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August 1, 2007
Flatbush Flatiron Gets Ready for Take-Off
Downtown Brooklyn took another step towards world domination last week with DOB's approval of Isaac Hager's plans for a 21-story triangular tower at the intersection of Flatbush Extension and Tillary Street. The 150,000-square-foot building will house 108 residential units and reach a height of 262 feet. It will also be one of the first and most noticeable sights greeting drivers see as they reach the Brooklyn side of the Manhattan Bridge. Last time we posted this rendering it elicited rather strong reactions on both the postive and negative sides. We think it'll be hard to tell whether it's cool or cheesy until it's actually built. Could go either way.
Rendering [Ismael Leyva Architects] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Development Watch: 75 Flatbush Extension [Brownstoner]
Near the Bridges, Huge Towers For Flatbush [Brownstoner]
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Comments
I say cool. Very 1930's Buck Rogers. Certainly better than the 'oro' which exemplifies craptacular.
Posted by: houseowax at August 1, 2007 9:23 AM
another vote for cool
Posted by: anon at August 1, 2007 9:35 AM
no more use of the word "cheesy." and you wonder why people are getting on you so much on this site.
Posted by: stelsewhere at August 1, 2007 9:41 AM
I like it. Looks like something from the Jetsons. I oftne use the word "cheesy". Since you choose the id "stelsewhere", perhaps you'd like "totally rad" vs "gag me with a spoon". Either way, our slang tends to date us all...:-)
Posted by: lp at August 1, 2007 10:03 AM
i don't mind the design but i do wonder whether buyers will really want to sit on those balconies overlooking the intersection
Posted by: anon at August 1, 2007 10:04 AM
If it looks like the rendering I will like it, and agree with "houseowax"... very 1930's Buck Rogers.... cool!
Do ya' need a decoder ring to gain access?
Posted by: bren at August 1, 2007 10:07 AM
Oh the smell of Mcdonald's will certainly make me want to move here. Horrible location.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 10:21 AM
cool.
Posted by: chuck at August 1, 2007 10:39 AM
I think that with all the new developments aimed at higher end buyers the area will change very quickly.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 10:42 AM
One word.....ugly.
Posted by: sally at August 1, 2007 10:48 AM
I think it will be cool. Reminds me of Oscar Niemeyer's work.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 11:13 AM
How will it change? There will be more people not more services. Flatbush is not going anywhere, the entrance to the Manhattan bridge isn't going anywhere the Tillary street entrance ramp to the BQE isn't going anywhere. So just because someone who doesn't understand what location means and buys one of these overpriced glass shit boxes doesn't mean anything will change except the amount of people who will never gain equity in their homes.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 11:41 AM
I agree with 11:41. This sucks, just as everything sucks. The world is going to pot and absolutely nothing can be done. Life sucks. The universe sucks. Boo. Hoo.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 12:28 PM
fyi, 10:21, the mickey d's site was purchased by a developer. oscar niemeyer? well, we'll see. i suspect that the reason why we always see this perspective is because the corner will be the only interesting feature.
Posted by: arkitekture critik at August 1, 2007 12:39 PM
11:41--You forgot to say that they are moving the downtown homeless shelter right across the street and that there's a fire station too, so you will have sirens constantly.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 12:43 PM
11:41 = clueless. this location is great - walking distance to dumbo, bk heights, and ft greene, tons of mass transit, and the redevelopment of fulton mall and continued resi development along flatbush-x will add tons of new higher end retail.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 12:59 PM
i luv this site. So very informative. As I work across the street I will prepare to look elsewhere for lunch other then Mcdonalds which poster said was purchased by a developer.Since there is such a wealth of info provided, anyone know what is happening with the former KFC site on Myrtle near Emerson.in Clinton Hill.by the post office..by the new Pratt Store. KFC has been closed for quite a while now and was just wondering if there are any plans to develop housing on that site. Oh , I live by there.
Posted by: daniel at August 1, 2007 2:04 PM
yeah, daniel, i do know what is being considered for the site of the former kfc near emerson. pratt institute has entered into a joint venture with the current owner and plans to build a six-story (as of 7/31/07) building with ground floor retail, administrative offices and some academic studio space. don't panic about the purchase of mcdonalds just yet; it will take a while before you gotta find other lunch opportunities.
Posted by: arkitekture critik at August 1, 2007 2:32 PM
Maybe Brooklyn will eventually be like Manhattan in the sense that it isn't treated like there is something preventing you from roaming freely between neighborhoods. When I lived in the West Village many years ago it wsn't a big deal that there weren't any womens clothing stores or too many good restaurants because I lived in Manhattan not just the West Village. I have always treated Brooklyn like my big stomping ground. Why do people get so stuck in their neighborhoods here. Is it the lack of yellow cabs?
Anyway, I like the building and think that it would be a nice quick bike ride over the bridge for someone to get to work.
Also- I think that the Fulton Mall's days are numbered. Haven't I seen plans for its fancy new look? Where is this new Nordstrom store supposed to be built?
Posted by: anon at August 1, 2007 5:26 PM
meet george jetson...looks more 70's cartoon than the future of anything. looks more like the end of a much better era to me.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 5:59 PM
anon 11:41. People with money will bring services.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 1, 2007 7:45 PM
Actually if you look at Dumbo, all those newly built huge behemoths still have prime retail space for rent. I don't think rich people brings services or a street life. I know Walentas had to give Peas and Pickles a really sweet deal for them to open their store on Front St. For years after 1 Main opened there was little to be had down in Dumbo. The restaurant space where Bubbys is has become a black hole with at least 2 other businesses failing there before Bubbys tried. They seem to hold on though now with way reduced hours of operation.
For 8 years I have lived a stone's throw from where this building will be built. I won't nitpick how in fact services have actually decreased, because there used to be a gas station on this lot where at least you could buy a soda. I agree the location is good in terms of proximity to other neighborhoods and trains, but you are a good 15 min walk from almost anything now, and it is not a pleasant walk on streets made for walking. That area was designed to move traffic and a lively street life cropping up suddenly seems naive at best. And unless you like Metrotech type corporate malls (Oh right, that is why I moved to NYC, to have comforting bland architecture of the suburbs)I cannot imagine truly interesting retail and services coming to that area. But I am sure some national franchises will disagree.
Regardless of how slick the building looks, the fact is you are still sandwiched between the BQE and the Manhattan Bridge and all the soot, noise and pollution that brings. (Try 18-wheelers putting on their air brakes as they approach the just-turned-red light at Tillary and Flatbush). I suppose I could convince myself while lounging on my balcony that the constant whir of traffic was akin to the ocean, the soot would be hard to dismiss as quaint.
I only live the Bridge Plaza are because it is cheap. I once convinced a friend to move into my building and I warned her that there was no services or neighborhood to speak of. She was swayed by cheap, but she eventually left because there was nothing nearby.
Posted by: concord st at August 2, 2007 2:29 PM
no vision. what was your opinion of the meatpacking district 10 years ago when all that could be had there during the daylight hours was cow guts and cheap ho's.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 2, 2007 10:05 PM
I read a discussion regarding getting out of a condo contract, prior to closing, in light of the new realities in the real estate market. My opinion would be that the buyer may have some leverage with the developer of an unfinished building since the one thing that every developer wants to avoid is litigation prior to final approval by the attorney generals office and prior to selling all of the apartments. The reason for this is that all law suits must be disclosed to the AG and this must be included in offering. Depending upon the nature of the litigation, such a disclosure can have an immense effect in the time it takes the AG to approve the plan and even greater effect on the ability for the other buyers to get a mortgage.
The worse type of litigation that a developer can face is issues regarding disputes of property boundary. In such cases, banks are often forced to back off from providing mortgages to buyers, regardless of the banks relationship with the developer, since boundary litigation places an substantial level of obstacles to sell and package the mortgage on the open market. Some examples that come to mind include the cases where entire walls had to be removed because of minimal infractions and in cases where cornices or overhangs infringed on the adjacent property. My advice to any developer in such a case is to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate and at all costs, avoid litigation. In cases where a person wants to back out of the deal, I recommend to the developer to sweeten the deal and again, avoid any litigation for the reasons mentioned above. It is important to also consider what other potential buyers would think of litigation against a contracted buyer. One method might be to reduce the price, offer free maintenance for a period of time or perhaps exchange the contracted apartment for a “better” or larger apartment. Settle such disputes. A developer must handle disputes with “silk gloves” and swallow their pride, with the end objective of sales in mind
Posted by: guest at January 15, 2008 9:07 PM
what toke so long
Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 8:02 PM
Don't forget the homeless shelter
Posted by: guest at February 18, 2008 6:43 AM
ugly building in a shitty location. nothing around there at all but noise. but of course idiots will spend over a million to live there.
Posted by: guest at March 7, 2008 5:40 PM
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