In Search of a New Home

With so many children in our neighborhood, its clear that there is an ongoing need for schools. The following important message came recently from Susan Kuhlmann, of our local Linden Tree Preschool.

My name is Susan Kuhlmann, I am the Principal of Linden Tree Preschool in Cobble Hill. We have been in operation for over nine years with a wonderful reputation and a staple in our community. Each year we turn away hundreds of families looking for quality preschool services due to the abundance of growing families. This past July, the beautiful building our school was housed in, Christ Church at 180 Kane Street, was unfortunately struck by lightning and severely damaged. For safety reasons, the NYC Department of Buildings closed the buildings and keep them remained closed.

Our families are in need of a preschool and our nine dedicated staff members employment. As we are unable to return to the space we are looking for a new permanent home. Christ Church has plans to re-open Linden Tree sometime in the future and so it is preserving the name. However, in order to continue serving our families, staff and greater community by providing a beautiful preschool experience, myself and a colleague, Jennifer DeLuna, have formed our own LLC, Building Bridges. To do so, we are in need of a permanent location.

We require a minimum of 3000 square feet but willing to exceed that for the right opportunity. We are also willing to sign a long term lease. As you know rental space in our community is costly and difficult to come by. We have been searching for months and continue to. If anyone can help us please reach out, we need a home and can provide a nice income stream for a rental space.

We appreciate any assistance
susan@lindentreepreschool.com 
buildingbridgesbklyn@gmail.com

upcoming Friends of Christ Church launch

Christ Church is still hurting from the lightening storm damage it suffered months ago. Recently, many of you may have received this invite in the mail and already responded. If not, please click the image below for full details of the benefit and learn how you can help the local congregation.

Christ Church Update

Credit Joanna Prisco

The Carroll Garden Patch inquired about Christ Church's reconstruction and unfortunately got word that designs have still not yet been finalized. Take a read of Joanna Prisco's full article at the link below.
http://carrollgardens.patch.com/articles/christ-church-steeple-reconstruction-delayed-indefinitely

Clinton St & Kane Streets : Re-Opened

dioceselongisland.org

Though repairs are still continuing at Christ Church after the terrible lighting storm damage a few weeks ago, the Department of Buildings has finally re-opened the adjacent streets to vehicle traffic. You will still see blue sheds wrapping the perimeter of the church, but can once again freely flow through Clinton and Kane Streets.
Stay tuned for further updates on the church's repair.

Christ Church - street closures

As we reported yesterday, the streets closures surrounding Christ Church are likely to continue for several more weeks until the building itself is deemed safe. With that in effect and a new school year upon us, changes are in store for the PS29 school bus patterns.  School buses that would normally be on Kane St have been moved to Baltic St.  This is expected to last until Kane St. is reopened to vehicle traffic.   We realize this may inconvenience some of the Baltic Street residents and disturb a small amount of parking spaces on Baltic St, between Henry St. and Clinton St. However, we hope all will continue to be patient with the delicate construction that must continue to ensure safety of Christ Church and buildings around it.

Christ Church update

(c) Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

Neighbors have asked, and we are now able to share a new update on the extensive emergency work being done to Christ Church because of last month's tragic lightening storm. Shawn Duncan, the Canon for Media and Mission with the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, gave us this recent word earlier today.

The latest information that I have is that the determination of when it is safe to open the streets rests with the Department of Buildings and the Office of Emergency Mangement.  Our engineers estimate that the tower will be reduced to a height that will be deemed safe by these offices in two to three weeks. We are hopeful that at that time the congregation will also be given leave to re-occupy the Parish Hall portion of the property.

Christ Church Update

Photo courtesy Marie Viljoen @ http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/

Many neighbors have been inquiring about Christ Church since the recent lightening storm that caused major damage and resulted in terrible tragedy.

Christ Church's Father Ron Lau gave us this update today.

The tower is being partially dismantled (and the stones stored) until the engineer deems it safe to open the street and our buildings. All four pinnacles are down now. This was the slow part, as they are round and the basket is rectangular. Now that is done they have commenced dismantling the walls and buttresses, probably down to just below the bell chamber louvers, or perhaps the clock faces, depends on what they find as they work. The tower is massive (walls are approximately 8 ft thick at buttress base and 4 ft at bell louvers and 3 ft up top). The long range plan, from the engineer's point of view, is once the tower is stable/safe, reopen the Parish House (offices and preschool), make a repair to the roof and the NE corner walls, remove the rubble from the church (75% of the rubble is in the church), clean the church, repair the organ (which is now full of grit), and then address the tower restoration. I have been asked to refer all questions in the future to The Rev. Canon Shawn P. Duncan, Canon for Media and Mission, who serves as Chief Information Officer for the Diocese of Long Island. sduncan@dioceseli.org

St. Nicholas Holiday Fair 12-3-11

"Cobble Hill was a prime church hotspot"

While we're proud to have had historian Francis Morrone lead walking tours through the neighborhood, we are also glad to know other history buffs are exploring the richness of Cobble Hill too.

Mary Ann DiNapoli recently led a tour with the Municipal Arts Society entitled “Churches of Cobble Hill: The Here, the Now, the Long Gone & the Forgotten." It not only revealed details of churches standing tall today, but also those which have been converted into other uses (like the Met Foods on Henry Street, or the apartments on Hicks & Warren).

For a full report, read Tania Karas's write up in the Patch.
http://carrollgardens.patch.com/articles/on-a-cobble-hill-church-tour-history-and-real-estate

Three Quick Links

Reminder... tomorrow is Cobble Hill Caroling at Christ Church.

Monday... is a public meeting on housing at BK Bridge Park. The public is invited, though no testimony will be taken.

And unfortunately, from here on out it seems one of Cobble Hill's most unique treasures will be closed off - the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel. The Cobble Hill Association enjoys the Tunnel's history and looks forward to a day when it is re-opened.

Cobble Hill Caroling

It's holiday time again... and no matter what you're celebrating this year, our local church welcomes you to join in spreading some cheer for the

ANNUAL COBBLE HILL COMMUNITY CAROL SING!

Sunday - December 19th @ 4:00 p.m.
Meet at Christ Church, corner of Kane and Clinton.