A Shed’s Row In Brooklyn

Marty Markowitz, president of the Brooklyn borough of New York, wants to replace a bandshell in Asser Levy Seaside Park with a $64 million upgrade, but some residents question if Markowitz’s description of the venue is accurate.

Borough Hall planned to demolish the existing bandshell, according to the Your Neighborhood news aggregate. Supporters say Markowitz’s replacement would be similar to the unobtrusive bandshell. To opponents, the upgrade is a massive structure with semi-permanent seating that should be subject to a land-use study.

“It’s a major change of use,” critic Ida Sanoff said. “Once those 5,000 seats are up they are there for the duration of the concert series. They made it clear that area would be off-limits.”

Another park advocate said Markowitz’s office was “spinning” the new facility to avoid a claim of a land-use change.

Markowitz’s office released a flyer that detailed the shed as a “covered summer bandshell with removable seats,” according to the New York Post. Opponents countered with a “No B.S.” flyer.

“It’s an amphitheatre, not a bandshell,” the latter flyer read. “The amphitheater will be as high as a nine- or 10-story building and will be surrounded by almost 20-foot-high walls.”

It added the amphitheatre would host a four-month-long concert series on top of year-round events. The seating, unlike that used for the bandshell, would remain on the lawn throughout the summer, opponents claim.