Apparently, the financially beleaguered developer Stephen S. Jemal is finding creative ways to raise funds after being slapped with a $5.6 million lawsuit: he's turning around and suing bloggers.

Following GerritsenBeach.net's investigation revealing the Riviera developer was the target of a civil suit filed by his investors, Jemal responded by having his legal team send a cease-and-desist, and request $20,000 to cover his legal fees. The story isn't that simple though. Just before receiving the letter, GB.net was hit by a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, which temporarily crippled the server. Apparently, the DoS originated from a party connected to Jemal.

Read more »

Stephen S. Jemal, the same developer who received the print version of a hand job from the Daily News just a few weeks ago for his plans to build new waterfront developments in Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach and Mill Basin, is now being sued by the investment companies that provided the money for those developments.

GerritsenBeach.net has uncovered court documents that reveal a civil suit against Stephen and Sharon E Jemal was filed in Texas Northern District Court on July 14. The companies, Gerritsen Beach Investments Ltd and Riviera Investments I Ltd, claim that the Jemals have not paid them back $5,580,000 plus interest.

SB/PB Civic has also followed up on the story by doing some research into the Jemal family, which apparently is no stranger to lawsuits and less-than-virtuous business practices.

I wonder what all this means for the future of the Riviera sites, which the Daily News called "the biggest real estate vision the South Brooklyn waterfront may ever see."

[via GerritsenBeach.net]
[via SB/PB Civic Association]

(Stephen Jemal assumes the position for a Daily News writer. -Courtesy of Daily News)

Daily News recently published a piece on developer Stephen S. Jemal, "the man who made Nobody Beats the Wiz electronic stores the 13th most recognizable brand in the United States", and also the guy behind the three Riviera developments in southern Brooklyn. All I've got to say is, holy crap - what the hell, Daily News?! The story is so flattering to Jemal and his developments, a full-fledged bow-down we're-not-worthy ass-kissing, that I really have to wonder if Daily News is priming its real estate pages for some sweet advertising from Jemal's company, SSJ Development, and its Riviera brand.

First up, there's this really ridiculous lead: "This is the biggest real estate vision the South Brooklyn waterfront may ever see." Really? Are we talking about the same waterfront that once was called Brooklyn's Gold Coast, and saw such massive "visions" realized as the Coney Island Jockey Club, the Sheepshead Bay Speedway, the Manhattan Beach Hotel, the Oriental Hotel - and that's just in the Bay, not the rest of the South Brooklyn waterfront. Jemal might be doing sizable deals, but he's no Austin Corbin.

Then there's the real heart-warming parts of the article - Jemal boating around the coast like some modern day adventurer - or conquistador - and picking out his future prizes; or his efforts to "give back" to the community by simply working within established zoning laws:

"I consider this waterfront cleansing to be community service," says Jemal, who handled real estate development for the Wiz. "In some of these areas, you can approach from a car and hit a dead end and have no idea water is even there." [Apparently, driving up to a condo's wall screams 'WATER!' - SB]

When it comes to cost, Jemal thinks he also gives back to the community. His projects in Sheepshead Bay, Mill Basin and Gerritsen Beach, totaling almost 500 units, will be built in the same height scale as the rest of the neighborhood and will be sold for prices he hopes are affordable to the neighborhood's middle class.

The article goes on to call him a "genius", to drool over the boat slips, idealize his environmental cleanups, glow about his "passion", wax poetic on his personal and home life, and so forth. Even the photo seems to say, "Sure, I may look like Skeletor, but don't you want to reach into my unbuttoned shirt?" This may be assuming too much, but the come-hither, leg up position may have been an invitation, presumably accepted, for the Daily News writer.

Let me pause for a second, before things get really heated. I'm no development naysayer. I have nothing against Jemal. In fact, I know surprisingly little about his work, and from what I read of his plans, they're not nearly as terrible, destructive or garish as some of the other work going on in the area. My problem here is with the Daily News. To the residents of Brooklyn's southern coast, development is one of the top issues. It's not to be taken lightly. But, unfortunately, the press too often serves as the number one cheerleader for the developers.

As for Jemal himself, we already know some of the concerns with his plans. Almost all are still to be resolved, and I wish the Daily News had taken the opportunity to confront the developer about them. But the only criticism in the article itself came from CB15 chairperson Theresa Scavo, whose name they spelled wrong, and whose concerns about site cleanup were dismissed by a quote from the developer. Some extra consideration by the reporter or editor would've been nice here.

So, Daily News, why don't we take off the skirt and pompoms, and please - PLEASE - ask some hard questions of this guy and his ilk.

Above are several more shots of the view stolen by the owners of the Breakers, a development on Ford Street and Emmons Avenue. As most of you already know, the development has installed a gate, locking out the community members who've lived here for years and have longed for increased waterfront access. These shots were taken back in April, when I wandered into the construction site to get some pictures from the pier (with a rather cruddy camera).

The most amusing part of this architectural monstrosity wasn't just those ugly cresting waves on top of its otherwise blank walls, it's the shells that you see littered across the "boardwalk". The shells were everywhere in the development - on the pier, in the driveway, and on the roofs. They come from birds that pick up clams and drop them - normally on rocks - to break apart and eat. But the birds have taken a liking to using these buildings - apparently not thinking much of them other than another hard piece of crap jutting out of the water. For those of you Breaker-haters, what this means is people are paying out the nose to live in these "luxury" apartments, but will have to deal with early-morning ping-ping-pangs of birds who don't give much of a damn about their roofs, their sleep, or their cars. This is not to mention that they'll be tracking the chalky crap into their homes everyday. That oughta warm your hearts.

For those of you who are interested, I also wandered around the insides of the smaller building, which isn't as finished as the other ones. My impressions were... well, not very impressed. The rooms were small and cramped even without furniture, and there were some really odd architectural decisions made on where to put pretty basic things like, um, stairs. In some of the units it really ate up square-footage, leaving certain floorspace pretty much unusable.

I for one am not an anti-condo person, and think some of the buildings coming to the area are interesting. But the units I looked at, well, they sucked, and I sure wouldn't spend a dime on them.

The New York Times has picked up on the Breakers story, and the neighborhood's ire over the gated driveway which blocks public access to the waterfront. According to the story, and the Breakers' snide broker, the miniature boardwalk with a wide-open view of the bay's mouth, will definitely not be public.

Albert Wilk, the broker for the new development, confirmed that the Breakers would not provide public access to the water. “It’s private property, developed by a private developer,” Mr. Wilk said. “It’s going to be gated, and accessed only by members. If the neighbors wanted access, then why didn’t they participate in the costs of putting in the boardwalk and the dock?”

The Times noted that CB 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo and City Councilman Lew Fidler are fighting the arrangement, but add that there's little hope.

Of course, there is some hope that the Times' reporting is all wrong, and it'll be completely public. I mean, they did say the Bay News broke the story afterall... but we all know the truth.

Boats on the Water

A few weeks ago, before this blog existed even as a thought in my head, I had the opportunity to explore the new development in Sheepshead, The Breakers. The condos are causing a bit of ruckus with local groups including the Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association, as well as with CB 15 chairperson Theresa Scavo, who are angered with the buildings' gate, which stops pedestrian traffic. This is a photo off of the development's "pier", which is a very generous name. Still, the condos have a beautiful view of the mouth of the bay; hopefully it'll be one we can all enjoy.