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June 15, 2006

Board of Ed Building Sales "About to Start"

Two Trees Management's PR machine is going into high gear in anticipation of the impending sales launch at 110 Livingston Street. ("Sales About to Start!" the latest press release reads.) The stately former Board of Ed building (shown here under construction last year) has had a four-story glass addition built atop the original McKim Mead and White design. Designed in 1926 as a clubhouse for the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the building is getting the requisite high-end makeover, complete with name-brand appliances and sigh-worthy bathrooms. Another bonus: On-site parking. The development will have 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, with the cheapest one starting at $400,000. One wonders whether Walentas will be able to match Magic Johnson's asking prices of $1,200 a foot at One Hanson Place. Which do you think is a "better" location?
110 Livingston Street [Dumbo-New York]
$1,200 a Foot at One Hanson [NY Post]
Board of Ed Conversion [Brownstoner]

Comments

this building is still an empty, hollowed-out shell. it's nowhere near completion. if they're aiming for Feb 2007, that would be interesting.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 11:21 AM

Hopefully they will do better than 70Washington, which is still not sold out.

Posted by: djr at June 15, 2006 11:29 AM

yesterday's press release said occupancy Fall 2006, for what it's worth

Posted by: Brownstoner at June 15, 2006 11:47 AM

I'm would think the $1200 per sq ft at WBurgh Savings Bk is for top floors with best views and most apts not near that price. No apts in this bldg will have the same commanding views.
Not sure which I would pick as far as location. Both are very busy spots but easy stroll to tree-lined blocks.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 11:54 AM

I don't know about the savings bank, but the immediate area (2-3 blocks) of this is pretty desolate and traffic heavy. Granted, it's about 5 blocks to Montague Street and really close to Borough Hall, but I think that I'd probably rather be on a nicer street myself.

Posted by: cobblestoner at June 15, 2006 12:44 PM

first of all, after the court houses close, there is not heavy traffic. and as far as desolate is concerned, i wouldn't quite use that word either. there is plenty of non-touristy foot traffic. it's the kind of neighborhood where you can get to know your neighbors. and it's also 3 blocks from smith street--worlds better than montague. hanson is on flatbush. with target to the left and fulton mall to the right, if it's an urban, downtown feel that you want, that's the neighborhood you'll find it in.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 12:57 PM

"there is not heavy traffic"

If you think this, you've never even been to brooklyn. I would guess this is up there with flatbush for the busiest road in Brooklyn.

That said, 1 Hansen may actually be the busiest intersection in Brooklyn, but puts on no airs to the contrary. Furthermore, 1 Hansen offers access to 5 neighborhoods (PS, PH, Downtown, FG, BH), is walking/short biking distance to prospect park/grand army/museum/gardens, has unbeatable transit options (including 25 minute train/air train to JFK), has better shopping, has a real super market and, of course, is next door to BAM.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 1:31 PM

how can anyone say this area is desolate?(ie cobblestoner)

- Short walk to the Brooklyn Bridge
- Close to 2,3,4,5,R,F,C,E,G,M trains and tons of buses
- 10 min walk to Promenade
- Very near Court, Smith, Montague Sts and Atlantic Ave, all main drags with tons of restaurants and shopping
- Brand new YMCA (with pool) around the corner and a couple blocks down on Atlantic
- Close to Borough Hall (little farmers market on the weekends)
- Etc etc...

Totally desolate!

Posted by: i own a condo at June 15, 2006 1:45 PM

but don't you all think that 1 Hanson will suffer tremendously from the huge buildings going up around it? the corcoran listings boast views of "steeples" to the south, but in a few years won't those south facing apartments be looking at gehry's miss brooklyn and the other highrise over the modells site?
i personally love the 1 Hanson building, inside and out, but it seems you have to be careful which way your "views" face.

Posted by: anon at June 15, 2006 1:51 PM

I think they mean pedestrian street traffic a bit sparse at night on this block between Boerum and Court.
Yet once this bldg opens will change.
But traffic-wise on Boerum plenty of traffic all evening from BkBridge racing down to Atlantic Avenue.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 2:16 PM

I went to 1HP open house and also checked out their floor plan carefully. It seems to me the quoted sqft numbers are rather inflated. Not sure whether it's because of those large columns and thick walls or they added the common area in, or both.

Posted by: anon at June 15, 2006 2:57 PM

I'm sure both - and its standard practice for any building.
(including single family home - where you calc sq ftage by outside dimensions of house).

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 3:13 PM

I agreed with the comment above. It is common to include those phantom sq-ftage. One Hanson Place might be worse because it is an old school skyscraper. They were built like a fort.

Posted by: ed at June 15, 2006 3:23 PM

On the development - I attended a meeting on the 22 floor of the Brooklyn Law School building this morning which overlooks 110 Livington. They may be about to sell units, but they will be selling them based on floor plans, because construction has a looooong way to go. The 4 storey addition is partially framed in steel and there is demolition still underway.

I have lived and worked in this neighborhood for 15 years. Although it is becoming more residential and more active, this corner is not very lively with pedestrian traffic after the end of the work day. Courts, TA, offices all clear out at nite. Boerum Place, in front of the building, connects the Brooklyn Bridge with Atlantic Avenue and Smith Street and has constant vehicular traffic.

That having been said, I bet the units will look great.

Posted by: bored at work at June 15, 2006 3:50 PM

I was talking about what 2:16 mentioned. Plus, I was talking about the immediate 2-3 square blocks. If you aren't there from about 8-6 M-F, it's absolutely dead. Even during the day most people are on Court Street. Most pedestrians avoid Boerum Pl. / Brooklyn Bridge because of the traffic. I think the best way to explain it is extreme - you either have heavy traffic and a lot of people or no traffic and no people.

As for Smith v. Montague, I think it's personal preference. Smith has a lot of construction near Atlantic IIRC, and it's got a lot of empty storefronts.

Posted by: cobblestoner at June 15, 2006 4:03 PM

Those of us who live on Schermerhorn only wish it were as dead as it used to be. With the movie theater (thank you Mr Ratner), there are folks on the surrounding blocks till midnight every night. People who only work in the area know nothing about what it's like to live there. It's great -- even with the movie theater and lack of streeet parking and the constant contstruction. Yes, there is traffic on Boerum -- but it slows considerably after rush hour. A lot quieter than living on any of the UES or UWS avenues. And it still IS a neghborhood where people know each other. We juts hope it stays that way with 110, Lookout Hill, Danny's condos and the rental on Schermerhorn all under way.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 4:19 PM

Brownstoner is right, the $1200 per square foot at One Hanson place must be for the higher floors--the apts they have on their web site (which are all floors 13 and below) average about $750 per square foot. Actually the Post article says it's the Penthouse that's 1200 per square foot. Has that really never been seen anywhere in Brooklyn?

Posted by: Scotto at June 15, 2006 7:53 PM

Who on earth will buy ALL of these condos with the 400+ units becoming available in DUMBO and the hundreds, perhaps thousands more becoming available in Billburg? Just a hypothetical.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 15, 2006 10:06 PM

Bored at work:

There are a lot of empty storefronts on Smith and you have to walk several blocks beyond them to get to the real action - something many here have neglected to mention. Those storefronts are quickly filling up however. It remains to be seen said storefronts take on susatianable business.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 16, 2006 1:56 AM

@1:56 AM, actually I think anon @ 12:57PM was the one that called smith world's better than montague. I think bored at work was talking about traffic on Smith. Like I said, I think Smith has more restaurants/shops further down (past Warren Street) but I prefer Montague.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 16, 2006 11:47 AM

Having lived on that block (Schermerhorn between COurt and Boerum) for over 20 years I can truly say cobblestoner doesn't know what he is talking about. I moved there when 96 was still a gutted, boarded up building and I have seen huge changes in the area. But there were always people on the street, and a 24 hour car service so someone was always there. It's a great area, convenient ot everything. I moved only when the dorm went up- on the ground floor I would no longer get even a smidgen of sunlight with that thing. But I never anticipated what would be happening there now. All of that being said, if you want a great, safe, friendly area with lots of amenities this is it.

Posted by: Bx2Bklyn at June 16, 2006 12:12 PM

Wow, what reaching....

> Furthermore, 1 Hansen offers access
> to 5 neighborhoods (PS, PH,
> Downtown, FG, BH),

Hmmm.... let me get this straight. Bragging that Hansen is "near" the neighborhood 110 Linvingston is in?

And Hansen being near Brooklyn Heights? We kidding on that? You have to first walk (what, half a mile) to downtown brooklyn (probably right past 110 livingston), then cross it, and you're still a bit aways from the Promenade.

110 is *in* downtown, 2 blocks from Brooklyn Heights, maybe 5 blocks from Cobble Hill, 7-8 blocks to DUMBO. Those are the expensive neighborhoods in Brooklyn. And, what, a 25 minute walk to City Hall in Manhattan?

Hansen is in a fairly crappy area, surrounded by other crappy areas (when an "asset" is distance to Fort Green and other borderline neighborhoods, you know you have problems. You got BAM, and that’s cool, but you also have maybe the worst "mall" in the world, the horrible flatbush/atlantic intersection, the burnt out atlantic corridor (with, at best, hope for lots of construction over the next 5 years), *temporary* views.

> is walking/short
> biking distance to prospect
> park/grand army/museum/gardens

Ha, another "short" walk. With such "short walks" from Livingston, you get Cadman Plaza / Park, Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park, City Hall Park, and, hell, you could probably reach Battery Park.

> has unbeatable transit options

Whoops, I think you just got beat.
110 livingston is around the corner from the first or second Brooklyn stop of every train I can think of. Atlantic has a lot of trains, but it takes you ten minutes to get through the damn mall.

> has better shopping

Are we really fighting this? The world's worst target + fulton street?
Btw, 110 is at the other end of the fulton mall. And I'd certainly give away the chuck e cheese for all of brooklyn heights / court / smith street shopping. Those absolutely blow away anything anywhere near Flatbush.
Oh wait, you have Juniors! (granted, a walk). I'll take the Zagat rated stuff any day.

But lets not forget the other advantages to Hansen!

1) temporary views (and the current ones are of some pretty ugly streets)
2) the projects!
3) the traffic! (110 can have lots of traffic, but you have more escape routes - bqe and bridge right there)

Hey, I'm sure we can come up with more!

Posted by: Eddie Wilson at June 16, 2006 2:56 PM

Eddie, the Anon at 1.31pm meant Boerum Hill when he/she said BH. And if you are thinking that Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Prospect Heights and Park Slope are borderline neighborhoods, it just shows your ignorance and unfamiliarity with those nabes.

There really is no argument. Both places will sell just fine. You should take it easy there pal.

Posted by: lp at June 16, 2006 5:06 PM

And Eddie, there are no projects near the Williamsburgh Savings Bank/Hansen Place.

I agree with the problems of the AY construction.

There is a lot of car traffic at both locations.

Hansen is really at the edge of Ft. Greene, so you have many dining options there (and yes, Eddie, they are Zagat rated and better than anything in Brooklyn Heights, gasp ;-)

As far as the views, you see all of Manhattan and NY Harbor from Hansen Pl. if you are on the correct side of the tower. The AY's project won't affect those views.

As far as transit, you don't go through a mall to get to the trains, the entrance is under the Hansen Place (Williamsburgh Savings Bank) building.

Do you even know the area? Sounds like you've gone to target via the Fulton mall, got kind of lost and couldn't find the correct subway entrance. I'd feel disenchanted to if that happened to me too...

Posted by: lp at June 16, 2006 5:17 PM

> Hansen is really at the edge of Ft.
> Greene, so you have many dining
> options there (and yes, Eddie, they
> are Zagat rated and better than
> anything in Brooklyn Heights, gasp ;-)

Who said BH, genius? 2 blocks on Smith Street will take down FG any day...

> As far as transit, you don't go
> through a mall to get to the
> trains, the entrance is under the
> Hansen Place (Williamsburgh Savings
> Bank) building.
> Do you even know the area? Sounds like you've
> gone to target via the Fulton mall, got kind of lost
> and couldn't find the correct subway entrance. I'd
> feel disenchanted to if that happened to me too...

Other genius, try again.

I've known the neighborhood well since before you heard about Brooklyn on a Friends episode back in Omaha.
The Ashland place main exit has been closed... it is a royal pain now. I used to go in and out of that station daily, and its a far cry now with all the construction.

So much for the "unbeatable" transportation. It just got beat.

Posted by: Eddie Wilson at June 16, 2006 8:34 PM

my family's been in brooklyn since the 1840s numbnuts, I know the area. I don't get what your so angry about.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 16, 2006 8:42 PM

I meant "you're", not "your". I just don't get your wild rant. Pointless discussion really.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 16, 2006 8:43 PM

I think 1 Hanson will sell perfectly well. My GF and I drove by the place on Saturday on our way back from the city, it truly is a magnificent building and would love to live there. I've even managed to get an appointment for tomorrow morning to glimpse the inside first hand. 1 Hanson has given me reason to pause however....

The increase in human traffic will make the place less desirable when construction starts on the Nets arena
In order to get a view of anything worthwhile like Manhattan to the north of Statue of Liberty to the West you have to go for one of the more expensive 2 bedrooms or leave your apartment to visit the sky lounge.
The other consideration is the hope that the neighborhood can sustain the prices that the developers are asking, the neighborhood is no Bklyn Hts or Park Slope (6th ave to Park)

110 Livingston appeals in many ways, i live in the Court House Apartments and love the work that Two Trees did there and am optimistic about what they'll do to the new place. Its a stone's throw from all the major subways, access to the bridge is assured and the neighborhood has plenty to offer. While the food choices aren't the best, Smith street is close enough and when you want wider selection there's Manhattan (after work) or Park Slope. My money's on 110 Livingston....

Posted by: Court House at June 21, 2006 12:11 PM

110 rocks. move in or be square.

Posted by: anon at September 10, 2006 1:49 PM

« FCR Sued, Issued Violation for Pacific Street Demo Revisiting the Site of Brooklyn's Flatiron Building »

June 15, 2006

Board of Ed Building Sales "About to Start"

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