Protest Planned Outside Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone Painted Black By Neighbor

BEDFORD STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — A Bed-Stuy brownstone owner whose historic red brick building was painted black by her neighbor is rallying support after the developers ignored her pleas to repair their damage.

Evette Simmons, 59, has organized a protest outside at 631 Hancock St. at 6:30 p.m. on June 1 for Bed-Stuy residents to rally neighbors against predatory investors in Bushwick and Bed-Stuy, the homeowner announced on Facebook.

Patch will also be live-streaming the protest — be sure to check it out on our Bed-Stuy Patch Facebook page.

Simmons, a nurse practitioner, has been fighting for months to get Ozone Development, LLC — the owners of 631 Hancock St. who own at least 18 properties in Bushwick and Bed-Stuy — to reimburse her for painting her home’s exterior without her permission.

Simmons wants to be repaid for the paint job she estimates it will cost more than $5,000 to fix, the city fines she paid when the developers left construction garbage outside her 100-year-old brownstone, and the lawyers’ fees she accrued in her unsuccessful attempt to force Ozone Development to pay for the damages, Simmons said.

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Simmons hopes that the protest on Thursday will pressure Ozone Development to respond to her pleas and unite Bed-Stuy homeowners whom she believes are being targeted by developers.

Simmons has also filed a suit against Ozone Development and is next expected to face them in Kings County Civil Court on Aug. 17, she said.

The activist group Before It’s Gone/Take It Back helped Simmons organize Thursday’s rally as well as an online petition — which had garnered almost 500 signatures as of May 31.

Ozone Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Image via Kathleen Culliton