BAM Cultural District
June 16, 2008
Norten Design for BAM is Resurrected by Two Trees
Hey, remember this rendering? It bears more than a passing resemblance to the Enrique Norten/TEN Arquitectos design for the $135 million library that was supposed to be built in the BAM Cultural District. While those plans were scrapped last spring, the Sun is reporting that a glassy Norton building may yet rise on the lot where the library was slated to go. The new plans come via Two Trees, who want to develop a 371,000-square-foot building with 180 units of housing and 187,000 square feet of commercial space, with some of the latter set aside for community arts organizations. Two Trees would buy the site from the city for $20 million and transfer a nearby lot on Ashland Place, between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson, to BAM, which would use the property to build administrative offices and a 263-seat community and educational theater. All of this still needs city approval in order to happen.
Mixed-Use Facility Planned For Brooklyn Cultural District [NY Sun]
No Norten for BAM? [Brownstoner]
Rendering from The Sun.
March 28, 2008
Downtown Office Collective Tries to Go Green
Al Attara has owned his early-20th Century, seven-story office building on Flatbush Avenue for 30 years. Now he wants to share ownership with freelancers and small firms in the design, architecture and planning, media, and literary world. Collectively, he said they could pool their money to build a "green" addition 100 feet tall, "but we'll go up as high as we can to take advantage of the southern exposure and wind." Though a collective has always been his vision, up until two years ago Attara said his building was part of an urban renewal area, meaning it could be seized by the city at any time. Now, some tenants are ready to invest but the group is looking for more partners.
With Brooklyn gaining creative freelancers faster than any borough at 33 percent over five years, and more small creative firms moving here, Attara's vision seems like an attractive option for those with capital. Currently, a large desk and free run of the building's many cavernous, curio-filled rooms runs $400 per month. The problem is "creatives," stereotypically bad with money and more concerned with self-fulfillment than financial gain, are competing for space in a profit-driven society. Which is why Attara said forming a collective is necessary for survival - it's the only protection from getting the boot.
Continue reading "Downtown Office Collective Tries to Go Green"
March 14, 2008
96 Rockwell Place Sales: Over the Halfway Hump
In his letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Eagle yesterday, DBP head Joe Chan tried to refute the paper's earlier assertion that residential sales were flagging Downtown Brooklyn by throwing out stats about some of the highest profile projects in the area. We were interested to read about the progress at 96 Rockwell Place. Back in August, we reported that 15 out of the 37 units were in contract. In Chan's letter, he notes that 58 percent of the apartments are now sold. That number jibes with 21 listings currently tagged as being in contract on the Halstead site. While this is nothing to sniff at and we happen to like this place's prospects, that clearly marks a deceleration in the pace of sales: 15 in the first four months and 6 in the past seven months. Eight of the units will be on view at the open house on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.
96 Rockwell Listings [Halstead] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Checking In on 96 Rockwell Place [Brownstoner]
New Development: 96 Rockwell Place [Brownstoner]
January 28, 2008
Condos of the Day: Price Cuts at Forte
The same forces that have led to recent price cuts and rental reversions in the Downtown area are also bleeding over into the BAM Cultural District, where the Clarett Group (a long-time advertiser on Brownstoner) just started cutting prices on some of the Forte's 110 units. Two bedrooms that used to be in the $750,000 range just got about $100,000 cheaper. The 1,059-square-foot Apartment 8D, for example, is now $650,000. Think that'll be enough to get fence-sitters to pull out their checkbooks?
Forte Studios on the Market [Brownstoner] GMAP
Forte's Law: Doubling Height Every Month [Brownstoner]
From Cheesecake to Condos on Fulton [Brownstoner]
December 20, 2007
Almost Move-In Time at One Hanson Place
According to a tipster, it won't be long before the moving trucks pull up in front of One Hanson Place. Apparently, the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy has been obtained for floors 9 through 14 and closings are being scheduled. The TCO for floors 15 and 16 is expected by the end of January with closings in March. Have any readers had their closings scheduled or take place yet?
One Hanson Update: Smaller Units Selling Best So Far [Brownstoner]
Available Apartments [One Hanson] GMAP
December 5, 2007
BAM Cultural District: Full-Speed Ahead
The psychology surrounding the future of the BAM Cultural District seems to have turned positive again on the heels of last month's appointment of Carlton Brown to develop the area's centerpiece, a $385 million mixed-income residential tower sitting atop 40,000-quare-foot dance center. (The Times describes the tower as being composed of "five cantilevered blocks of apartments ranging in height from 6 to 14 floors.") The vibe was distinctly more downbeat last Spring when plans were pulled for an Enrique Norten-designed library. The renewed momentum may have something to do with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership's new leadership role in the area. (“The turning point has been the administration’s putting much more emphasis on development of downtown Brooklyn,” says BAM's Harvey Lichtenstein.) Other reasons for optimism: The Hugh Hardy-designed Theatre for a New Audience at Lafayette and Ashland that's expected to break ground in Q1 and the 30,000-square-foot public plaza that's currently being planned for the immediate area.
Stalled Brooklyn Arts District Regains Momentum [NY Times]
BAM Cultural District: Alive If Not Exactly Kicking [Brownstoner]
November 29, 2007
Dueling Light Shows in BAM Cultural District
While the clock face at One Hanson was turned on for the first time last night, the public plaza in front of the Forte was illuminated with Christmas lights. Tis the season.
November 6, 2007
Developer and Plan Picked for BAM's Mixed-Use Tower
The RFP process for the mixed-use building on Site 4 in the BAM Cultural District has concluded with the selection of a plan by Harlem-based developer Full Spectrum over such big local names as David Walentas' Two Trees and Dermot Company of One Hanson fame; the architect for the plan is studioMDA. The decision comes just a couple of months after local outcry put Full Spectrum, whose head Carlton Brown has lived in Fort Greene and Bed Stuy for 25 years, back in contention after being eliminated in August. "Their level of affordability was great," said HPD spokesman Seth Donlin, explaining the pick. “And the design of the building architecturally was fantastic.” The new 30-story building, to be located at the southwest corner of Ashland Place and Fulton Street, will be known as Borough Gardens. The marquee tenant for the building will be DanceSpace, which will be housed in a 40,000-square-foot rehearsal and performance space. The tower will include 185 apartments, half of which will be set aside for low- and moderate-income residents; there will also be a retail and gallery component. Construction of the building, which will incorporate many green components (Full Spectrum has developed both the Solaire and 1400 on 5th in Manhattan), is expected to get underway in the first part of next year, with a target completion date of 2010.
Local Planner Gets the Big Job at BAM [Brooklyn Paper] GMAP
Unusual Building in Brooklyn’s BAM Cultural Center [Brooklyn Eagle]
Small Developer Beats Walentas & Dermot for BAM Tower [Curbed]
Downtown Update from Joe Chan at CB2 Meeting [Brownstoner]
BAM Cultural District: Alive If Not Exactly Kicking [Brownstoner]