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Reprieve for The Little Room
Good news-ish: The Little Room, a Brooklyn Heights special needs pre-school in danger of closing earlier this week, will stay open…until August 2010. That means current students can finish out the two-year program, says the NY Times. As for the future of the beloved institution, “School officials said they would use the additional time to try to find another home for the Little Room.”
12/18/2008 9:43 AM
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Gowanus Green/Public Place Gets Public Meeting
Public, yeah, but since it was poorly publicized and late in the holiday season, not too many folks showed to represent the nabe’s feelings about Gowanus Green. PMFA attended the Borough Hall convening, and noted that “the need for open space in this community has increased rather than decreased since 1974,” when Public Place was designated as, well, public. “But instead of finally getting the use of this open land at Public Place, Carroll Gardeners will have to absorb an additional 774 units.” Public stuff includes playgrounds, rain gardens, bike shop, bar/restaurants, retail stuff, place for the Gowanus Dredgers, and a boathouse and community center. Concerns: the larger Gowanus rezoning; dirty toxic Gowanus Canal; effect of projects with similar timelines (read: Toll Brothers); impact on schools and subways, to name a few. Pretty much the same concerns that the Toll Brothers’ project raises, though this seems to be causing much less of a stir.
Gowanus Green: Bells, Whistles, and Rain Gardens [Brownstoner] GMAP
Hudson Companies Chosen to Develop Public Place Site [Brownstoner]
Renderings of the Related and Hudson Public Place Plans [Brownstoner]
Vying Public Place Plans Get an Airing [Brownstoner]
Gowanus Roundup: Public Pl. Bids Whittled, Builders Bullish [Brownstoner]
Bizarrely Timed ‘Gowanus Green’ Hearing Nearly Secret [Curbed]
Last Night At The ‘Gowanus Green’ Public Scoping Meeting [PMFA]
12/18/2008 9:31 AM
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Rezoning for Brighton Beach?
Kensington‘s doing it. So is Flatbush (and Gowanus and Greenpoint/Williamsburg, too). And now Brighton Beach is slated for the rezoning bandwagon, too. City Limits reports that that proposal is “an attempt to limit destructive overdevelopment by setting clear limits on construction and creating height restrictions for buildings in the area. Most of the neighborhood is now zoned without any height limits.” The limits were removed in the 1970s to stimulate development. Guess it worked, with an influx of young money and immigrants tilting the nabe away from the low-rise housing that once dominated and toward projects like the Oceana, in the photo above. Thus it’s been the victim of the speculation that’s harmed other Brooklyn neighborhoods, with half-finished or vacant projects looming over the area. If the rezoning goes through, most of the neighborhood would have to respect a 40-foot height limit, with 80 feet on commercial streets and 100 feet over on Brighton Beach Avenue, the throbbing hub of the ‘hood. But some folks think it’s too little, too late. “Asked whether the proposal will solve the development situation in Brighton, [CB13's district manager, Chuck Reichenthal] said: ‘No, it won’t.’
Rezoning Too Late for Brighton Beach? [City Limits]
12/18/2008 9:04 AM
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Thursday Links
Big Flakes. Photo by jet200nyc from the Brownstoner Flickr pool.
Madoff Scandal Shaking Real Estate Industry [NY Times]
Tossing a Rattle Into the Renovation [NY Times]
MTA OKs Hike in Double Whammy [NY Post]
Architect Drops Ax on Yards Staff [NY Daily News]
Cyclists Face Opposition in Williamsburg [Brooklyn Eagle]
12/18/2008 8:33 AM
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Closing Bell: Visit the Nabe at Night
That’s what Barbara Corcoran suggests you do when looking for a house. On the Today Show this morning, she offered advice to prospective buyers on discerning the desperation of sellers and the quality of the floor below the carpet, suggested they “find out what the neighborhood is like off-hours.” “Go on Saturday night and you’ll spot the noisy neighbor. Go on rush hour and you’ll see how busy the traffic on the street is,” she said. “It’s a great time to buy, if you’re courageous and you don’t mind being lonely when you’re out there shopping all by yourself.”
Corcoran Advises Buyers to Visit at Night [TRD]
12/17/2008 4:00 PM
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Slow Going at 400 15th
Yikes, this building has been having problems since it broke ground over two years ago. The original permit called for a five-story, 18-unit dwelling designed by Robert Palermo of Corporate Design of America (not a very inspiring name for a business, right?) Back in 2006, we reported that the BSA allowed this project to go forward despite a substantially incomplete foundation. According to the blog IMBY, the building next door was “severely damaged” during construction, resulting in a stop work order. We don’t see any active swo’s, though they’ve wracked up 47 complaints, the last one, in August, stating they started work before 7AM. If they’re working so hard, why are they stuck in the cinder block phase? GMAP DOB
12/17/2008 2:30 PM
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Streetlevel: New Blood on 5th Avenue
In the old Beacon’s Closet, which moved down the street, and Ugg shop has opened up, just in time for the cold spell. And down the street from Ugg is a new women’s clothing store called Celine. Score two for 5th Avenue. More on Gowanus Lounge. GMAP
12/17/2008 2:01 PM
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The 100 Best Things in Park Slope
Only the Blog Known Brooklyn has compiled the annual Park Slope 100: “100 stories, 100 ways of looking at the world, 100 inspiring people, places and things.” The list includes A Year in the Park‘s Brenda Becker, “because in 2008 you decided to visit Prospect Park every day as an urban adventure (and, not least, as a drug-free antidepressant!), and to chronicle your discoveries”; WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein, because “your reporting of Hillary Clinton’s primary campaign was always top notch, as were your stories from battleground states”; and “Jake the panhandler who stands in front of ACE Supermarket on Seventh Avenue and Berkeley Place because you’ve had a tough life, you always ask so nicely and you have such a big, warm smile.” Other mentions: Bill de Blasio, John Hodgman, D’Vine Taste and Medusa Salon. Read the full list, and if you have more, add ‘em here.
12/17/2008 10:13 AM
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Credit Crunch Hits Gehry’s Office
After Ratner told Gehry to put his pencils (or balls of crumpled paper) down, he laid off two dozen workers, reports the WSJ. No comment from offices Gehry or Ratner, but FCR did reaffirm its commitment to the project: “it has cut off its new development pipeline, except for Atlantic Yards.”
Photo by Atlantic Yards web cam.
12/17/2008 9:45 AM
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New Building Permits Plummet
Yet one more article on census data, folks, this one from the NY Post and focusing not on class and race but on building — there’s a whole lot less of it. “The Wild West atmosphere of Brooklyn residential development seems to have gone the way of the buffalo,” they write. The proof: new building permits were down 88 percent this October from the same month in 2004, which they term the “age of the bulldozer.” Apparently we’re feeling it harder here than in other boroughs; the citywide decline was 70 percent. “The report cites frozen credit markets, more stringent lending requirements by banks, the end of the 421-a subsidy program, and a glut of existing units as factors for the slowdown.” The bulldozer age flooded the market with inventory, but don’t expect prices to drop like permits; they’re down only four percent.
Permit Mill Slows Down [NY Post]
Photo by i’mjustsayin.
12/17/2008 9:02 AM
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Wednesday Links
Hook Blocks. Photo by goldemi from the Brownstoner Flickr pool.
After 146 Years, a Brooklyn Convent Is Closing [NY Times]
Treasury Pressured on Homeowners [WSJ]
From ‘Crack Garden’ to Greenway [Brooklyn Eagle]
Splitsville for LICH and Continuum? [Brooklyn Paper]
NY Subways Risky for Drunks [Crain's NY]
12/17/2008 8:31 AM
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Development Watch: 182A 26th Street
Just next to the future Best Western, on 26th Street and 4th Avenue, the building boom is still healthy. This building, the former site of an aluminum sided row house before it was demolished 10 years ago, went up fairly quickly, considering the first new building permit was issued in early 2007. The project’s only endured two complaints, the last one in February claiming they failed to safeguard the site. The permit calls for a four-story building, though doesn’t specify the number of units. The architect is Astoria-based Georgios Georgopoulos. Anybody know his work? Thoughts about this building? GMAP P*Shark DOB
12/16/2008 2:25 PM
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Streetlevel: Ortine Restaurant Tomorrow in Prospect Heights
An OrtÃn is “a small garden plot next to a farmhouse where farm workers grew food for themselves,” say the folks at Ortine, who plan to open their 35-seat localvore eatery at 622 Washington Avenue between Pacific and Dean tomorrow. It will be a cafe by day, with free wi-fi and granola or Belgian waffles available all day long. After noon, lunch fare includes seasonal greens with homemade creamy garlic or lemon dressing; marinated portobello mushroom and goat cheese sandwich; or sweet Italian sausage. Dinner: roasted Cornish game hen; mushroom lasagna; or braised short ribs. Perhaps this will be a boost to buyers checking out the glut of Washington Avenue condos nearby? GMAP
Photo by Set Speed Condo.
12/16/2008 2:01 PM
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Yet Another Round of Price Cuts at Lofts on Lex
Though they had a fresh round of chops last month, it seems prices are going down again at 95 Lexington Avenue, the 20-unit development which had four units in contract a month ago. Per Streeteasy, the remaining 16 units are now all discounted. The 1,524-sf 5D got a $150,000 haircut three days ago, to $849,000. That same day, the 1,015-sf 4C took $100,000 off, making it $469,000 (most are studios or one-beds since they’re supposed to be, well, lofts). Will this do the trick? GMAP
12/16/2008 11:03 AM
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Co-ops Faring Better than Condos?
That does seem to be the case, per New York magazine, whose “Optimism Index” chronicles co-ops’ asking prices, today and yesteryear. “Co-ops’ asking prices are down slightly, too, but the drops are generally a little smaller than among condos. Possible reasons? Co-ops tend to be less leveraged and less liquid. The only marked decrease is in Upper Manhattan, where asking prices fell 6.31 percent.” In fact, they’ve only covered Manhattan co-ops in this piece. Do you think it’s the same story in Brooklyn — dropping, but not as far or fast as condos?
The Optimism Index, Part II [NY Mag]
Photo by Lisanne!
12/16/2008 10:32 AM
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Viridian Goes Rental
Though it’s just barely hit the market, Curbed reports that Greenpoint’s luxury condo at 110 Green Street is going nondo: rentals are on the horizon. No word on pricing, though their Web site still has units for sale, ranging from 662-sf one-beds for $475,000 to 1267-sf three-beds for $835,000. Plus pool! Billiards! Zip car!
12/16/2008 10:12 AM
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BK Developers on 12th Street
BK Developers‘ buildings are easily spot-able throughout the South Slope, but on one block — 12th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues — they’re particularly prevalent. Behold 362, 372 and 394, respectively. They all look pretty occupied, so clearly not everyone is bothered by the, well, the way they look.
12/16/2008 9:58 AM
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San Francisco of the East Coast
That’s what New York magazine is calling Ditmas Park, “the Victorian-packed enclave south of Prospect Park.” Its resemblance to the foggy city is listed as reason #39 to love New York, and it’s not just the “painted ladies,” those houses now fetching as much as $1.8 million, that bear a resemblance to San Fran. “You can also see similarities in the restaurant scene: The reigning culinary draw, the Farm on Adderley, references Chez Panisse (okay, that’s in Berkeley, not Frisco) in its strident locavorism and mismatched plates. And Ditmas’s tiny, cozy Cinco de Mayo can hold its own in the Mexican brunch department against the Mission District’s Pancho Villa Taqueria (although the latter’s burritos are admittedly better).” Perhaps most San Francisco-ish is the Ciy LIghts of the East Coast, Vox Pop, with its socialist literature and cappuccinos, “where, on a recent Sunday, you could order a Cesar Chavez personal pizza, buy lefty tracts, and listen to a live drum circle from a group called Manhattan Samba.” Still, a look at political contributions belies the neighborhood’s true colors: it actually leans toward the red.
Because Ditmas Park Is the New San Francisco [New York]
Photo by nicknormal.
12/16/2008 9:32 AM
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Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?
Reason number 14 to love New York: “Because sometimes immense, gratuitous, noncontextual acts of real-estate ego don’t pan out.” Those adjectives belong to New York magazine, pointing out that Ratner’s “$4.2 billion, 22-acre combination of residential towers and office buildings, anchored by a basketball arena for the Nets, was supposed to completely transform downtown Brooklyn—with seemingly little thought given to what it might do to the already paralyzed intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues.” Though the lawsuits against the project “never got any real traction,” they did indeed delay the project, they write, until the market changed. “At the moment, the old neighborhood is winning. Score two points for entropy.” Is this a victory for opponents? A pit-stop on the way to development? Construction may be a while off, but demolition is long underway.
Because Sometimes Immense, Gratuitous, Noncontextual Acts Of Real-estate Ego Don’t Pan Out [New York]
12/16/2008 9:16 AM
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Brainiacs Take Brooklyn
Last week’s roundups of Brooklyn census data skipped over a couple of things, which the NY Daily News has picked up. Our high school and college graduation rates have swung up since that last count, eight years ago, as did the wealth of the average Brooklynite and the number of us who are employed. “The number of 25-year-olds holding at least a high school diploma soared 17%, to 1.2 million, while those with at least a bachelor’s degree rose by 30%, to 438,568 people,” they write. Brooklyn public high schools’ four-year graduation rate rose to 59.8% in 2007, from 46.6% in 2000. The median income rose 27%, to $40,942. The numbers “proved what many had already known: Brooklyn was experiencing a renaissance.” The evidence, sited by one college professor: organic juice joints replacing bodegas, a sign of “rapid gentrification.” But the higher test scores might have more to do with an influx “higher-educated adults” from the Caribbean and Asia; the latter population increased by 21%. The neighborhoods where fortunes rose most dramatically? Cobble Hill, Park Slope and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Youth Movement Fires Brooklyn Boro Gentrification [NY Daily News]
Photo by mccfamtracker.
12/16/2008 9:04 AM
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panyl
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM