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August 24, 2007
Change Coming for Old Bergen St. Buildings?
Call them Boerum Hill’s mysteriously languishing buildings: A few adjoining, dilapidated properties on primo Bergen Street between Smith and Court have been sitting boarded up, apparently immune to redevelopment schemes. They may not be immune for much longer, however, as their owner’s put them on the block for a sweet lil’ chunk of change. According Prudential Douglas Elliman’s website, 51-61 Bergen Street is on the market for $25 million, and they may be sold along with a rental building right around the corner, the Trolley House at 129 Boerum Place, for an eye-popping $49 million. In the name of due diligence, we called up the Elliman broker handling the sale to double-check on the Bergen Street addresses (which didn’t jibe with the building numbers we recorded while walking by), and were told we “had no right to write about those buildings.” Oops. Maybe someone’s a little touchy about these listings not generating much interest.
51-61 Bergen Street Listing [Prudential Douglas Elliman] GMAP
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Comments
The listing says 129 Boerum place is "only" $24M.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 10:25 AM
I'd love to hear an explanation for why you have no right to write about the buildings. Some exception to the First Amendment that I'm not aware of?
Posted by: EJ at August 24, 2007 10:27 AM
you mean you defied the broker's warning? Now you gone done it.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 10:43 AM
Well.... The zoning in that area won't allow for a larger building. So the asking price is kinda extreme after taking into account prevailing condo prices and the extensive renovations necessary to bring them up to speed.
You could probably get 20-25 units out of the existing buildings... 8 mil worth of renovations... that's 33m. You'll need some major marketing to unload those units for over 1.2 million a pop.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 10:46 AM
HAHAHAHA. I love it. Those buildings are classified top secret, a standing gag order has been placed on mentioning them. This site is now subject to daily fines ranging up to $50,000 per day. All hail the end of Brownstoner dot com. What fucking tool of a broker.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 10:57 AM
"This [apartment] building is part of a total assemblege...." No it's not. In between the 46-unit apartment house and the vacant buildings is a property owned by someone else.
At $570/square foot and over a half-mil' per apartment, this seems a steep.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 11:05 AM
Prudential Elliman is known to be a very, very unscrupulous brokerage firm.
Take a look at their new office on 7th Avenue in Park Slope sometime.
Unlike every other brokerage I've seen in Brooklyn, they do not post listings on the outside, so you HAVE to come inside.
Maybe that's why I've never seen a non-broker inside the joint.
Hate the clock and hate the chandellier.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 11:08 AM
Actually, 11:08, I walked by there last night and they had listings in the window. I even remarked to my wife about it, since there hadn't been up until now. But they're there.
Posted by: EJ at August 24, 2007 11:12 AM
This is the 49 million listing:
http://www.prudentialelliman.com/Listings.aspx?ListingID=809033&rentalperiod=&SearchType=Broker_Current&Region=NYC&BID=MZD
Marilyn Donohue has been a real estate agent in the neighborhood for many decades. I'm pretty sure Marilyn Donohue Realty became part of Douglas Elliman fairly recently.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at August 24, 2007 11:21 AM
I had talked to Vinny of Vinny's Italian Ironworks across the street some time ago. I understood that he owned or used to own these buildings?
Posted by: 1910 at August 24, 2007 11:29 AM
11:21 -- you have NO RIGHT to post that link.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 11:47 AM
Smith street is the border between Cobble and Boerum Hill i believe.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 11:58 AM
I think Court Street is the border of Cobble Hill. East of Court is Cobble Hill lite.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 12:52 PM
smith street is the border I believe.
but, really, am I confused, or is it 3 dilapitated buildings for $25 million? I don't get it.
unrelated, but I have worked on 2 transactions (buying and selling places) with Elliman and thought that they were extremely professional. My old house went to contract within the week and i got a really good deal on my condo that i bought. not sure what the unscrupulous thing is about.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 12:53 PM
The buildings housed a costume jewelry & novelty manufacturer / wholesaler. Also the exclusive worldwide manufacturer & distributor of "invisible dogs" - leashes & collars with an inbedded wire sold at amusement parks & Disneyland.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 12:55 PM
I think most people would call it Cobble Hill until Smith, but the big dif as far as development is that the Historic District border ends at Court:
http://www.brooklyncb6.org/committees/index.cfm?m=web&a=webpage&tpl=main&show_menu=true&template_id=5§ion=3&page=11&content_id=52
Posted by: Carol Gardens at August 24, 2007 12:56 PM
isn't that where the romance novel magazine publishes out of, there on the right?
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 1:21 PM
Smith Street used to be Boerum Hill until it gentrified. Then it was claimed by Boerum Hill. Cobble Hill can have it as far as I'm concerned. As a Boerum Hiller, I'm equadistant between 5th + Smith and much prefer 5th.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 1:34 PM
Hey, that's the block where I got mugged at gunpoint!
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 1:44 PM
We own the six family building with the organic cafe and skateboard shop and are thinking of selling, is this a good time to cash in? Rent roll is about 10k a month. Thanks
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 2:17 PM
You want an example of why Douglas Elliman is shady beyond belief? Check out curbed.com today.
There is an article about a studio listed by Douglas Elliman for a place in Sutton area with one photo of the apartment. That one photo shows a picture of the rent controlled TENANT! In all her old age/walker glory. Talk about disgusting. First of all...when have you ever seen a photo for a listed home with a picture of a person in it? Secondly, I wonder why they are showing a picture of her with her walker to try to sell a studio with a tenant in place.
HMMMMMM
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 3:11 PM
We need more invisible dogs here in Brooklyn. I'm sad that the factory will be closed.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 3:51 PM
i always wondered about those buildings. Anyone else think they waited a year too long?
Posted by: slick at August 24, 2007 4:08 PM
Cobble Hill doesnt want your stinkin Court St.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 4:42 PM
Er, Smith Street. Cobble Hill doesnt want your stinkin Smith Street.
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 4:44 PM
Why the attitude?
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 5:09 PM
i don't think anyone in cobble hill OR boerum hill would call that section of bergen street, "primo"...
Posted by: guest at August 24, 2007 6:03 PM
come on and rehab that mother...
then slap in an american apparel to complete the bococa trifecta.
Posted by: guest at August 25, 2007 1:47 AM
Those buildings are so much of the block, if they were rehabbed, it would turn into a primo blk.
Posted by: slick at August 26, 2007 2:01 PM
Those are primo prices though. Nice wide street straddled by Smith and Court. They may have waited just a bit too long to put these on the market. Who hasn't walked by these and thought to themselves "If I could only get my hands on those buildings".
Posted by: kuroko at August 27, 2007 9:29 AM
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