Last night at the Community Board 6 permits meeting emotions ran high as many Park Slope and Prospect Heights neighbors spoke out against plans to build another “nightclub/lounge” near the coming Barclays Center, on Flatbush Avenue between 6th Avenue and Prospect Place. The exact location is 260 Flatbush Avenue, the single story building with plans to add another seven stories. Residents expressed concern that the building would have an exit on mostly-residential Prospect Place. Meanwhile, owners of the bar, which is dubbed “Kemistry Lounge” for now, assured residents that the exit onto Prospect—which is currently a glass-fronted, one-story building—would be bricked over and would only be used as an emergency exit. The owners also pointed out that the space will not be a nightclub, rather a bar with occasional live entertainment. But residents saw the Kemistry Lounge Facebook Page (which has since been removed, although here’s a teaser website), and spoke out against what they saw depicted there. One Prospect Place resident stated: “We are the wrong demographic to have that type of place in our neighborhood.” Another man, who plans to have children, threatened to move out of his home if the bar moves in, saying, “look at the people who are attracted to this lounge,” referring to the “high energy” crowd he depicted from the Facebook page. The usual concerns about noise, crime, the proliferation of bars and parking were also discussed. It seemed unclear how the extra seven stories planned for the building, which is only one-story high at present, would work into plans for the bar, as the bar owner said DOB approved some work for the major enlargement but not all. Regina Cahill, of the Flatbush Avenue BID, told the audience that “we look forward to neighbors having open minds, and that this business agrees to be a good neighbor.” Kemistry Lounge agreed to meet with the BID and community members, which is what brought an end to the Prime Six debacle. Click through for a photo of what the one-story building on the site currently looks like.
Seven More Stories for 260 Flatbush Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. MM, here is what Brooklynista’s originally stated:

    “Lastly, I gotta wonder just what kind of businesses people thought would be coming to the neighborhood once the arena took hold? You think you could have a major sports venue and not have bars, lounges, clubs, etc. in close proximity?

    This is only the beginning of major “kemistry” changes for the neighborhood– many of which were predicted by the anti-AY protests in the first place.

    Yet, as so many on this site have been known to say: DONE DEAL. Get used to it.”

    Reads pretty clearly as ‘you residents just better get used to all the bars! Tough luck!’

    C:

  2. Yours is a well-written response, MM. Can I ask you a non-race related question?

    Do residents of neighborhoods around AY have a right (through zoning, liquor license stipulations, monitoring, and more) to determine the businesses that open in/serve their neighborhoods?

    I say “yes.” You and brooklynista are saying “no.”

    Really? It surprises me that anyone would shut residents out of the development of their own neighborhood. That’s what FCRC did. The fact that their AY is a DONE DEAL to me is utterly beside the point.

    C:

  3. All I can ask is as a residential property owner on this block, you accept me at my word and fervent belief that if this were, hypothetically, a “Blarney Stone” or new Southpaw, our concerns would be no different and our voices no less forthright. This is about the density of bars and alcohol serving establishments on a residential block.

    As said in my previous comment, I strongly believe given the context of her comments that the “wrong demographic” phrase was a reference to families, children, and the elderly and not one made by the speaker about race.

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