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April 27, 2009

Development Watch: 216 Pacific Street

We can't believe we haven't written this one up yet...The former garage at 216 Pacific Street in Cobble Hill is being converted to a mixed-used building with commercial use on the lower two floors and residential use on the upper two floors. The residential portion will be divided up into just three units. Sounds pretty swanky! GMAP P*Shark DOB

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Tell me those windows aren't going to look like that when they're done.

Posted by: gracias at April 27, 2009 2:28 PM

I'm waiting for defunct condo projects to be convereted to parking garages. There is a real demand for parking.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 2:39 PM

Yes, truly ugly and next to such a beautiful coachouse.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 27, 2009 2:40 PM

I think that was a Fire House rather than a coach house.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 2:44 PM

I think you're right, mcKenzie. I walked by it a few weeks ago.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 27, 2009 2:54 PM

Define "swanky."

Posted by: East New York at April 27, 2009 2:58 PM

Is that a landmark area? I'd be so mad if I owned that great former firehouse and someone did that to the building next door. What were they thinking with those flat shiny windows pasted on the exterior?

Posted by: bessie2 at April 27, 2009 3:06 PM

I live next door.

It's actually was a beer distributorship rather than a parking garage in it's former life.

The owner is going to turn the downstairs into a custom wallpaper showroom and live upstairs. Not sure if they will be doing any manufacturing/finishing on site, but it's huge.

It's been a gut reno. I'm sad about the windows.. The originals were large beautiful multipaned jobs that looked like they had been there since at least the late 30's or early 40's.

The workers say the plan is to paint the whole place black. Uggh.

Posted by: themexican at April 27, 2009 3:08 PM

I live down the street and have been observing the whole renovation process. It seems like a real slipshod job. This past weekend there was truck out front loading in what seemed to be white-veneered pressed board cabinetry. Plus, contrasted with the bigger construction job going on across the street, the guys working at this site are total slobs. I don't have high expectations for the quality of this place, but I hope I'm proved wrong.

Posted by: obsessedwithhats at April 27, 2009 3:10 PM

There's also a pretty substantial new development going up directly across the street from it as well.

Posted by: RaginCajun at April 27, 2009 3:10 PM

mexican, my condolences to you and your lovely fire house.
Too bad the historic district does not extend to both sides of Court Street.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 3:12 PM

p.s. 212 was indeed a firehouse in it's former life.

As for being landmarked the street is not. And as bad as this is, the huge block long developments across the street are arguably worse.

Also the vacant lot is pretty much a disaster. Pre financial crash the owner was planning to build apartments. Post crash they dug a big hole in the ground and poured cement into it to qualify for a tax abatement. Now workers from 216 throw construction garbage over the fence... so the lot has a deep watery mosquito filled hole surrounded by garbage/insulation/ etc.

Posted by: themexican at April 27, 2009 3:15 PM

I'm starting a new group. "friends of parking garages"
Who's with me?

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 3:23 PM

themexican...do you live in the old firehouse? that's a nice looking building. Also, I believe there's an old "Rod and Gun Club" or "Shooting Range" building further west on that street.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 27, 2009 3:27 PM

the gun club in in the historic district. I belong to it. It's great.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 3:41 PM

mcKenzie...is it still an actual shooting range or more of just a social club???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 27, 2009 3:46 PM

Pardon the bad grammar on my previous posts. I blame my iphone.

I've always wondered about the Gun Club. What goes on in there?

Posted by: themexican at April 27, 2009 3:48 PM

I just googled it. Interesting place. I go target shooting out on the cape with my neighbor who owns about 300 firearms.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 27, 2009 3:49 PM

themexican- are you sure that number is 212? 212 is in Williamsburg and was the famous People's Firehouse. It's on Wythe St.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 27, 2009 4:12 PM

The gun club is on pacific between Court and Clinton, near the corner of Clinton Street. This building was a beer distributorship on the ground floor, and a garage on top of that. I miss the garage, my parents parked there my whole life. I would totally join "friends of parking garages" as all the garages we have parked in in my 27 years have been torn down.

Posted by: Cobblehillbaby at April 27, 2009 4:28 PM

Posted by: Cobblehillbaby at April 27, 2009 4:29 PM

oops so sorry for that, computer froze and I didn't know it posted!

Posted by: Cobblehillbaby at April 27, 2009 4:30 PM

FWIW there is also a large, vacant lot to the right of firehouse and left of Pacific Green. If not for the housing crash, that lot would have surely been developed as well. The old beer distributor was great > he would order whatever obscure microbrew you wanted but could not find elsewhere. Even with the other distributor just down on Court St the guy was always busy. The original rumor was that he moved out of that space because of the impending construction across the street (i.e. the construction trucks would block his delivery trucks) but i guess that was not the case. Also FWIW, there was a parking garage on the upper floors, the beer guy only operated out of the first floor.

Posted by: bowl of dicks at April 27, 2009 4:34 PM

Tom, the beer distributor, owned the whole building. He also owned a garage on Dean St., I believe in the location where the current development is in progress between Smith and Boerum Place. He sold his client list to a distributor in Queens and the Pacific St. building to the aforementioned wallpaper dude. He was the unofficial mayor of Pacific Street and a great guy. The construction on the block was a factor in his decision, but I think he got out just in time and wanted to sell when things were still selling. I saw him in the neighborhood a few weeks ago and he's doing well.

Posted by: obsessedwithhats at April 27, 2009 4:44 PM

McKenzie aren't you the same fool who wants people to stop driving? Check your post on the Shell station. No need to park if you're not driving. Make up your gun toting mind.

Posted by: getalifelosers at April 27, 2009 4:58 PM

I want people to stop driving so that there is more room for me on the road stool-head. read my posts more carefully.
they are urbane and often somewhat ironic.
I am not a bit suprised that they confuse neanderthals.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 5:08 PM

where's the gun club again?

Posted by: dutchman at April 27, 2009 5:49 PM

'themexican's' wife here: he forgot to mention the best part, they are going to paint the entire facade BLACK. to match the aesthete of the windows.

Posted by: themexicansoldlady at April 27, 2009 5:59 PM

dave,
It ain't a social club. it's a real shoot-em up firing range. There are more white people with guns there than in Montana. It's a neighborhood institution.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 6:18 PM

Tom the beer distributor/garage owner and his partner, both great guys, wanted out of the direct sales biz and decided to sell their building and move their distribution biz to a more profitable area with less direct oversight. They didn't care about new construction.

I, the wallpaper dude, bought it to house a creative, hand made, solvent-free, small scale design and wallpaper company in what I feel is a great neighborhood for my biz, myself and my employees. We have actually done quite a bit of work in the area from our New Orleans location.

I appreciate all of your design input, but this is not a landmarked building or area (although the woman in the beautiful former mill work and wood turning shop, aka "firehouse", next door is trying to start one) and we have the right to create whatever we feel is right for us. The look of the block is pretty much a crap shoot. If any of you happened to look on either side of the aforementioned properties you would notice a gaping hole and some very basic 30's brickwork(part of which also happened to have been a parking lot at one point). The new building across the street is a ridiculous faux-Italianate atrocity, but it will have parking for you mckenzie, and the former day school next to it is a full on trash dump right now.

I would be happy to meet with Mr or Ms mexican to discuss any trash issues you feel are due to my project, but I can promise you we have not dumped anything on the block or anywhere else that shouldn't receive construction debris. I don't like their swamp pit any more than you do and would never contribute to it. If anyone sees anything like this happening please report it to the site manager immediately. The woman who lives in the "firehouse" next door has actually written us letters of praise on the job we are doing and how clean we keep the area. We removed asbestos and underground storage tanks from your neighborhood in order to develop an adaptive reuse building rather than adding more square footage like many prefer. As nice as the beer guys were there were always lots of trucks, forklifts, kegs and debris all over the street, which I would think you might appreciate being gone.

The windows were from 1926, which is why they had to go. The energy they would have drained paid for the new ones in months. We like these and we're pretty sure many others will too.

We are nice, normal people who happen to be fans of contemporary mixed with traditional. It's what we do daily and we do it well. Swanky happens to be our specialty. We look forward to positively contributing to the neighborhood, meeting all of the residents and making the block a better place.

Have a lovely day,
Flavor Paper

Posted by: flavorpaper at April 27, 2009 6:26 PM

you need to think more carefully mcKenzie. you obviously meant idiotic, since you don't realize how ironic your cowboy wannabe ass is.

Posted by: getalifelosers at April 27, 2009 6:37 PM

flavorpaper- thanks for all the good information. I'm totally fascinated- hope you do well.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 27, 2009 6:43 PM

getalife, you are suddenly my favorite poster!
May I tell you how out-gunned you are in every respect?
Listen hon, if you meet a petite gal wearing antique jewelry who is in the advertising biz, take care, cuz she has a loaded lady pistol in her designer handbag or backpack, and that ain't bullshit. I have a license.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 27, 2009 7:02 PM

it's the unlicensed gunners you need to watch out for. hon.

Posted by: getalifelosers at April 27, 2009 7:23 PM

Hi Flavorpaper, Since we are about to move it does not help us to prove our point about the trash. We have been asked specifically to keep quiet as there are neighborhood tensions especially on this block that go back tens of years and a considerable amount of capital at stake. It would behoove you to be friendly with the firehouse lady, she's been here 25 years, is a RE laywer, and is on the neighborhood assoc. She also knows everybody and every real estate issue within a ten block radius.

Btw, your regular constructions guys are extremely considerate - we know a few of them by name and have worked with them to deal with parking issues, namely when you need the space in front for construction vehicles.

It is a matter of taste, I agree re: your reno.

Welcome to the nabe.

Posted by: themexicansoldlady at April 27, 2009 8:20 PM

Hi, Flavor Paper, I'm sure I'll be (anonymously) checking out your shop after your grand opening. Welcome to Cobble Hill.

But those windows are still fug. Sorry.

Posted by: gracias at April 27, 2009 9:20 PM

flavorpapers good job on defending your place and telling instigators how it is. If I ever need wallpaper, I'll be sure to stop by your new shop. Good luck!

Posted by: Kensingtonian at April 27, 2009 9:25 PM

haven't seen them up close, but from the pictures I actually like the windows. There, I said it. Doesn't mean I don't like old-timey windows also.

Posted by: cottontop at April 27, 2009 10:37 PM

I have had the exact opposite experience with the construction workers on that site. The fact that they tend to congregate on the stoops of other buildings on the street to smoke and eat meals, leaving food scraps, spilled coffee, cigarette butts and refuse might the the contributing factor as to why they keep the front of their site so clean. Also a neighbor with a newborn tried to park adjacent to the site to unload for five minutes and got an earful from one of the workers who didn't care that the family was parking there only momentarily.

I look forward to the speedy completion of this project and any contributions to the neighborhood, aesthetic and otherwise.

Posted by: obsessedwithhats at April 28, 2009 10:03 AM

I used to like the beer distributor... it had a cool vibe. But, I think the new renos aren't all that bad. And, the guy is right- that block is a total crapshoot for aesthetics.

Posted by: broadwayron at April 28, 2009 10:37 AM

right on FlavorPaper. I like the windows and hope the building comes out looking good. Every block can't be asthetically pure as some would demand. I look over the construction site from Atlantic (125 Court) and was wondering what the pyramid structures going in on the roof are all about? Skylights?

Posted by: martis at April 28, 2009 4:08 PM

@flavorpaper Thanks for checking in. I live down the street a bit. Your workers have generally been pretty decent. They start a bit early for my taste but are genial and pretty understanding about parking cars etc... This said I can confirm that on several occasions I've seen your demolition guys hoisting garbage bags/insulation etc into the vacant lot. I said something to the guys and they told me to mind my own business. I've saw this at least 4 or 5 times although less so now that the demo is over.

I like the idea of mixing modern and classic, but not sure about those windows... Maybe when it's all black it will fit a bit better. Sorry you're going to have to look at that piece o crap across the street.

Dig your wallpapers though... Remembered your company from cool hunting a while back.

Posted by: peepsy at May 7, 2009 11:22 PM

Faux-Italianate atrocity...Dont hold back tell me how you really feel! I am sorry the you are disappointed. It could be worse.

Posted by: 225 Pacific at September 13, 2009 1:52 AM

« Streetlevel: Atlantic Avenue Shell Station Open Again Today on the Forum »

April 27, 2009

Development Watch: 216 Pacific Street

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