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September 11, 2006
A Shower and a Shave for the W'burgh Bank Tower
When we first noticed the scaffolding enshrouding the top floors of the Williamsburgh Bank building a couple of weeks ago, we knew our point-and-click was not up to the task, so we emailed one of the best and most prolific documenters of Brooklyn architecture we know of, Frank Lynch, and begged him to get on it. As he did. Anyone know exactly what's going on at the former bank and future condo known as One Hanson Place? Repointing? Window installation? Cleaning? And, while we're on the topic, what's the currently projected move-in date for these primo penthouses?
Williamsburgh Bank [Frank Lynch]
Culture and Commerce Mix [Brownstoner]
Comments
all i wanna know is, when they take the scaffolding down, will the clock actually keep correct time?
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at September 11, 2006 10:19 AM
Their replacing the clock faces with a neon image of Magic Johnson's face.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 11:05 AM
Up top, the clock is being significantly re-vamped so that it will not only keep better time and have the same time on all four faces (how novel!) but also be easier to maintain. Alas, according to published reports this will take a year to complete. Down below, the former bank hall will be maintained as an interior landmark and has been leased to a national book retailer.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 11:43 AM
ground floor will become a borders bookstore.
Posted by: benno at September 11, 2006 12:18 PM
makes me chuckle to think that someone is going to spend several million dollars to have the views from their apartment that i once had from my orthodontist's office over 20 years ago. who woulda thunk it.
Posted by: csk at September 11, 2006 2:41 PM
co-exist together well? what do you mean? other apt buildings have fights, contests, or strawberry socials with each other?
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 4:11 PM
barnes and noble according to the broker this weekend.
Fixtures were really nice, but I don't need a bathroom bigger than the apt that my sister and I shared for 12 years.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 4:39 PM
according to the broker? I'll consider the source.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 5:04 PM
"makes me chuckle to think that someone is going to spend several million dollars to have the views from their apartment that i once had from my orthodontist's office over 20 years ago. who woulda thunk it."
yeah, but you sure as hell didn't own those views so how hard can you really chuckle? have you even seen the demo apartment? it looks a LOT nicer than your orthodontist's office did.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 5:12 PM
anon 11:43 here. borders per the project manager for the developer.
to answer anon 3:03, the iconic quality of the building and its clock-faces may (slim-to-some chance? slim-to none?) result in a re-design of the western portion of AY.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 11, 2006 6:12 PM
they are going to put a gold statue of Magic J on top and the clock faces will be designed to resemble basket balls. the floating b-balls will make it look like Ratner's Mrs. Brooklyn is slam dunking into a Junior's Cheesecake -- just a little something the city and developers dreamed up together to draw more tourism. t-shirts and refrig magnets to come soon.
Posted by: gorgon at September 11, 2006 10:04 PM
shoddy condom is what it looks like to me. or should i say condo-m?
Posted by: Anonymous at September 12, 2006 12:03 AM
"yeah, but you sure as hell didn't own those views so how hard can you really chuckle? have you even seen the demo apartment? it looks a LOT nicer than your orthodontist's office did."
true, but my chuckle is prompted by the notion of that building going residential when I have so many memories of it being filled with commercial tenants and the surrounding area being far from the locale that would attract high-end resi developers (think atlantic ave station circa 1984). but that's what makes our city so great (most of the time) - growth and change.
Posted by: csk at September 12, 2006 12:42 PM
taking bets on how long borders will stay in biz at this location (if rumor is true). i'm thinking 18 months because after all it's a big chain and they can sustain major losses at at least some locations. not that magic j and all his nabes aren't major readers, but with all the ammenities and that view it might be hard to keep turning the pages don't ya' think? i mean come on people, look at the demographic of the shoppers at the atlantic center. ratner has ugly concrete encased commercial structrure of a building targetting folks who just aren't going to browse endlessly in the aisles. it will take time before he drives all the low income shoppers away -- as i'm sure he'll do eventually -- once ratnerville starts being built.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 13, 2006 12:51 AM
what makes everyone thing the atlantic yards won't be just another dumpy mall like atlantic center?
he's yet to really build anything even close to upscale.
Posted by: Anonymous at September 13, 2006 3:43 PM
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