Ferrara Brothers Bldg Materials Corp. is a family-owned ready-mix concrete business founded in 1969.  It is one of New York City's largest concrete producers, pouring over half a million cubic yards of concrete a year about half of which comes from Ferrara's two gowanus batching plants located at the southern terminus of Hoyt Street.[1]  Ferrara Brothers operates at least two other cement batch plants, one in Jamaica (8919 Liberty Ave, Jamaica, NY) and another in Flushing Queens (12005 31st Ave Flushing, NY) and has provided concrete for the new Mets Stadium, the World Trade Center Memorial, and the Second Avenue subway.[2]  According to a 1994 story from the New York Times, Ferrara Bros was accused of making "payoffs to the Colombo crime family in return for labor peace and help in winning contracts."[3]

Redevelopment
Ferrara Brothers bought the land in 1973 and a year later the City condemned the parcel and bought it through eminent domain. The land is slated to be redeveloped as "Public Place" using tax credits provided through the NYS Brownfields Program.  

Enforcement Action
On September 16, 2009 Riverkeeper announced the beginning of an enforcement campaign targeted at environmental law breakers on the highly polluted Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York. In the first wave of enforcement actions Riverkeeper filed a notice of intent to sue against Ferrara Brothers Bldg Materials Corp. for discharging liquid cement and stone into the Canal.