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November 2, 2007
Residential Conversion in 220 Water Street's Future
When Westchester-based GDC Properties plunked down almost $23 million for the 200,000-square-foot warehouse at 220 Water Street in Dumbo, its principals wasted no time in hiring a certain architect with an office up the street to add a two-story, 35,000-square-foot addition on the roof. Then, after a couple of years of playing their cards close to the chest, the developers filed plans earlier this month to convert the industrial space to residential use. This time around, though, they decided to go with Meltzer/Mandl Architects. The plan, according to DOB docs, is for 159 apartments with some parking and a retail store on the ground level. These could make incredible loft spaces—hopefully M&M will exercise restraint and let the building's bones take center stage. GMAP P*Shark DOB
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Comments
How dare ANYONE make fun of Scarano after all he's been through?
LEAVE SCARANO ALONE! You are lucky he even designs buildings for you BASTARDS!
LEEEAVE SCARRRANNNNOOOO ALOOOOONE!
Please!
LEAVE ROBERT SCARANO ALONE RIGHT NOW! I mean it! Anyone has a problem, deal with ME, cuz he's not well right now!
Leave him alone!
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 11:47 AM
That actually should be Je t'aime...
Just saying...
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 12:09 PM
LOL... Scarano and Voldemort...
THEY WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED!
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 12:15 PM
Does that building face Front Street also?
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 12:24 PM
is that not vinegar hill?
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 12:27 PM
not bad
but i prefer modern style
josephine
-jcondo resident
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 12:28 PM
It does face Front as well. Most of the building faces Front and Bridge. This is DUMBO, not Vinegar Hill. The East side of Bridge Street is where Vinegar Hill ends. Dumbo begins on the west side where this building is located.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 12:42 PM
They already are lofts. There were artists living in this building all the way back in the early 80s. I know because I practically lived there (my boyfriend at the time did.) See this interesting article:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE1DB123AF937A15754C0A963958260
"I want them out of here so bad I can taste it," said Martin Prince, an owner of a factory building who inherited more than a dozen homesteading artists when he bought the property 14 years ago. "I feel like they are animals and they ought to be put in cages. We're trying to get rid of them. They are in our way."
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 2, 2007 12:49 PM
And yes, you can exit out the back of the complex on Front Street. And everyone called it DUMBO at the time. And it was deserted and scary but really cool at the same time.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 2, 2007 12:52 PM
is this building high enough for any river views?
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 1:18 PM
1:18, no it's not unless they do high enough roof addition. It seems that 3 stories or more is needed for the top floor to have unobstructed view.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 1:52 PM
is 11:47 joking, or had Scarrano been stricken with karma? Anyone care to share? Seems odd someone would defend that name.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 1:59 PM
Carol: I read that quote and immediately felt enormous sympathy for the poor artists...until I read this:
"One painter, Sara Pasti, who pays about $200 a month for a 2,000-square-foot loft apartment..."
Anyone who thinks that sort of thing is going to last forever in NYC truly needs a healthy dose of reality. You ride it as long as you can, then gracefully make way for second-round gentrifiers.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 2:00 PM
Well, no one I know hung on that long. As I recall, the owner rented to artists as residential even though he knew perfectly well it was illegal because, at the time, the buildings could not attract enough businesses. Most of the artists gave up and moved long before this article was written. I think many people were paying around 800 for lofts back in the early 80s. Believe it or not! (But the heating bills were HUGE in the winter.)
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 2, 2007 2:06 PM
I guess it's true. The artists really ARE moving to Beacon! You will LOVE the comment about equity!
"After 15 years in a Dumbo loft, Sara Pasti, 50, a painter and arts consultant, got tired of battling landlords over heat and repairs, and left for Seattle. Six years later she wanted to return to the East Coast, but also wanted to own a home.
Some friends told Ms. Pasti about Beacon and she quickly found a three-bedroom Victorian for $200,000. ''The mortgage on my house is half what my friends in New York pay for rent,'' she said.
Ms. Pasti has been chased out of enough neighborhoods to know the effect artists can have on property values. In Beacon, she has protection because she was able to buy.
''Artists who have lived in enough neighborhoods soon realize that if you don't own anything you will eventually be forced out,'' Ms. Pasti said. ''Equity is very important.''
http://longdockbeacon.com/nyt9.12.04a.text.php
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 2, 2007 2:13 PM
My studio was in that building in the eighties, and whenever there was open studio, the sharks were already pouring in. We were a design business, not fine artists, but people would "accidentally" wander in looking for our neighbor's paintings. They'd always rotate, look up and say the magic words "Hmm. Honey, wonder how much THIS place is going for"
Gak. FWIW, I am resonably sure the phrase "DUMBO" was coined at a meeting held in this building.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 2:22 PM
Funny you should mention sharks. Do you remember all the weird stuff in the garbage from the toy factory? I once found dozens of shark puppets. Another time, Santa heads. Okay, enough reminiscing for now...
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 2, 2007 2:31 PM
something about the word "bones" is so icky or silly or pretentious or something. why is everything old so coveted? doesn't anyone look at this old building and think - what a dirty POS? hope someone knocks it down and starts over?
follow the leader here on brownstoner tho....can only admire what they already know.
no imaginations.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 3:15 PM
@3:15
knock it down so they can build another barf-a-licious p.o.s. like J condo or that abomination across the street from peas n' pickles? no thanks.
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 5:04 PM
Hey, I live here on the top floor along with 10 other loft law protect tenants in their lofts (at 220 water st).
I sure hope they give a couple of days notice before they put up those additional 2 floors.
We've been here 20 plus years!!
Posted by: guest at November 2, 2007 5:22 PM
Wow! I didn't know anyone was still in there. It looks so deserted these days. Now just wait for people here to give you crap about having a deal. BTW, wasn't one of the low buildings on the other side of Water a former Brillo pad factory? Or am I imagining that along with the Santa heads?
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 2, 2007 10:06 PM
I used to live at 25 Jay, at the corner of John Street. I am pretty sure that it was the brillo factory.
Posted by: guest at November 3, 2007 8:24 AM
DUMBO HAS ONE MAJOR PROBLEM,NOISE,THE TRAIN NOISE IS SO PERVASIVE THAT HEARING LOSS AND SHAKY NERVES ARE AN OUTCOME OF LIVING THERE.IT ALSO HAS A TERRIBLE CRIME PROBLEM,FROM YOUNG GROUPS OF NASTY TEENAGERS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY MUGGING PEOPLE.IT IS REALLY OVERRATED.
Posted by: guest at November 3, 2007 9:12 AM
I was reading about the mugging spree in Dumbo the other day in 9:12's "ALL CAPS GAZETTE OF TURPENTINE INSPIRED GIBBERISH"
Posted by: guest at November 4, 2007 6:13 PM
TO BAD GDC DID NOT HAVE THE BALLS TO STAY WITH THE ONE WHO CAN'T BE NAMED THAT DESIGNED THE APARTMENT LAYOUTS AND THE COOL ROOFTOP ADDITION THAT THE OLD BASTARD MELTZER WILL NOW TAKE CREDIT FOR.F----N SHAME.
DID ANYONE HEAR THE PHASE INTELECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS VIOLATION?
Posted by: guest at November 4, 2007 8:35 PM
I don't know what Scary Scarano designed for the interior, if anything, but the stuff currently on the roof is being removed to make way for private and shared "terraces."
Posted by: guest at November 4, 2007 11:48 PM
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