Chetrit Stitches Up Hospital Buy for $15 Million

Why raze the building? Especially the older section facing the park. Wouldn't it be more cost effective to work with whats already there? The additions to the original hospital building are not the nicest but they look better than alot of the other new contstruction. The location is great. It borders Victorian Flatbush and the Prospect Lefferts area with close proximity to the subway. Even in today's market, if it's affordable (1 bedroom 1000 sq ft under 225,000) people will buy.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:15 PM

i think you meant prospect park south-- which this still wouldnt be, as PPS is situated between Church and Beverly Roads. Caton Park is between Church and Caton (talk about micro-neighborhoods)

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:20 PM

It doesn't get a name on the Mary Kay Gallagher victorian flatbush map: http://marykayg.com/html/large_map.html

and falls outside the boundaries of Prospect Park South and PLG (which is bounded by ocean and either parkside or clarkson, depending on who you ask.

As for a 200,000 ft condo development there, that would be a pretty huge boost for people clamoring for more upscale services in the neighborhood. One of the main things that has been holding services back on this corner of the park is a real lack of new developments anywhere near there. It's got a lot going for it: the park across the street, the Q train, but this is easily the least developed corner of prospect park. Very curious to see what they have in store. Hope they can save some of the hospital buildings though. They look cool.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:26 PM

Maybe they could salvage the historic buidings and get their square footage out of it, a la 455 CPW in Manhattan. That place was a wreck forever, but they managed to preserve the amazing gothic facade and do a modern renovation and build a tower: http://www.455cpw.com/exteriors.html

Perhaps it's cheaper to bulldoze the site, but that sort of compromise might make everyone happier.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:33 PM

They'll build a highrise. The point of all these upcoming new condos on the park is to have a spectacular view. There are far more attractive and historic houses and buildings than this one on the streets behind the ones lining the park. Just like in Manhattan there will be newer tall buildings right on the park, and historic smaller buildings on the blocks behind. It's a nice way to do it. That way there's something for every taste and lifestyle. Larger new condo buildings would also be a great boost to the nearby amenities too, obviously. Better amenities are so desperately needed in that part of Brooklyn it's not even funny.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:35 PM

I think they could easily incorporate the hospital building into a larger design. This is a great location - you can't beat being across from Prospect Park.

Sad memories for me, a relative died there, but I like the idea of an innovative building there. I hope they don't tear down the oldest structures - the one in the photo. That would make great apartments.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:36 PM

True, 12:36, they could incorporate the old building into the base of a highrise. They'd have to totally gut the place either way, because such funky things are done to building interiors when they're made into medical offices. Lower ceilings with flourescent tube lighting. A zillion tiny rooms. Gazillion electric wires and outlets.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:47 PM

by my math, $15.6M divided by 200,000 buildable feet is $78 psf. That seems like an amazingly low price for a location by an express Subway overlooking Prospect Park.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:52 PM

Very low 12:52 - but once the development costs are factored in, not so much. This developer has a decent record for picking good, under-appreciated spots though so I applaud him for another good choice. Now lets hope he doesn't put up something too hideous looking. I agree with the other posters that whatever it looks like this will do wonders for the foot traffic and therefore (I hope), number of new amenities in the neighborhood. If the Farm and the Connecticut Muffin on Cortelyou are any indicator, this neighborhood is ready to jump on any new, decently run amenity. Both places are doing a bang up business.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:02 PM

Ditto for K-Dog and Enduro up on Lincoln. The area around the Parkside stop has a ton of unrealized potential. There is room for jerk chicken AND lattes.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:13 PM

I live literally around the corner from this site (Parade Place) - I've always wondered what neighborhood I live in and am glad to see it's confusing to other people too!

Re: the pricing if it were to go condo - while it is very beautiful to be right next to the park, the neighborhood is a tiny bit sketchy. Parade Place itself is pretty safe and has great diversity - lots of Caribbean working-class, Hispanic families, lots of kids - but some of Parkside and the blocks behind it aren't so safe. For example, at the end of August there was a shooting on Parkside (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/nyregion/30mbrfs-bang.html?_r=1&oref=slogin).

There also aren't a lot of amenities. There's an okayish grocery store, McDonald's, Duane Reade, Popeye's, and a bazillion dollar stores. You can walk to places like Cortelyou Road, Prospect Park Southwest (Louie G.'s, Lonelyville Cafe), Bartel-Pritchard Square/Circle, but those are all a pretty decent hike (if you have short legs like mine, anyway).

That being said, I like living there a lot - but I have doubts about its appeal to people looking to sink serious money into a condo, even if it's at a low price for this region.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:13 PM

It is Prospect Park South according to the Department of City Planning....and to us, we live right around the corner.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neighbor/neighl.shtml

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:14 PM

200,000 sft is the same size as On Prospect Park.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:14 PM

I'd think it's more SOOPLG, because property shark shows it's in the 71st precinct which covers Crown Heights and PLG. And the commercial district residents would use would be Flatbush near the Parkside Q stop, simply because that's where they'd get off the subway from work.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:44 PM

I live on Woodruff btw Ocean Ave and St. Johns Place and I call it anything from Flatbush or Prospect Park South. I agree with Brenda on the B-COT with what's been going on in the past few months. It's a nice neighborhood with plenty of housing, I hope they don't turn it into condo's.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 3:53 PM

I live on Parade Place and have for 20 years. As for the name: the area is Flatbush; even Prospect Park South is part of Flatbush. (It's no different from Kew Gardens in Queens really being a part of the larger entity of Jamaica.) Prospect Park South defines the historic district, but even parts of Brooklyn Heights that aren't landmarked are still considered part of the Heights. So whether one calls it Prospect Park South (which it certainly is) or (as I do) the very northern edge of Flatbush, I'm happy the building will be converted to residential use. The immediate area has two new buildings almost done that will (I believe) both be expensive condos (one is on Crooke Ave. just two blocks from Caledonian and the other on Caton Ave., another block south). The area is begging for gentrification and the housing stock is good; only the residents need some upgrading. Maybe then, the lattes will come, along with a better selection of stores and merchandise (and even some arugula).

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 5:19 PM

12:15 here 12:20. I meant what I wrote, Victorain Flatbush (as in Victorian Flatbush House Tour)which would include both PPS and Caton Park. All of these micro-nabes and areas not known by any official name make up VICTORIAN FLATBUSH or as I called it before moving here either Flatbush or Ditmas.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 9:58 PM

Before Caldonian Hospital closed, I was boiling water for spaghetti, spilled some of the water as I strained it and sustained several small third degree burns on my stomach. My husband drove me to Caldonian because he said it was the closest hospital. I was in pain but arguing that the hospital had been closed for over twenty years and had been converted into apartments. Luckily for me, that day it was still a hospital where I was treated immediately and with the utmost care unlike what would have happened if he had taken me to Kings County. The rule in our house is Kings County only if we get shotor run over by a Mack truck! My premonition of apartments in that location is now comming to fruition. I hope something good happens there.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 10:38 PM

Don't knock Kings County Hospital! I got taken there after a car jumped the curb and hit a very pregnant me (and, luckily, a lamppost too). The care there was excellent, and you should have seen their new birthing facility. They've got a brand new building that's the best hospital facility I've seen in Brooklyn--I'm not kidding.

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 8:42 AM

41 years ago as a nursing student at Caledonian Hospital and living in the nurses residence at 45 Woodruff Avenue, just across the ambulance entrance. I met a hospital employee there who became my husband we lived at 1600 Caton Avenue until the mid 1970s when the neighborhood became difficult. Its encouraging (although sad) to see Caledonian boarded up and that it might one day become condos. Thanks for a trip down memory lane.

Posted by: guest at October 14, 2007 10:25 PM