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October 10, 2006

Developer Non Grata: 330 Park Place Destruction

house
We receieved an email from an alarmed resident of Park Place in Prospect Heights this week. The subject of concern: The tear-down of a hundred-year-old house (one of three free-standing houses on the block) to make way for a five-story apartment building is underway, with the second floor having been completely removed already. Unfortunately, the block ain't landmarked, though until this point it had been very well preserved. We wrote about this place back in January 2005 when we reported that it had been the subject of a bidding war. And what a bidding war it was. Listed at an initial asking price of $1.175 million, the deal ultimately closed at $1.4 million in July of '05. The developer is somebody named Mark Schildkraut. Anyone know what this guy's track record is? Are we in for an aesthetic disaster?
Bidding War in Prospect Heights [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:31 AM | Comments (22)
Categories: Development

Comments

Brownstoner,
You are a cinic, waking up every morning and asking yourself how many awful developers and their projects will I encounter.
The interenet is an easy way for some to write because obviously you were not meant as an objective source.
Anyone that can relate to the fundamentals acknowledges this site as pure tabloid and non-resourseful.
Your panic stricken PP source is a gossip queen and they only want to poke at this because no one has.
Give this guy an opportunity and stop hoping for a disaster.
Grow up or I'll call your parents

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 10:09 AM

He's tearing down a hundred year old houseon a previously well-preserved block--IMO its ALREADY a disaster.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at October 10, 2006 10:16 AM

Given this guy an opportunity? To do what? Tear down the front porch and columns? As for being a cynic, we've got lot and lots of reasons NOT to give developers the benefit of the doubt. Lots.

Posted by: brownstoner at October 10, 2006 10:34 AM

i guarantee that anon 10:09 is the developer with his defensive attitude. the location will most likely developed into a piece of shit building. let's follow the progress and perpetually bring bad karma to it and stop the sales of the doggy units.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 10:42 AM

expect some pre-fab details and those cheap-o bricks with the squiggles on them. i looked him up.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 10:47 AM

Are any of you, that are bashing the developer, educated?
Do any of you own a crystal ball.
Out with the old and in with the new is nothing unusual, unless you live in a vacuum

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 11:48 AM

My sympathies to the "alarmed resident" and others who are concerned about teardowns, schlocky development, etc., etc. But as interesting and entertaining as this blog is, I think it would be more effective and to the point to organize and complain loudly to local elected officials - the relevant councilmembers, state assembly members, the Mayor's office, etc. Get the politicians to shake the cages at DCP and LPC to have them "take a look at" the problems. Otherwise all the ire just gets vented here and the political will gets sapped and it actually benefits the schlocky developers who keep on doing what they're doing. Get politically savvy, people!

Posted by: anon2 at October 10, 2006 11:56 AM

i like how he asks if anyone is educated and then proceeds to butcher the punctuation in three consecutive sentences.

Posted by: anon at October 10, 2006 11:58 AM

LPC "coming to Brooklyn" in a big way?
Remember that quote? As for the brownstoner "bashers", look around, you clowns. Look at the junk being built everywhere; cynicism is a direct result of what is being approved and built.

Posted by: anon at October 10, 2006 12:00 PM

As a admirer of Brownstone Brooklyn and a prospective purchaser of one I used to love this site because I felt that it provided a forum for "grass roots" discussion. I for one feel a lot more knowledgeable and now consider myself an "educated consumer" when it come to brownstone buying. Unfortunalty, this site has lost it way and i will no longer visit. Mr. B it was good while it lasted.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 12:07 PM

"Are any of you, that are bashing the developer, educated?
Do any of you own a crystal ball"
No need for a crystal ball. While there's no GUARANTEE that the developer will build a POS Fedders bldg(although I could probably make a lot of money if anyone were foolish enough to be willing to bet against this) even a beautifully designed modern building would be an unfortunate addition to a previously intact block like this.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at October 10, 2006 12:58 PM

To 12:07 Anon - your meaning isn't exactly clear - how has the site lost its way. I love it even with the occasional troll.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 12:59 PM

this is why buying in a landmarked area is so important- and why we need to help landmark more areas, such as prospect heights' beautiful streets.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 12:59 PM

I agree wholeheartedly with Anon. 12:59.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 1:04 PM

Re: Mr. Marvin, I live on Park Place and yes, people in the neighborhood who know the developer's work said it will be 5 stories tall (next to 2 and 3 story buildings),use up every bit of FAR and spectacularly ugly.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 1:10 PM

That was a pretty fugly house though ... imho

however, it is sad that something much worse is bound to take its place.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 2:55 PM

And what, the other 4 story brownstones don't dwarf those two story houses already?
And if you are so concerned with the aesthetic, you can always walk on another block.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
PS Ask the developer about it, but why bother since you already know what it will look like

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 3:28 PM

This "renovation" is being done "as of right", meaning that no special permission is required beyond the normal DOB permits. So in this particular case, appeals to local agencies and/or politicians won't make any difference. For the future, the residents of Prospect Heights and, for that matter, all of Brownstone Brooklyn that is not currently landmarked, should consider organizing to achieve a higher level of protection for our historic neighborhoods. Until this building was effectively demolished, the block had presented a completely intact 19th/early 20th century street front. So I disagree with the posters who are suggesting that this is not a significant loss for the area. It most certainly is. And brownstoner is quite correct that PH is vulnerable. The combination of AY-fueled speculation and under-built FAR is lethal. Recently a 3-storey brownstone on St Marks between Carlton and Vanderbilt was built out 20-30 ft in the rear (blocking light and air for the neighbors) and up two storeys -- all in an orange stucco finish to rival anything you'd find in Costa Mesa, CA! Then there's the old burlap factory on Bergen St btw Carlton and 6th Ave that was illegally demolished last spring and is now being rebuilt -- right up to the sidewalk -- as a Fedders condo block. There are other examples and more tk. It's grim overall but if people want to get involved in preserving the architectural fabric and character of the area, I suggest they contact the Prospect Heights Neighbrohood Development Council (www.phndc.org), the Municipal Arts Society (who are helping PHNDC and others with a local landmarking initiative), the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, and other local and city-wide groups. We can join forces to find the right balance between development and destruction.

Posted by: NeoGrec at October 10, 2006 5:12 PM

Even living on a landmark block in Carroll Gardens does not seem to protect me and my brownstone. You should see the uglyness being built around us. I am heartbroken......

Posted by: Anonymous at October 10, 2006 5:38 PM

Neo Grec

Thanks for the wind. Next time I will study when I am interested.

Yawn.

Posted by: anon at October 11, 2006 9:15 AM

So, Anon 9:15am, if the destruction of brownstones makes you yawn, why do you bother visiting a site whose stated mission is to celebrate brownstones?

Posted by: NeoGrec at October 11, 2006 6:21 PM

Not much new on this in a while, eh?

It would seem that the owner has left the original facade, including the porch, and is building the new construction behind it.

I'll try to remember to get a pic.

Posted by: Steveo at January 30, 2007 12:57 PM

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