Ocean’s 13: Landmarking Against a Ticking Time Bomb

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Last night, the board members of Community Board 9 unanimously approved an effort to convince the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate a row of 13 rowhouses on Ocean Avenue. The “Ocean on the Park” houses, as they are being called, consist of ten limestones designed by the well-known architect Axel Hedman (who designed the Courtroom at Brooklyn Borough Hall as well as numerous houses in the Park Slope, Crown Heights and Lefferts Manor historic districts) around 1910 and three brick houses from about 1920. As readers may remember, one of the brick houses, 185 Ocean Avenue, was sold for $1.2 million (33% above asking price) to a developer named Meir Zarchi last spring. The developer had his plans for an eight-story, 23,000-square-foot building disapproved by DOB in September (one person who’s seen the plan called it “an awful looking mess”), but he did get approval yesterday to put up a construction fence, an almost certain precursor to demolition. The other 12 homeowners report being approached by numerous developers looking to follow suit. With the official community board backing, as well as support from several local politicians, the preservation-minded residents are looking for LPC to step up to the plate before it’s too late.
Calender: 10/23/2007 Meeting [CB9] GMAP P*Shark

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