Greenpoint residents are divided over the impending opening of the Brooklyn Expo Center, a project spearheaded by Joshua and Jack Guttman, the father-son team behind Pearl Realty.
Some local businesses expressed support for the 28,000-square-foot exhibition space at 79 Franklin Street to Crain’s, saying they think it will attract more shoppers and diners to the area. Others criticized what they dubbed a lack of transparency regarding transportation and parking issues that could arise because of the Expo Center. Some residents and stakeholders also said they have lingering suspicions over the Guttman’s alleged role in a 10-alarm fire that devastated the site and damaged or destroyed nearby buildings in 2006.
The Guttmans responded to the complaints, saying they included an on-site parking lot and moved the building’s entrance from busy Franklin Street to Noble Street, Crain’s reported. They once again denied they had anything to do with the fire.
Jack Guttman also addressed questions over the the type of events the Expo Center would host, telling Crain’s it would be used for minor and local events, such as product launches and wedding fairs. [Crain’s] — Tom DiChristopher