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Brookland Capital signs have gone up and demo permits have been filed for two wood frame houses in Bed Stuy. The first of these, 664 Jefferson Avenue, pictured above, has a near-original exterior with half-round shingles but “had a bad roof for many years” and was totally “trashed” on the inside and unsalvageable, a tipster who had viewed it when it was for sale (and sent us the photo above) told us.

It is Italianate and dates from the 1870s. It was a Building of the Day in 2010.

The other is 447 Decatur, just around the corner from Brookland’s offices on Malcolm X. The bay-windowed house has been boarded up for years, although a 2006 PropertyShark photo shows it looking inhabited. One of its neighbors is the Evelyn F. Veres house at 451 Decatur pictured in Dinanda Nooney’s 1978 photographs of Brooklyn, which was recently restored. Architecturally, this particular block is more varied than most, with mid- and late-19th century wood frames interspersed with large 19th-century rental apartment buildings.

Brookland picked up the double-wide, 40-foot lot for $995,000 in January. While no new building application has been filed for the house on Jefferson yet, on Monday Brookland filed to build a four-story apartment building at 447 Decatur. The building would be 40 feet high with six units.

Brookland typically develops mid- to large-size condo buildings. The section of Jefferson Avenue where No. 664 is located is all small townhouses, although there are some apartment buildings at the far end of the block.

Also, we think we recall a working gas light on this block, which is home to the venerable Bridge Street African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest continuing black congregation in Brooklyn.

“The neighborhood will be very active this spring!” said our tipster.


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