Saturday, June 30, 2007  358 Grove, Bushwick gentrification
battles, and the 421-a map  If you want an example of a
development that probably pushed Assemblyman Vito Lopez to add
all of Bushwick to the "exclusion zone" where affordable housing
would be required in exchange for the 421-a tax break, look no
farther than 358 Grove, a much-hyped 14-story condo tower. The
building also serves as the jumping off point for a Village
Voice investigation this week into landlords unscrupulously
pushing gentrification in Bushwick.  In promoting 358 Grove, the
developer generally plays down its location. The image at right,
for example, comes from the Halstead web listing, which states
"358 Grove is located in one of Brooklyn's fastest growing
neighborhoods; just one block from the L train and 15 minutes
into Union Square Station."  And, when the development hit the
blogosphere three months ago, most comments on Curbed were
withering, pointing out, for example, that the claimed 15-minute
access to Union Square is a fanta