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<\/p>\nBrooklyn\u2019s biggest stories this week: a Brooklyn councilmember thrown to the ground by NYPD at a Bed-Stuy eviction protest, the NYPD disbanding an entire narcotics unit after last week\u2019s viral Cobble Hill beating video, the Brooklyn Half Marathon returning Sunday with road closures across half the borough, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade rescued from a funding shortfall, a long-awaited 3K and Pre-K center finally opening in Boerum Hill this fall, the 2026-27 public school calendar dropping, more than 1,000 new apartments coming to Greenpoint Landing, the new Brooklyn jail topping out in Boerum Hill, the Cyclones notching their first home win of the season, and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que announcing it\u2019ll close its Gowanus outpost after 15 years.<\/p>\n
Coming Up
\nBrooklyn Half Marathon Sunday \u2014 Expect Closures in Half the Borough<\/p>\n
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The Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon, run by NYCRUNS, takes place Sunday, April 26, with the course running from McCarren Park to Prospect Park. Street closures and parking restrictions will affect Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, and Boerum Hill. Council Member Lincoln Restler\u2019s office, citing significant congestion challenges last year, is asking residents to avoid driving if possible. Course map and full road closure details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mermaid Parade Is Saved \u2014 Coney Island\u2019s Wildest Tradition Will Return<\/p>\n After weeks of uncertainty, Coney Island USA confirmed this week that the 44th annual Mermaid Parade will march down Surf Avenue on Saturday, June 20. The beloved parade was nearly derailed by a funding shortfall, following a costly fight against a casino development proposal. It was rescued by a combination of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso\u2019s discretionary funding and a community GoFundMe that raised $40,000. Artistic Director Adam Rinn said additional sponsor announcements are imminent. The procession kicks off at 1pm at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue. Watching is free. See our full 2026 festivals guide<\/a> for details.<\/p>\n Schools After three years of sitting vacant, the Little Brooklyn Pre-K Center at 274 Atlantic Avenue will officially open this September, bringing 63 new early childhood seats to District 15. Mayor Mamdani, the Schools Chancellor, and Council Member Lincoln Restler announced the opening at a press conference Tuesday. Read our full coverage here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2026-27 Public School Calendar Released<\/p>\n The Department of Education has released next year\u2019s calendar \u2014 key dates and breaks here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Real Estate & Development Plans were unveiled this week for three new mixed-income residential towers at the 22-acre Greenpoint Landing waterfront development, bringing more than 1,000 apartments \u2014 300 of them affordable \u2014 to 21 Freeman Street, 37 Freeman Street, and 209 West Street. Construction is set to begin in summer 2026. The project will also add over 20,000 square feet of retail along West, Freeman, and Eagle streets, plus a waterfront park adjacent to the Greenpoint ferry stop. To date, Greenpoint Landing has delivered 3,000 apartments and several acres of public space.<\/p>\n Brooklyn\u2019s New Borough-Based Jail Tops Out in Boerum Hill<\/p>\n The final piece of structural steel was placed atop the new Brooklyn Borough-Based Jail at 275 Atlantic Avenue on Wednesday \u2014 a 15-story, 295-foot-tall facility that will replace Rikers Island for Brooklyn detainees. The $2.96 billion, 1,040-bed building includes more than 30,000 square feet of community space and is being built by Tutor Perini\/HOK, with substantial completion expected in spring 2029. DOC Commissioner Stanley Richards, the first formerly incarcerated person to lead the agency, spoke at the topping-out ceremony. Council Member Lincoln Restler, whose district includes the site, has raised concerns that the borough-based facility cannot house all current Brooklyn detainees on Rikers \u2014 a challenge as the city approaches its legally-mandated August 2027 Rikers closure deadline.<\/p>\n Two Brooklyn neighborhoods in the top 10 NYC most expensive neighborhoods in Q1 2026<\/p>\n According to PropertyShark\u2019s newly released Q1 2026 report on New York City\u2019s 50 most expensive neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens and DUMBO are ranking within the top 10! Find out more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Eats The smoked-brisket institution at 604 Union Street announced this week that it will close later this spring, after its lease ends and the building \u2014 a former tool-and-die shop converted to a barbecue destination in 2011 \u2014 is slated for demolition to make way for a new apartment development. Dinosaur arrived in Gowanus early in the neighborhood\u2019s transformation, and its closing has hit locals hard, with social media reaction running from grief to outright anger about a familiar pattern: a beloved business priced out of the neighborhood it helped put on the map. The chain, which began as a traveling concession stand for bikers in 1983, has shrunk in recent years from 10 locations to five \u2014 Harlem, Syracuse, Rochester, Troy, and Buffalo will remain after the Brooklyn outpost shutters. A final service date hasn\u2019t been announced; gift cards will be honored through the last day and at remaining locations afterward.<\/p>\n Police Blotter Bedford-Stuyvesant Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9 was arrested Wednesday morning while protesting an eviction at a Jefferson Avenue brownstone, in a confrontation that drew national attention after a video showed NYPD officers bringing him to the ground. Oss\u00e9 and three others were taken into custody as the city sheriff\u2019s office and marshals attempted to enforce the eviction at the home of Carmella Charrington, whose family says they have owned the property for decades. Oss\u00e9 called the arrest \u201cvery violent, fast, traumatic\u201d and was taken to a hospital after the incident. Charrington and her supporters allege the eviction is the result of deed theft. The current titleholder, 227 Group LLC, disputes that framing, citing a 2024 all-cash purchase from family members of the property\u2019s owner \u2014 a transaction the company says was legally authorized through a Georgia probate court \u2014 along with rulings in its favor in Kings County Housing Court and Supreme Court. Mayor Mamdani, who campaigned on fighting deed theft, said Wednesday he would \u201cfollow up\u201d on both the nature of the arrest and the underlying dispute.<\/p>\n NYPD Disbands Brooklyn North Narcotics Unit After Cobble Hill Beating<\/p>\n Following last week\u2019s viral video of NYPD detectives violently beating home health aide Timothy Brown inside BK Wine Depot on Hoyt and Baltic Streets, the NYPD disbanded the Brooklyn North narcotics unit and launched a 90-day review of its narcotics operations citywide. Two officers remain on modified duty; Internal Affairs is investigating. Brown, who was mistakenly identified as a drug suspect because he was wearing green shorts matching a description, had charges dropped by Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez the following day. None of the officers involved were wearing body cameras. Mayor Mamdani called the video \u201cextremely disturbing and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports<\/p>\n After a slow start to the home stretch \u2014 the Cyclones came into Wednesday on a three-game skid, including back-to-back walk-off losses to Hudson Valley \u2014 Brooklyn finally broke through at Maimonides Park, taking down the Renegades 9\u20138 on Wednesday night. Shortstop Mitch Voit\u2019s go-ahead three-run shot powered the comeback, and Daiverson Guti\u00e9rrez had a four-hit night. Ronald Hernandez, who\u2019s been one of Brooklyn\u2019s hottest hitters all month, kept it going with another double. Up next: a six-game series against the Frederick Keys starting Tuesday, April 28 \u2014 the newest team in the South Atlantic League making their first-ever trip to Coney Island. Tickets and schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bbp-mermaid--900x599.png\")
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\nLong-Awaited Public 3K and Pre-K Center Finally Opening in Boerum Hill<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_2910-2048x1536.jpeg\")
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\n1,000+ New Apartments Coming to Greenpoint Landing<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BBP-GREENPOINT-REALASTATE-900x439.png\")
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\nDinosaur Bar-B-Que to Close Gowanus After 15 Years<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BBP-DINASOUR-BBQ-900x626.png\")
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\nCouncil Member Chi Oss\u00e9 Arrested at Bed-Stuy Eviction Protest<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BBP-arrest-900x596.png\")
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