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March 31, 2008
Plan for 3rd Ave Hotel Brings Gowanus Total to 7
This is getting kind of crazy. Fencing's recently gone up around a few old warehouses on 3rd Avenue in Gowanus, and what it means is that there's yet another hotel planned for the neighborhood. A firm called GF55 Partners is designing a Fairfield Inn between Douglass and Butler streets. According to the GF55 website, it'll be 9 stories and have 134 rooms. DOB records confirm those plans, and the city's issued demolition permits for the existing buildings. With the Holiday Inn Express on Union, the Comfort Inn on Butler, Hotel Le Bleu on 4th Ave., an under-construction hotel on the corner of President and 3rd, and two other hotels planned for President, Gowanus is going to be swimming in hotel rooms. (See map of Gowanus hotel-mania on the jump.) A few folks have left comments when we've broken news of other planned hotels saying the owners are banking on the area's who-knows-when rezone to residential so they can convert the properties to condos. We don't know whether that would actually be possible or likely. For now, though, it would appear that Gowanus is fixing to have one of highest—if not the highest—concentrations of hotels in Brooklyn.
Some New Action on Gowanus' Hotel Row [Brownstoner] GMAP
Developer Plans Two Hotels on One Gowanus Block [Brownstoner]
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Comments
Is it any wonder so many businesses fail?What a bunch of clowns.
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 11:16 AM
You say Gowanus will soon be swimming in hotel rooms. Would be nice if actual swimming were part of the plans... any news on that? New indoor pools coming to the nabe?
Posted by: linkinplace at March 31, 2008 11:17 AM
"A few folks have [said] the owners are banking on the area's who-knows-when rezone to residential so they can convert the properties to condos. We don't know whether that would actually be possible or likely."
WHY NOT? HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 11:43 AM
Isn't this going on in Long Island City as well -- and the dirt is that there is hope these can become residential (either rental or condo) with a change in zoning? Any thoughts on this out there?
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 11:43 AM
I doubt there will ever be enough affordable hotel rooms proximate to Manhattan; in fact it's well reported that a lot of hotel capacity was lost during the recent condo conversion craze. If these hotel rooms are clean and 50% off Manhattan they will draw because they are near public transportation. Who would have predicted a nexus of hotels here, but at the same time when you get them in clusters they legitimize each other and will draw still more people.
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 11:44 AM
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the first stage of a transformation of third ave, and gowanus in general, into a horrible strip-mall like area with big box stores and fast food chains.
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 12:57 PM
Here's a free brilliant idea (since I do not have the millions [or even thousands] to pull it off):
Build a hotel in Staten Island just across from the St. George ferry terminal. The SI Ferry provides free transportation to Manhattan, and the tourists will love it. The land must be cheap.
Posted by: BrooklynCouch at March 31, 2008 1:31 PM
"transformation of third ave... into a horrible strip-mall like area with big box stores and fast food chains."
So, they are going to transform Third Ave into Fourth Ave?
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 1:33 PM
You reset your browser's preferences to make the gray type black.
Posted by: BrooklynCouch at March 31, 2008 1:33 PM
well at least they're within walking distance of many prostitutes.How's that for nearby amenities: )
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 2:00 PM
Good point, Linkinplace. What's interesting is how barebones the area's hotel offerings are. Even Le Bleu, which bills itself as at the higher end, lacks a token couple of exercise machines.
Posted by: Gringcorp at March 31, 2008 4:39 PM
The hotel amenities are sparse because the clientèle is either
a) spending all of their time in Manhattan and stying here because it's cheap, or
b) spending time with the family in Brooklyn they came to visit.
Posted by: guest at March 31, 2008 7:56 PM
I wish I knew what was coming at 3rd and President, besides a new land mass. The "sandwich shop" is taking forEVER to open.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strohchop/2312590697/in/set-72157601100546374/
A laundromat would be nice, too.
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 10:50 AM
On the bright side, sleeping in one of these places for a night or two won't have the health effects of living, say on the toll site.
Posted by: guest at April 1, 2008 11:35 AM
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