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June 6, 2007
House of the Day: 1216 Albemarle Road
Here's an unusual listing for Victorian Flatbush. The house at 1216 Albemarle Road in the micro-nabe known as Prospect Park South has been sitting empty for over a year but its checkered past goes back much further. The original Victorian house was torn down (a fire maybe?) prior to 1965. The land was then divided into three lots and three architecturallly similar shoe-box type homes were contructed. This house is built on the foundation of one of these houses. For some strange reason, Landmarks insisted that the current design incorporate the brick work and first floor window from the 1965 houses into the new design, so what exists there now has been framed out around that 1965 window. We're not sure whether the current owner ran out of money or just got tired of the project after investing so much time and energy negotiating with Landmarks, but the construction is very much mid-stream, with not much more than some walls, some windows, some electrical and a brand new furnace. It just hit the market yesterday but we've already gotten emails from readers about it, a couple of whom contributed the photos below; evidently no one in the neighborhood is particularly happy about how this place is turning out. Even if it were beautiful, the asking price of $1,900,000 implies an absurd multiple of $1,000 per buildable square foot! Egads. Is there any chance in hell of getting this price?
1216 Albemarle Road [Mary Kay Gallagher] GMAP P*Shark
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Comments
please make sure the seller passes the pipe around so we can all get a hit of whatever he's smoking
Posted by: what bubble? at June 6, 2007 1:48 PM
The house (what's there of it)isn't worth the land it's sitting on... That of course, being the real question: what is the land worth?
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 1:50 PM
I've lived down the road for about 2 years and it has been like that since I've been here. From what I've heard, the contractor took off mid construction with a hefty deposit and it has been in litigation since.
I am absolutely flabergasted by the asking price. It would seem to me to be worth maybe 1/3 of asking for a very special buyer. I don't get it. Plus, all of it, from what I can see, has been exposed to the elements for two years. Can you really still use the frame?
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 1:50 PM
for nearly two million dollars i would hope to be able to move into a home, and perhaps live in it while undergoing some sort of renovation- but not wait for probably close to another year to move in... this is ridiculous, and i also live in the neighborhood!
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 2:01 PM
The neighborhood there is incredible. Truly beautiful, a wonderful peacefulness about it ... still I think the price is crazy given that it's basically just for the land; a whole new house needs to be built with all the landmark involvement. I love that block.
Posted by: tag482 at June 6, 2007 2:02 PM
I don't understand how or why Mary Gallagher would bother to take and list this pos. It hurts her credibility.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 2:03 PM
This is a fabulous location... If only the land was being sold for a fair price. A buyer with a little imagination and a real appreciation for the surrounding architecture could create something really beautiful (with landmarks approval, of course).
Since the original house no longer stands, would landmarks permit a really forward looking, modernist design? I can't believe they ever sanctioned the current structure...
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 2:13 PM
If you view current PPS offerings and recent sales in PPS it doesn't take too long to figure out that the person that owns this is certifiable... of course all of us could be called crazy for NOT buying it at foreclosure 3 years ago. My hope for these three small modern houses has always been that they would be redone similar to the small twin tudors at 81 and 85 Rugby. Here's hoping the new buyer at whatever price, goes back to Landmarks and removes the bay window and the hideous multicolor 60's brick.
Posted by: SeamusMacD at June 6, 2007 2:20 PM
But I heard that Landmarks insisted they incorporate the hideous multicolored 60s brick!
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 2:23 PM
It sounds like the landmarks commission considers the 1960's historic. I can't believe they made them build that boring house around a bay window.
-demented!
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 2:28 PM
I'm not sure landmarks actually required them to keep the ugly facade. I don't think the person who was building this had very much money and they probably didn't go to landmarks to get a new, neighborhood era looking house approved, because it would have cost a pretty penny to build. Once the structure exists, landmarks can't make you take it down, but I do not think they would require you to keep something that does not really fit the historical era. I also live in the neighborhood and am truly saddened that the owner is being this ridiculous. I was hoping a sane price would be put on this and someone would build a cute little victorian cottage or tudor on the site (which is now an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful neighborhood). It is sort of like the landlords who are trying to get brooklyn heights/park slope rents on Cortelyou Road, thus turning away a lot of people who want to put stores and restaurants into the horrible empty spaces but can't afford prime rent.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 3:14 PM
Landmarks would never let anyone build a new Victorian cottage or Tudor. that much I do know. they say it is "falsely historicizing" which means "forget it". Hideous is OK though.
I assume every brick of this baby was stipulated by landmarks. otherwise they would have to take it down. Which would be an imporvement.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 3:44 PM
wait. seriously. so, god forbid, if my beautiful hundred year old house burns down, landmarks is gonna make me put a piece of crap like this? Really??
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 4:04 PM
If your house burns down, they will let you rebuild it like it was incorporating anything that was not consumed. They may make you put up a plaque or something with the year of reconstruction.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 4:33 PM
It seems the most you can get for a single family in Vic Flatbush is around or under $500 a square foot. For an unfinished 2 story 1850 square foot house on a small lot with no historical anything should really go for no more than 900,000. Maybe throw an extra 100 to 200 thousand for the great location on Ablemarle and argyle in PPS and your at 1.1 million. But don't forget that this building is unfinished. I guess your back to 900,000. But who knows, maybe there is someone who is looking for a shell to customize?
Posted by: Argyle Road at June 6, 2007 4:34 PM
it does have a nice garage under the bay window and a nice location. Depending on how unfinished it is, I could see it going for a million. It would be brand new construction and a lot of people really like that.
And not being too huge can be a plus.
I think it looks pleasant. but if it has water damage or anything like that, then it's a different story.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 4:59 PM
How close is it to Midwood? Many big houses sell to large, affluent orthodox families for over $2m -- they just never appear on the open market. So the market can actually bear much higher prices than many people are aware of.
Posted by: Anon at June 6, 2007 6:10 PM
It is no where near Midwood. This price is absurd! The two remaining ranch style homes wouldn't go for this price and they are intact. The buyer of this "home" is basically buying a lot in a beautiful nabe. I love my neighborhood (Victorian Flatbush) but this won't sell.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 8:27 PM
anon 6:20 -
Prime midwood is more like Argyle road and avenue J not Albemarle and argyle. Plus its not just large orthodox families paying crazy numbers over there its actually more b/c of wealthy Syrian and middle eastern jews who have a cultural tradition of living next door to their married children. So you can imagine what happens when one of their neighbors decides they want to sell...
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 8:41 PM
Avenue S and Ocean Parkway...
Nowhere near here.
This neighborhood is becoming increasingly populated by refugees from Manhattan and the other side of Prospect Park.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 9:30 PM
...none of whom would pay 1.9 to live in a hideous faux-ranch. People buy into this neighborhood for the character of the houses.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 10:04 PM
actually from what I know, the two 1960s houses are the only ones in PPS that are unprotected by Landmarks.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 10:12 PM
When Landmarks designates neighborhoods, it does so for all homes within the boundaries, not certain houses... indeed there are these 3 and also a couple more postwar houses within the Landmarked PPS boundaries. Exposes a serious flaw in thinking and methodology on the part of the Commission in my opinion, that modern buildings are exempt from aesthetic considerations, even if they are increasing their FAR. I'd never heard of the "falsely historicizing" construct... god forbid someone build a wood frame replacement house with nods to its contextual surroundings.
Posted by: SeamusMacD at June 6, 2007 10:39 PM
I don't understand the price, but it could be negotiable, I guess... But this house is more interesting for the same amount of money, even I'm scared to think about the cost of renovation.
http://www.marykayg.com/html/0471.html
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 12:20 AM
Obviously, if buying a fixer-upper or build from scratch home in this neighborhood, the one dripping with detail is the one to go for, for my money, if I was playing with 2.5 plus...
Posted by: Anonymous at June 7, 2007 9:01 AM
You people know nothing about this neighbor\hood and it is close by Midwood Cause that is the im am going to.Plus i would like for you to stop downgrading where i grew up cause you wouldn't like if i talked trash about where you live.
Posted by: JAmal Allison at July 18, 2007 1:59 PM
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