After months of backlash to the planned opening of a large nightclub in Greenpoint, communication between the owners and the community have stalled, while activists and elected officials say their work will continue to block its debut.
The nightclub, at 25 Franklin St., will be operated by Tao Hospitality Group, which runs over 30 venues in New York alone, including Tao Downtown Nightclub in Manhattan. The planned venue in Greenpoint will have a 1,000-person capacity and is hoping to stay open until 4:00am, according to their liquor license application.
Plans for the nightclub were first reported in May, when representatives for the nightclub faced criticism after appearing unprepared at a community board meeting. At its subsequent meeting on June 18, members of Community Board 1, which covers Greenpoint, voted unanimously in opposition to the nightclub being granted a liquor license.
Community boards have a solely advisory role in the liquor license process. State Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, who represents the area, said that a formal hearing date has not been set with Tao and the New York State Liquor Authority.
The community board received dozens of emails from residents about the nightclub, highlighting concerns about noise, traffic and the cultural fit of a major nightclub in the neighborhood, according to published minutes from the June meeting.
“Bringing in a group like Tao will have a rippling impact on the community pushing rent up higher, small bars out of business, and bringing in visitors who will not respect noise pollution limits, litter, and disrespect the area,” one letter said. “We do not live in Greenpoint for bottle service, we live here to be surrounded by artists, restauranteurs [sic], and have a peace of mind living in a community of like minded people.”
Representatives for the nightclub did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Another Greenpoint nightlife spot, Under the K Bridge Park, has also been receiving backlash, especially over noise levels from residents who live nearby. North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, the nonprofit that manages the park, has participated in community meetings with elected officials and set up a hotline for neighbors to share their concerns.
For the venue on Franklin Street, one major point of concern for activists has been the potential environmental effects of a nightclub located next to Bushwick Inlet Park.
“Blaring music, the loud din from boisterous crowds, pollution from external cooling systems and excessive light at night, will pose an existential threat to the unique naturalistic ecosystem,” Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park wrote in a statement shared with the community board.
The park has been under development for nearly 20 years, explained Bianca Bello, a Greenpoint resident and member of the Inlet Angels, a subgroup of the McGolrick Bird Club, a community group that has been organizing against the nightclub for several months.
“The community has been so patient, eagerly waiting for this park to be complete,” she said. “It would be such a shame if this thriving habitat was negatively impacted before we could even enjoy it.”
Gallagher was one of three elected officials, along with State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and City Council Member Lincoln Restler, who wrote a letter on July 12 to the club’s planned operator after the contentious community board meeting and receiving hundreds of complaints from constituents.
“As the elected representatives of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, we strongly urge Tao Hospitality Group to consider withdrawing its plans to open a nightclub adjacent to the Bushwick Inlet at 25 Franklin St. and find an alternative location,” they wrote.
Gallagher told BK Reader she has not received any communication from the club since, which she described as emblematic of some of the broader concerns about the nightclub’s lack of cultural fit with the neighborhood.
“We’ve all just been really disappointed with Tao,” Bello said. She clarified that she is not opposed to nightclubs in general, but was specifically upset about the Tao group’s “hostility” along with the nightclub’s size and location.
The lack of transparency “is not really giving us a lot of good faith about their interest in having a conversation,” Gallagher added.
Another proposed nightclub, Deuces, on an adjacent block, which would be independently owned with a capacity of about 300, has received far less backlash.
“One-off nightclubs are easier to work with,” Gallagher explained. “Because you can get directly to the owner, and they’re a member of the community as a business owner.”
“It feels like [Tao is] putting their establishment on top of the community, instead of into the community,” Gallagher added.
