Gowanus Film Studio Fights City's Plans to Stage Canal Cleanup on Site

• Pictured: Eastern Effects studio on Nevins Street. Image via Google Maps

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — The city still has years to come to a decision about the fate of the Eastern Effects film studio, an official with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told Gowanus' community board on Monday.

As first reported by The Brooklyn Paper last week, Eastern Effects owner Scott Levy has been waging an aggressive public campaign to save his studio — located at 270 Nevins St. — from being turned into a staging area for the DEP while it removes decades of industrial waste from the Gowanus Canal.

The DEP also plans to construct an underground storage tank in the area for storm water runoff. The tank would prevent raw sewage from flowing into the canal during rainstorms.

But to do that work — estimated to begin around 2020 and last a full decade — the DEP needs a site to stage trucks and other heavy equipment.

Speaking before the community board's executive committee, Eric Landau, the DEP's deputy commissioner of public affairs, fired off a number of reasons why the agency currently favors staging at the Eastern Effects site.

The property is located right next to the spot where the DEP wants to build its storage tank, a job that will take six years in and of itself, Landau said.

Staging at 270 Nevins St. would help contain the work site, he said — lessening some of the dirt and noise unleashed on the surrounding community.

What's more, he said, closing the film studio could keep the rest of Nevins Street open during the duration of the work.

But Levy, who rents his space at 270 Nevins but does not own the land itself, has been pushing the DEP to stage on one of three alternate sites located on either side of Thomas Greene Playground.

Each of those properties is privately owned and empty of buildings.

Image courtesy of Scott Levy

On his website, Levy has argued that he invested $5 million in the studio — currently used by the hit TV show "The Americans" — and that the business supports 270 jobs.

On Monday, Community Board 6's chair, Sayar Lonial, said the DEP faces a challenging situation, but also expressed sympathy for Levy's position.

"There is a thriving media business right here," Lonial said, pointing to the Eastern Effects site. "It's bringing 200 union jobs to the area. We need to keep jobs that we have, not lose them."

In response, the DEP's guy, Landau, said the location of the department's staging area is the subject of "an ongoing conversation." He promised city officials are evaluating alternatives.

But each alternative, too, comes with its own challenges, Landau said.

One of the sites is owned by Con Edison, which has already said it has no interest in selling, Landau said — meaning the city would have to go to court to force a sale or seizure.

And staging just north of the playground could expose local kids to additional dust and noise, he said.

If the DEP did use one of the alternate sites, Nevins Street — along with other nearby streets — would likely be shut down for years, he said. And Eastern Effects itself could wind up being boxed in by construction equipment and vehicles.

If the city and the film studio do find a way to make nice, Landau said, the city could purchase the Eastern Effects lot before displacing the business. It would then have an obligation to compensate the studio, which could be achieved by helping it relocate.

If, however, the city is forced to use eminent domain to seize the land from its current owner — a last resort, Landau stressed — the city wouldn't legally owe anything to Levy.

Landau said the DEP has several years to finalize its plans, which will allow time for the city to work with Levy to find the best solution for all parties.

And fans of "The Americans" can rest assured: Landau said the show will have wrapped filming by the time work on the site gets underway.