's music school by day, sit-down restaurant with musical entertainment at night, Striem explained to the homeowners. When pressed though, she admitted that the Playhouse’s owner was none other than Peter Shapiro, who is known for several large clubs, including the Brooklyn Bowl, a bowling and live music performance space in Williamsburg.
Shapiro, she said, would be applying for a full liquor license as well as a Place Of Assembly Certificate.

Sensing that the plans for this location were very different and more involved than those represented by Striem, residents asked for a meeting with Shapiro.

The meeting between residents whose properties abut 280 Bond Street and Shapiro, Striem, Larry Burda of Burda Construction and Devlin Goldberg, the Children's Program Curriculum Director, took place on May 14th, 2013. Father Robert Powers of nearby St. Agnes Church was also present.

However, rather than alleviating concerns, the meeting raised even more questions.
Yes, kids 10 and under would be welcome during the day for classes like "Beatles For Babies" and "Drawing Rock and Roll.” But the main thrust of the new operation is to be a late-night music venue featuring jazz and also possibly other types of music seven days a week. After 8 pm at night, the club will only be open to those 21 and older. According to Shapiro, the venue will feature a full bar. During the week, the last call will be around 1:30 AM, 2 AM on week-ends.

Shapiro plans on installing large doors between the building and an outdoor space. The yard will be used for dining.
No parking will be provided for the hundreds of patrons expected each night.

The residents in attendance were stunned to learn that there are no plans to soundproof either the inside or the outside walls of the brick warehouse, though the building extends deep into the backyards of several homes on Degraw and Sackett Streets. To make matters worse, the music stage will be placed at the back of the building, closest to the residential buildings.

It is important to note that the entire Carroll Gardens neighborhood was rezoned in 2009 from R6 to R6B (residential) and some areas of R6A. Although the previous non conforming uses in the residential zone are grandfathered and allowed continuing use under certain specific circumstances, no change in use, occupancy or egress is allowed without approval by the Department of Buildings, which is tasked with enforcing the zoning resolution.

The DoB has been notoriously lax in enforcing the zoning and overlooking defects in self certified applications and it is clear that they are unconcerned with quality of life issues. They appear to have swung quite wide of the mark here in determining that this change of use is compatible with a residential district. Not only is the proposed club surrounded by residences on this block, but it is probable that the opposite side of the street will be rezoned in the near future to encourage more residential development. It would be difficult to find a worse location for a busy and loud concert space than what is being proposed.

Understandably, the neighboring residents are concerned about how The Rock And Roll Playhouse will affect their quality of life. Most are families with young children. In response to the initial misrepresentation of the project and of Shapiro's disregard for their concerns, they have joined together and have formed We Are Gowanus.

From a statement issued by WAG:

"In response to RRPH's plan for 280 Bond and due to the general concern about the lack of planning being considered for commercial development along the Gowanus Canal, area residents have banded together to form WE ARE GOWANUS (WAG). This is not a NIMBY fight. We are pro-development of the Bond Street corridor. many of our members own businesses in the neighborhood and elsewhere. But we will fight to keep development on Bond Street consistent with the intent of city zoning regulations and in keeping with the historic residential neighborhood that runs its length. We are property owners and taxpayers and we support the many reasonable low-impact developments along Bond Street that will benefit the community overall and will burnish the efforts to revitalize and beautify Gowanus. The Rock and Roll Playhouse is not one of those developments; instead it will provide an un-needed service in a badly planned location, one that is inconsistent with the neighborhood and detrimental to all in the tight-knit community of Gowanus."

It would certainly appear that Peter Shapiro is not being forthright with the community. A music school
for kids is a totally different business than a late night jazz club.   Shapiro, who also owns the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, and once operated the notorious Wetlands Preserve, is known as an impresario of big music venues, not as an operator of children's programs.

You can reach We Are Gowanus via their new website here.

You can find the group's new Facebook page here.

And if you would like to sign their petitions, click here.