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Community Group Promotes Solar Power in Brooklyn
Grassroots nonprofit Solarize Brooklyn just launched with the aim of bringing cost-effective solar power to Brooklyn homeowners on a large scale. The 2013 campaign will focus on bringing solar power into Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush with the help of Sustainable Kensington Windsor Terrace, Sustainable Flatbush, and Solar 1. The program will provide community purchasing power to acquire solar systems at a discount, certified solar installers, and education and information about solar power, energy savings and tax incentives. This is the first time residents will have access to “group buying” of solar energy in Brooklyn. Solarize Brooklyn has already picked the two solar installers serving the program from various candidates. For more information, Solarize is hosting a Community Education Session on June 1 — sign up here. Neighborhood residents will have until June 30 to sign up for free assessments from contractors and the solar installations will begin in late 2013 and early 2014.
05/23/2013 12:00 PM
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Open House Picks
Carroll Gardens
123A 2nd Place
Realty Collective
Saturday, 1:00-3:00
$2,750,000
GMAP P*Shark
Clinton Hill
116 St. James Place
Corcoran
Sunday, 2:00-3:30
$2,400,000
GMAP P*Shark
Carroll Gardens
81 2nd Street
FSBO
Sunday, 2:00-4:00
$1,400,000
GMAP P*Shark
Kensington
106 East 8th Street
Douglas Elliman
Sunday, 1:30-3:00
$849,000
GMAP P*Shark
04/19/2013 1:00 PM
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Past and Present: The Prospect Park Baptist Church
A look at Brooklyn, then and now.
I get my “past” photos from a number of sources, and one of them is eBay. There are thousands of old postcards of Brooklyn for sale every day, many of them showing places that I had no idea existed. It’s always fun to find those, amidst the hundreds of postcards of the Brooklyn Bridge, Prospect Park and Coney Island. I’ve found some of my favorite “Past and Presents” there, and I’ve bought many cards over the years. My search today landed me this little gem – the Prospect Park Baptist Church.
At first glance, I just loved this cute little shingled church, and since I have a passing familiarity with most of the areas around Prospect Park, I didn’t recognize this one at all. One of the things that drew my eye to the photo was that the church looked like it was floating above the ground. With its wooden shingles and steep pitched roof, it looked like an ark. Was that on purpose, did the architect want to have the congregation feel like they were being saved in an actual ark? Perhaps he did, but blowing the photo up a bit tells the story – the church was on skids and/or wheels, and was in the process of being moved. (more…)
04/12/2013 10:30 AM
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House of the Day: 158 East 8th Street
Thanks to Curbed for spotting this gently updated four-bedroom, two-bath single-family house in Kensington. We think all that clean white paint combined with original details such as built-ins and French doors, plus the nicely updated bathrooms and kitchen, will have wide appeal. True, the living room doesn’t technically have a window since it’s behind a sunroom (or a fireplace) but this seems like a very livable and practical house for $949,000. Do you agree?
158 East 8th Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
04/10/2013 1:30 PM
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Renderings for 22 Caton Place
Here’s the rendering for 22 Caton Place, the seven-story development now in action in Kensington. Last night the developers, The Hudson Companies, presented to Community Board Seven and outlined their plans: 73 market-rate units, underground parking for 50 percent of residents, a roof terrace, backyard, a gym and a part-time doorman. Another cool feature that you can’t see on the rendering: the roof terrace will offer garden plots for residents to grow their own fruit and vegetables. They’ll also build to LEED standard. Currently a pre-construction survey is going on at the site and the developer should break ground in late March or April. It’ll take 18-20 months for actual construction. What do you make of the final product? Click through for another image…
Updates on Two Caton Devos, the Other’s a Mystery [Brownstoner]
22 Caton Place Ready for Launch [Brownstoner]
Permits Filed for Long-Stalled Kensington Site [Brownstoner] (more…)
02/07/2013 12:00 PM
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Updates on Two Caton Devos, the Other’s a Mystery
Last night Community Board Seven’s Construction and Housing Committee hosted a meeting with Council Member Brad Lander to update the community on three different Caton Place developments: 22 Caton Place, the new school PS/IS 437 planned for Caton Place and East 7th Street and the development making headlines recently, 23 Caton Place. Here are the updates on all three:
22 Caton Place: As previously reported, The Hudson Companies (of Third and Bond) are developing this site. Project manager Alison Novak said that this development will be seven stories with 73 market-rate units. It’ll come with underground parking, a roof terrace, backyard, a gym and a part-time doorman. They expect to achieve, at the very least, LEED Silver status. This month and next the developers are conducting the pre-construction survey. They expect to break ground in late March or April and it’ll be 18-20 months before the full project is complete. The building architect is Kiss + Cathcart; stay tuned for a rendering.
PS/IS 437: This pre-k through 8th grade school will serve both Windsor Terrace and Kensington. It’ll house 757 students total. It’ll also be a “green” school. The School Construction Authority is currently 40 percent finished with the excavation process and expect it to last another month or so. Then the foundation will start going in — another month-long process. If all goes well, the school will be ready to open in September of 2015. There was a lot of concern in the audience about parking (there will be no school parking lot, but a church may offer their parking lot during the week), school zoning and street safety around the area. Because it’s so early in the process, Council Member Lander said the summer of 2014 will likely be the time to discuss all these concerns.
23 Caton Place: Bizarrely, no one knows who the owner or the developer of this project is. Work recently started up here after a long period of inactivity. Council Member Lander called the development “a case history of the real estate boom and crash.” The project has sold three times and neither the community board or Council Member Lander’s office could figure out who it belongs to now. It was confirmed, however, that the architect on record is now DJ Associates, who were not forthcoming with Lander’s office. So that Karl Fischer rendering is definitely outdated. And here’s another bizarre piece to add to the puzzle: this week Windsor Terrace Patch got in touch with the Karl Fischer firm, who told them “As far as we know, that job is on hold—but we are the architects of record.” The firm also stated that those renderings are up to date. A total mystery…
02/07/2013 9:00 AM
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At Long Last, A Rendering for 23 Caton Place
Behold, the final design for 23 Caton Place, the Kensington development that is back in action after a long period of activity. Whaddya think? You can see a rendering of the lobby after the jump. Windsor Terrace Patch picked up the images from BuzzBuzzHome. This design is by Karl Fischer, although it’s still unclear who the new building developer is. A Community Board Seven meeting on February 6th is expected to shed a little more light on the project.
First look: Renderings for 23 Caton Place in Kensington [BuzzBuzzHome]
Renderings of 23 Caton Place Revealed [Windsor Terrace Patch]
Work Starting Back Up at 23 Caton Place [Brownstoner] (more…)
02/01/2013 9:00 AM
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Work Starting Back Up at 23 Caton Place
A few tips came in with word that 23 Caton Place, the long-stalled condo building, is active again. The Department of Buildings approved full permits and the architect is still Karl Fischer. Another tipster noticed that construction workers are busy on-site and plumbing is going in. There still are not many details available on the construction timeline, the new property owner or the design of the building. Public records do not list any new ownership here, despite the development going up for foreclosure in the fall. But as Windsor Terrace Patch noted last week, Community Board Seven plans to shed some light on the subject. CB7 will hold a meeting on February 6th at 6:30 pm at 312 Coney Island Avenue addressing the project. A representative from the Hudson Companies also plans to discuss the impending residential project at 22 Caton Place. And representatives from the city’s School Construction Authority will also share an update on the future site of P.S./I.S. 437 which is under construction at 701-711 Caton Avenue.
01/29/2013 11:00 AM
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Rental of the Day: 24 Chester Avenue
Check out the ceiling at this Kensington apartment at 24 Chester Avenue. This is a proper one-bedroom with another lofted sleeping space (a convertible two-bedroom) asking $1,995 a month. The cathedral ceiling, skylights and loft make this apartment worth looking into, we’d say. The listing photos also give the impression there’s lots of room here to stretch out. What do you make of this unique space?
24 Chester Avenue [JMKBK LLC] GMAP P*Shark
01/17/2013 12:30 PM
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NYC’s First Green Library Now Open in Kensington
Yesterday the brand-new, 18,000–square-foot Kensington Public Library had its grand opening at 4211 18th Avenue. This is Brooklyn’s first newly constructed library in almost 20 years. What’s more, it was designed with many green elements: the library is LEED Silver certified, there’s an emphasis on natural light through large skylights, and the paint, sealants and materials used are environmentally friendly. The library also features large multipurpose rooms, 24 new computers, WiFi access throughout, four self-checkout machines, and three book return slots. The building design already won an Award for Excellence in Design of a Public Project from the Art Commission of the City of New York. Check out an interior shot after the jump! (more…)
11/29/2012 10:00 AM
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Rental of the Day: 388 East 2nd Street
There are some definite perks to this two-bedroom at 388 East 2nd Street in Kensington: lots of windows, a front porch, and nice details like stained glass and hardwood floors. But is $2,100 a month too much for a two-bedroom in Kensington, even a nice one? You tell us.
388 East 2nd Street [David West Properties] GMAP P*Shark
11/27/2012 12:30 PM
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Apartment House Addition Revealed in Kensington
Part of the scaffolding has come down at the corner of Ocean Parkway and Ditmas Avenue, revealing the side of this now very large building. The first four floors of 490 Ocean Parkway date from 1931 and have pretty arched windows on the first floor (not visible behind the scaffolding); the top three floors are brand new. How do you like the new addition? Does it fit into the neighborhood, or is it too big? GMAP
11/20/2012 2:40 PM
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New Building Permits Renewed at 23 Caton Place
Despite foreclosure proceedings in place for the huge, stalled Kensington development 23 Caton Place, there’s action here on the Department of Buildings front. Late last week the DOB issued a renewal on a new building permit. But a recent visit revealed no work starting up. Have nearby residents noticed any stirrings as of late? The auction was scheduled for Nov. 9 but public records do not yet reflect a change in ownership. The lien here was for a whopping $23,741,928.
Foreclosure for 23 Caton Place Development [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: Work Resuming at 23 Caton? [Brownstoner]
At Last, Cleaning up 23 Caton Avenue [Brownstoner]
Trying to Make Lemonade of Lemons at 23 Caton [Brownstoner]
The Decline and Fall of 23 Caton Place [Brownstoner]
Little Progress on 23 Caton Place [Brownstoner] GMAP
Bank Sues Caton Place Developer [Brownstoner] DOB
Work Stops at Caton Place Condos [Brownstoner]
At 23 Caton Place, Laborers Labor on Labor Day [Brownstoner]
11/19/2012 2:40 PM
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Co-op of the Day: 207 Ocean Parkway #6E
While the finishes are nothing to get excited about, this is an affordable one-bedroom starter apartment in what appears to be move-in condition in Kensington. The maintenance is a reasonable $450. It’s a quick bike ride to Prospect Park or Green-Wood Cemetery — and there’s bike storage in the building, natch. For $195,000, what do you think of it?
207 Ocean Parkway #6E [Ideal Properties] GMAP P*Shark
11/13/2012 1:00 PM
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Demo, Then Eight Story Build for 132 Ocean Parkway
Demolition’s going down at 132 Ocean Parkway, slated to become a new eight-story apartment building. Our tipster notes this as “one of those Ocean Parkway ‘hold-out’ homes stuck beween two large apartment buildings.” You can see a picture of the three-story, now demolished building after the jump. It sold to developers for $1.5 million this March. The DOB just disapproved plans for eight stories and 26 units last month. The architect on record? None other than the ubiquitous Karl Fischer. GMAP (more…)
10/26/2012 12:00 PM
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Foreclosure for 23 Caton Place Development
Another chapter for the 23 Caton Place saga: This would-be condo building has been stalled for about four years and now it looks like the whole site is under foreclosure. This summer, the Windsor Terrace-Kensington Patch reported that the site sold and was back under construction. Public records show no sale, but the DOB approved this application for new building plans just this month. The real doozie is the foreclosure notice up on PropertyShark — check it out after the jump. The building’s still under ownership of “Caton on the Park LLC” and they’ve got a lien for $23,741,928. The auction will take place Nov. 9 at Kings County Supreme Court.
Development Watch: Work Resuming at 23 Caton? [Brownstoner]
At Last, Cleaning up 23 Caton Avenue [Brownstoner]
Trying to Make Lemonade of Lemons at 23 Caton [Brownstoner]
The Decline and Fall of 23 Caton Place [Brownstoner]
Little Progress on 23 Caton Place [Brownstoner] GMAP
Bank Sues Caton Place Developer [Brownstoner] DOB
Work Stops at Caton Place Condos [Brownstoner]
At 23 Caton Place, Laborers Labor on Labor Day [Brownstoner] (more…)
10/25/2012 9:00 AM
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Market Snapshot: Kensington
The good folks at PropertyShark compiled market data on Kensington for a market snapshot. The borders used are Coney Island Avenue to the east, Caton Avenue to the north, McDonald Avenue to the west, and Ditmas Avenue to the south. Charts show the highest closed sales prices in 2009, with median sales prices pretty sporadic since then. Apartment sales prices were on a steady increase from 2005 to 2009, with prices averaging out around $250,000 after a median sales peak at $325,000. Prices on one- to three-family homes, in the past four quarters, ranged from $550,000 to $750,000. And for both apartments and houses, the number of closed sales increased significantly from the second to third quarter of 2012. Finally, the three most expensive streets of the neighborhood: East 4th Street, with a median sales price of $645,000 over 49 residential sales; East 5th Street, with a median sales price of $645,000 over 51 sales; and East 3rd Street, with a median sales price of $630,000 over 53 sales. Click through to see all the handy charts. And see all our market snapshots here. (more…)
10/22/2012 12:00 PM
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Rental of the Day: 224 East 3rd Street
Here’s a pretty-looking one-bedroom at 224 East 3rd Street in Kensington. We’re fond of the kitchen reno, but from the pictures the apartment space itself looks a little cramped. The monthly rent is $1,800. Seems high to us, what do you think?
224 East 3rd Street [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
10/02/2012 12:27 PM
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Rental of the Day: 36 Dahill Road #1K
This two-bedroom rental at co-op building 36 Dahill Road in Kensington is great. We fully approve of the nice big kitchen, all the windows and the indoor shutters. The rent is $2,300 a month for a listed 900 square feet of space. Do you like it too?
36 Dahill Road #1K [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
09/18/2012 12:30 PM
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Closing Bell: Meeting Tomorrow for Future School
Plans are in motion for the new pre-K through 8th grade school at 701 Caton Avenue, serving Windsor Terrace and Kensington. Council Member Brad Lander announced a meeting this Tuesday with the School Construction Authority concerning the construction of what will be PS/IS 437. The SCA will share information about the construction project and their plans to minimize the school’s impact on its new neighbors. The meeting will be tomorrow evening, 6:30 pm, at the Windsor Terrace Library (160 East 5th Street). Read all the details at the Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights blog. Construction will wrap in 2015, and the school will serve approximately 750 students in Community School District 15. The city bought the lot for the school last December.
08/13/2012 4:00 PM
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williamsburg_guys
Jun 18, 2013 | 09:35 AM