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October 7, 2008

Big Plans for 79 7th Avenue

The owner of a pair of one-story storefronts at 79-81 7th Avenue in Park Slope wants to tear them down and build a new two-story brick building in their place. First, though, the owner and his architects must convince the Landmarks Preservation Commission that the design is suitable for the historic district. They're presenting at the LPC's weekly meeting today. What do you think?

10/7/2008 Agenda [LPC] GMAP P*Shark

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The original storefronts from the tax photo look nice but they've morphed into a few POS. Tear 'em down and build something that adds to the neighborhood. The new design isn't half bad either. Maybe some reworking of those windows but I think it'd be a positive addition to most any neighborhood.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 7, 2008 10:13 AM

Dunno exactly why I am surprised, but I am surprised to like this thing. It looks really clean and sunlit and lovely, while managing to retain an aura of historic. And I love the roof line. It is like a linear sculpture.

Posted by: Nokilissa at October 7, 2008 10:13 AM

Agree with above. This looks to be thoughtfully planned, has a nice aesthetic and fits in with the character of the buildings flanking it. The windows as Dave states could use a little work (just the uppers, street level are fine).

Nice job!

Posted by: TownhouseLady at October 7, 2008 10:30 AM

We have been waiting for something to happen since the fire about 4 years ago. This design looks great!

Posted by: PHfamily at October 7, 2008 10:44 AM

Two issues:

* Should the commission approve something?
* Should it approve this design?

The answer to the first issue is obvious. These are not buildings worth preserving. Bad use of space, and unattractive, too.

But, as much as I like the design, I do not think that it is appropriate.

It is good looking, there will be a lot of light inside, it reminds me of a place I used to work in Boston. But it doesn't fit. The beautiful big windows are not Park Slope. There is no other building on 7th Avenue in the neighborbood that looks like that.

And therefore, I would have the commission tell him that if he wants approval, he needs to make the building fit in much better.

Posted by: ceolaf at October 7, 2008 10:53 AM

I live right in this immediate area, and I'm quite excited to hear news that something is finally moving on this space. I like the design and hope it gets approved. I also have high hopes that if the owner is doing a good job with the design, he/she will hopefully do an equally good job in finding a suitable tenant when the time comes. I suppose we are still a couple years away from that, though...

Do we think that these are apartments above the first floor? Looks more like office space, but can't really tell...

Posted by: 11217 at October 7, 2008 10:58 AM

i dunno. for some reason, this feels to me like a design that works in the rendering but will wind up looking like central california office park junk IRL. curious to know why they're only going for 2 stories. are they restricted by limited FAR? and are there going to be 3 separate spaces on the ground level? seems kinda cramped to me but it's hard to tell the dimensions from the images.

Posted by: i disagree at October 7, 2008 11:02 AM

If they put arches on the top floor windows I'd be much happier.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at October 7, 2008 11:07 AM

I am just thankful that itsn't a 10 story building!

Posted by: PHfamily at October 7, 2008 11:08 AM

Fits in fine. Get building!

Posted by: SnarkSlope at October 7, 2008 11:29 AM

"The beautiful big windows are not Park Slope. There is no other building on 7th Avenue in the neighborbood that looks like that."

So we should tell all commercial buildings they have to burn more electricity just to match the teensy impractical windows of dark shadowy Victorian Brooklyn buildings? I disagree so profoundly with that.

Landmarking can't go so far it stops the very necessary and much more important considerations like a need for large windows to let in more light so people can use less electricity in an office to work by. And Landmarks needs to be open minded about things like solar panels on roofs, etc.

Form follows function and form follows ecological concerns too.

Posted by: traditionalmod at October 7, 2008 11:59 AM

Oh man, i disagree, you sure popped the air out of my earlier thought that it looked lovely.

Now all I can envision is south-central-Indiana-(from where I hail)-neomodern-strip-mall bank. Thanks a lot!

Posted by: Nokilissa at October 7, 2008 12:13 PM

I think your earlier compliment still holds, Noilissa. Cheaply built strip malls don't spring for cornices and multi-paned frames on windows, like this design has. It's not a foll-on period reproduction but I don't see the Midwestern strip mall comparison either.

Posted by: traditionalmod at October 7, 2008 12:19 PM

Sorry, that should have been "full-on" not foll-on.

Posted by: traditionalmod at October 7, 2008 12:20 PM

I live across the street from this place, more or less, and would love to see something replace the defunct fruit market and used-to-be-olive-vine space. I don't know that this building fits perfectly, but it fits better than the shack-like buildings occupying the space right now.

Posted by: cwbuecheler at October 7, 2008 12:35 PM

Sounds like quite a few of us all live within a block or two of each other...

me, lechacal, cwbuecheler...

Posted by: 11217 at October 7, 2008 12:41 PM

Agreed - something needs to be built here.
But if any of you have been on this site for long, you'll know that architects' renderings are notoriously inaccurate & downright deceiptful...
I share the prevailing fear/cynnicism that judging from this rendering, we're much more likely to get Indiana stripmall post-modern rather than site-appropriate design. No, they don't need tiny windows & dark interiors to fit-in, but big expanses of plate glass [I can just picture the fugly aluminum joints they'll use] are totally inappropriate.

Posted by: parkedslope at October 7, 2008 12:55 PM

It's in the historic district. Landmarks will do the best they can making sure this place fits in. You all know how they can be sometimes, so I'm surprised to hear some of you express a lack of faith in their interests...

Posted by: 11217 at October 7, 2008 1:04 PM

I think it is a nice design BUT for a historic district , this aint historic. It changes the overall look & feel to ... windows. It goes from Mom & Pop store to National Corp. Bank look. Not to mention it being a different Style of architecture design from the original as well as the surrounding buildings.

Posted by: BklynPEZ at October 7, 2008 2:13 PM

i live on berkeley b/w 6th and 7th, and am tired of seeing the eyesore there right now. this looks fine, and i like the previous point about adding arches to the top windows. 'git er done'

Posted by: goldie at October 7, 2008 2:44 PM

it needs a rainbow

Posted by: zuzusparkslope at November 19, 2008 7:11 PM

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October 7, 2008

Big Plans for 79 7th Avenue

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