BAM Cultural District
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.
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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]