City officials and local leaders gathered Thursday to celebrate the completion of a $12 million renovation at Pioneer Works, a Red Hook nonprofit dedicated to art and science.

The project, supported by $3.4 million in city funding, includes major accessibility upgrades and infrastructure improvements to the 150-year-old former ironworks factory and its adjoining 20,000-square-foot garden.

The renovation also includes the installation of a full-service elevator, a new wheelchair-accessible pathway in the garden, and a central HVAC system, allowing the space to host year-round programming.

“Pioneer Works is one of our city’s most exciting cultural institutions, bringing extraordinary, cutting-edge work by artists from around the globe to this dynamic community hub in the heart of Red Hook,” NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo said following the ribbon-cutting. “We’re proud of the city’s investment in this much-needed renovation project, which brings this historic building into the present day and makes its full footprint more open and accessible than ever before.”

The project was funded through contributions from the Office of the Mayor, Brooklyn Borough President, and City Council, as well as support from New York State, the Sands Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other private donors. Empire State Development also provided $2.3 million in state funding.

“Pioneer Works exemplifies how cultural institutions serve as powerful engines of both economic growth and social progress,” said Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development. “This transformation of a historic Brooklyn landmark into a cutting-edge center for artistic and scientific innovation does more than preserve our industrial heritage — it creates a dynamic space where creativity, technology, and community converge.”

Built in 1866 as the Pioneer Iron Works manufacturing facility, the historic red-brick structure has been transformed into a cultural center that now hosts artist residencies, exhibitions and public programs.

Since its founding in 2012, Pioneer Works has become a hub for artistic, social, and economic activity, attracting over 50,000 visitors annually. More than 90% of its programming is free to the public.

“The central aim of this undertaking is to better reflect and support the diverse needs of our growing community in the architecture and design of our space,” said Mara Manus, CEO of Pioneer Works. “These critical accessibility improvements enable significant transformations to Pioneer Works’ infrastructure, aligning with our mission to foster the free exchange of ideas through programming that is open and accessible to all.”

The recent upgrade also ensures that the center can continue to serve as an inclusive space for artists, students, and community members.

“This renovation is about more than updating a historic building; it’s really about creating the dedicated home for local arts and culture that our communities deserve,” said State Sen. Andrew Gounardes. “Pioneer Works is a space where artists, students, and neighbors from Red Hook and beyond can come to connect with each other, to create and share ideas, and to envision a brighter future.”

For more information about Pioneer Works and its programs, visit www.pioneerworks.org.

On the corner of Evergreen Avenue and Noll Street, a hound/border collie mix named Peekay stands unleashed at the entrance of Green Central Knoll Park. His owner, Dani, trails behind, crawling through a large hole in the fence beneath a “NO PETS” sign.

Green Central Knoll Playground is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., but its sports field is closed when not in use by a permit holder — a policy the Parks Department says has been in place since at least 2019 — after local dog owners let their pets play off-leash and left behind waste. Despite this, Bushwick residents and their furry friends continue to use the field.

“I do feel bad for the people who are trying to play games here legitimately, and there’s dogs running after kids, stealing balls, digging holes, and pooping,” said Dani, who declined to share her full name. “That said, if there’s nobody out here, I enjoy using the park, knowing I might get ticketed.”

Dani has previously been fined $65 for letting Peekay run off-leash.

According to park rules, all dogs in public spaces in New York City must be leashed unless they are in a designated dog run or off-leash area. Because Green Central Knoll is a closed sports field, violators face different kinds of civil penalties.

For many, it’s a price they’re willing to pay.

“I use this park probably three times a day. A lot of people do,” said John Newton, who lives a block away with his brown Swiss Mountain Dog, Teddy, and recalls another owner getting fined $150. “There’s a private dog run in my building, but nothing beats taking him out to the park.”

For José Cueto, a 71-year-old maintenance worker at Green Central Knoll, residents’ misuse has made his job difficult — but he no longer sees a point in fighting it.

“What can I do? We put up a fence, they cut a hole. We chain the fence, they break the lock,” Cueto said with a shrug and a laugh.

Cueto, who works Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is responsible for cleaning, repairing and maintaining the park. He says most dog owners come early in the morning.

“The dogs poop on the floor. I clean it up, but that’s it. I can’t do anything else,” he said.

Over the years, he has become accustomed to interacting with residents — and visitors said he has even softened toward their presence. 

The use of Green Central Knoll has become a tug-of-war between residents seeking space for their dogs and park officials trying to enforce regulations. While Brooklyn has over a dozen dog runs, Bushwick has just one, located in Maria Hernandez Park. The next closest run is at Sternberg Park, about a mile away in Williamsburg. Residents say it’s not enough.

“Maria Hernandez is tiny, there’s no shade, and it floods all the time. It’s just kind of gross,” said Dani.

Brian Hernandez, another Bushwick resident, arrived on a recent afternoon with his German shepherd mix, Luli. As Peekay and Luli greeted each other, he echoed Dani’s sentiment.

“The more dog runs, the better,” Hernandez said. “I prefer Green Central Knoll because the field is much larger, and there’s always a dog or two for Luli to play with.”

The two said they’d be willing to pay for a solution.

“If the county offered an annual fee to maintain the park and allow it as a dog run, I’d pay it in a heartbeat,” Dani said.

Hernandez agreed. “I’d pay $20 a month,” he added, as Luli barked.

A man in Brooklyn was stabbed to death during an apparent house party early on Monday morning, it was reported.

Law enforcement source said Jermaine Morant, 44, of Albany, NY was slain inside a home on the 400 block of Van Siclen Avenue in East New York at about 12:47 a.m. on Feb. 17.

Officers from the 75th Precinct, in responding to a 911 call about the incident, found Morant with a stab wound to his chest. According to WABC-TV, the victim was attending a house party at the location.

EMS rushed him to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

So far, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation, police said. Law enforcement sources did not provide a suspect’s description or a possible motive for the stabbing.

Anyone with information regarding the murder can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.