The $118 million, 280,000-square-foot Steiner Studios won’t be finished until next winter, but it’s already been attracting serious star power like Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell and Mel Brooks. And now Spike Lee will be returning to his old neighborhood to direct “Inside Man” with Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster. We’re all for this revitalization, especially since this type of creative industry is in “context” (there’s that word again) with many of the area’s longer-term residents. As far as the impact on real estate, we are particularly interested to see how the blocks between the Navy Yard and Park Avenue (where the BQE runs over) evolve. It’s mostly old commercial buildings currently used for storage/warehouse space, but certainly some of these places would spiff up nicely for loft living. There have been a couple horrible, cheapo slap jobs that have sprung up on the southern side of Park Avenue, something we hope we won’t see more of. What do other people think about the impact that a vibrant Navy Yard would have on the area?
Lights, Camera, Brooklyn! [NY Times]