Thank you for the update. I am so glad it ended well. What a mess & horrid ordeal he's been through. Best of luck on the wonderful project ahead!

Im glad they threw out the case b/c no one should be going to jail for this. (Doesn't the gov't have better uses for its courts and money?)

That said, I don't think the underlying issue of safety has been addressed. Is this dwelling safe?

I dont really care about code as I think the laws regarding code have more to do with a good plumbing and electrical product lobby than safety. But there are certain things that city has to protect the population from.

Provided its a safe place to inhabit...good for the both of you. Can't wait to see the progress.

I've always thought that Broken Angel and its creators were special, from the first time I saw it over twenty years ago, as a newcomer to Brooklyn. I used to shop for vintage furniture in the Salvation Army shop across the street, being a starving creative type myself. (they used to have great antiques for nothing, sigh.) I always wondered who owned it, and what was going on there, and as Clinton Hill gentrified over the years, I was always glad to see that this building stood tall, and was never taken over by loft loving developers, or torn down for Fedders houses.

I am very glad that Mr. Woods is a savvy and wise man, as well as a uniquely visionary and eccentric artist. A society is measured by the creative people who make all kinds of art, music and beauty, not just by the moneymakers and dealsmiths. I don't think that makes creative people above the law, but I do think that creativity sometimes needs special help to nourish and protect it. It seems suspicious to me that a tremendously large and very visible building like Broken Angel was invisible to DOB all these years, and only now that the property values have risen to the sky, do they come down on the Woods' like they never seem to come down on local slumlords whose negligence puts hundreds of people, including the very young, old and disabled, in dire peril.

I applaud the patnership of the Woods' and Shahn Andersen on this project. I don't know any of them personally, but in watching Shahn's progress on his own house, reading his (missed) blog, and seeing the care and research that he put into the restoration of his own home, I think that someone who cares about history, neighbors and neighborhood is a great choice for the Woods. I see no problem with him making money, why shouldn't he? He's taking the risks, taking the time, a ton of money, and will take most of the flack if one screw hits the ground and bounces in the wrong direction.

"Developer" has become a curse word in this city, because many of them seem to be greedy, law ignoring, law breaking, rich, tasteless bastards. That shouldn't be the case, and it will be interesting for us to be able to see what really goes on when one develops a building for multiple family living. Maybe we can all learn something from this, give a suggestion here and there, understand why certain things are done that we lay people don't like or understand. As a lover of architectural history, I am looking forward to seeing a ninteenth century factory turned into twenty-first century homes, and see it done with care and done well. I am eager to see the Woods' get a safe, warm new home for themselves, and see the sculptural masterpiece that is Broken Angel preserved and enlarged. I am also glad that space for other artists and creative people are in the plans, and hope that the Woods' and Shahn are able to do everything that they want to do with this large and unique space.

Buona fortuna.

I don't know why my first posts never have the Typekey logo, when I sign in, but that was me above, not my doppleganger.

Wow. What a story . Good luck to you guys

get him a lawyer to sue the city for false arrest!

you rule!

I am so excited! this neighbourhood is a vibrant and diverse place and this building has long been an asset. thanks shahn for letting it continue to be so.

this news makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. we were all rooting for you arthur!

Wow...i was nervous there for a sec. I live right next door to the Broken Angel and the last thing I want is to see it torn down. There's a lot of new construction that's been happening on Quincy and Downing street in the last few months and when I walked outside this morning and saw the scaffolding up my girlfriend and I almost lost it. My car was parked in the way of the truck that was loading in the dumpster that would haul most of the debris away. I may have held up the construction for an extra day. I'm not sure who I spoke with, it may have been Shahn, but he was very nice and cordial...I kind of had a feeling that this person wasn't here to tear down The Broken Angel. A very happy ending to an uncertain day.
A real estate agent with a heart.
Joey LP.

I love the building, too. But could Shahn or someone give us any idea how on earth it can be brought up to code adn still have its personality? As groovy as all that crazy stuff on top looks, it seems inconceivable to me that it could be shored up and condos added beneath it. Would love to hear even just a conceptual idea for the place. Thanks, and good luck!

This is going to be interesting.

Great idea Bob999. I'll address that in the next posting.

Hey! The blog is great! I'm definitely going to keep checking. I think its great that you are on this project Shahn. This is what happens when you mix an artist with a businessman. It should be magical.

Where might one go to find a little background info on Broken Angel?