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November 6, 2009
StreetLevel: Cafe DuCharme Opens on President
Cafe DuCharme opened earlier this week on President near the corner of 5th Avenue. The small cafe, which gets its handle from the last name of its Swiss owner, is open from 7 to 7, and in addition to fair trade drip ($1.25/cup) has a variety of sandwiches (a prosciutto combo, eg, for $8.75) and breakfast fare. The shop's proprietor previously had a coffee shop in Old San Juan.
Two New Eateries Coming to Slope's President Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
85 State's Roller Coaster Ride
The pricing of 85 State Street in Brooklyn Heights sure has been interesting to watch, and now that the renovated five-story townhouse's sale for $3.4 million has been recorded in public records, a trip down memory lane seems in order:
9/2005: The house trades hands for $2.5 million in an estate sale.
3/2006: Only 6 months later, the 5,000-sf property flips for $3.2 million to a developer.
1/2007: The house is placed on the market by Corcoran for $5.8 million.
5/2007: Brown Harris Stevens takes over the listing and prices it at $5.95 million.
1/2008: The listing jumps to Halstead and is priced at $5.75 million.
2/2009: A series of price cuts brings the asking down to $4.2 million.
6/2009: Warburg takes over marketing but doesn't cut the price further. Listing now says: "Offered at less than cost! Stunning XXX mint Brooklyn Heights townhouse...the home has just undergone a complete renovation from top to bottom."
10/2009: The house finally sells for $3.4 million.
House of the Day: 85 State Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
85 State Street [StreetEasy]
DOB's Stalled Site List Passes 500 Mark; BK Still on Top
The Department of Buildings' latest tally of stalled construction sites counts 531 pits of inactivity citywide, up from 453 in its last report. As it has since the DOB started making a list of no-go construction, Brooklyn leads the way in the five boroughs, with 246 stalled sites. (Back in the summer, when the DOB first started releasing these reports, 63 were counted in all of Brooklyn and only 143 in the whole city.) Dubious honors for second and third place go to Queens, with 147 sites, and Manhattan, with 80 sites. In Brooklyn, the area covered by CB1, Williamsburg and Greenpoint, continues to have the most stalled sites, with 80 properties making the list this time around. No other area in Brooklyn comes close to CB1, though there are significant numbers in CB2's zone (21), CB6's (14), and CB7's (16). Meanwhile, there are still obvious omissions from the tally. For example, long-dormant 333 Carroll is nowhere to be found, and neither are a couple of 4th Avenue sites where nothing's been doing for a long time. Click though to see the full list.
Stalled Construction Sites [DOB]
Williamsburg Ranks #1 in City's Stalled-Site Sweepstakes [Brownstoner]
Continue reading "DOB's Stalled Site List Passes 500 Mark; BK Still on Top"
EDC's Deal for Wonder Wheel Park Goes Through
The Economic Development Corporation's purchase of the Coney Island land that Wonder Wheel Park sits on was recorded in public records yesterday. The EDC announced it had gone into contract with the property's owner, Ward Realty, last year, and that it would pay $11 million for the parcels, but the purchase price ended up being $9.75 million. According to an EDC spokeswoman, the Ward family agreed to reduce the purchase price in exchange for closing at an earlier date. In a press release about the purchase last year, the EDC said that Wonder Wheel Park would remain a tenant on the site through 2020 and that "the deal is the first of what NYCEDC expects to be a series of land acquisitions in the coming months as the City proceeds with its vision to create a 21st century entertainment destination and protect Coney Island’s amusement legacy in perpetuity."
Deed: 1025-27 Boardwalk West, 1102 Bowery, 3001 Jones Walk [ACRIS] GMAP
Photo by OMG! Ponies!
November 5, 2009
Development Watch: 580 Carroll Gets Its Glass On
One of the defining features of the controversial development 580 Carroll Street, its angled glass windows, has started to come into focus. Over the past few weeks glass has gone up on the Garfield Place side of the Enrique Norten-designed building, above, as well as on a small section of the Carroll Street part of the structure. A BSA hearing later this month will likely decide whether the increased density the developer is gunning for on the Carroll side—which would result in the glass wall reaching the sidewalk rather than being set back considerably and fronted by small yards, as in an older version of the design—will come to pass.
BSA Postpones Decision on Carroll St Norten Again [Brownstoner]
580 Carroll Decision Postponed [Brownstoner]
Slope Rallies Against 580 Carroll, Rags on the BSA [Brownstoner]
Battle Over Carroll St. Norten Build Heats Up This Week [Brownstoner]
CB6 Doesn't Buy Carroll Street Hardship Claim [Brownstoner]
580 Carroll Developer Trying to Supersize Norten Project [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 580 Carroll Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
Enrique Norten-Designed Project in Park Slope Revealed [Brownstoner]
Four Developments Coming to One Stretch of Carroll [Brownstoner]
StreetLevel: Lucas Fine Foods Coming to Union
A reader dropped a line to let us know signage has gone up announcing that a biz called Lucas Fine Foods is coming to Union Street between 6th and 7th avenues. The poster in the window says Lucas will be a cafe and sell prepared foods, and that it's opening in late fall. GMAP
Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million
Some of the sales recorded last week that went for $1 million or less:
$250K or under: CLINTON HILL
195 Willoughby Avenue, #109; Price=$165,000 GMAP
The listing for this co-op said it's a 450-sf, 1st floor studio. It was asking $199,000. Maintenance=$335/month. Closed on 10/27/09; deed recorded on 10/29/09.
$250-$500K Range: COBBLE HILL
200 Congress Street, #5C; Price=$475,000 GMAP
This 725-sf, 1-bedroom co-op was listed for $499,000 in June. Maintenance=$678/month. Closed on 10/14/09; deed recorded on 10/29/09.
$500-$750K Range: SOUTH SLOPE
421 17th Street; Price=$700,000 GMAP
This 972-sf house was listed for $799,000 in late May, according to StreetEasy. Property Shark says it last sold for $450,000 in '04. Entered into contract on 8/13/09; closed on 9/1/09; deed recorded on 10/30/09.
$750K-$1 Million Range: SUNSET PARK
551 57th Street; Price=$780,000 GMAP
This is a 3,072-sf, 2-family, according to Property Shark. Entered into contract on 7/24/09; closed on 10/9/09; deed recorded on 10/26/09.
Photos from Property Shark.
November 3, 2009
Last Week's Biggest Sales
1. PARK SLOPE $1,695,000
247 6th Avenue GMAP (left)
A 3,420-sf, 3-family, per Property Shark. Entered into contract on 7/14/09; closed on 10/15/09; deed recorded on 10/28/09.
2. GRAVESEND $1,500,000
1710 East 5th Street GMAP (right)
This 2-family house on the Gravesend-Midwood border hit the market in May '07 asking $4,250,000, according to StreetEasy, and was asking $2,699,000 as of May '08. Entered into contract on 9/30/09; closed on 10/26/09; deed recorded on 10/27/09.
3. BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $1,415,000
One Brooklyn Bridge Park, #540 & T8 GMAP
Condo unit 540 at 1BBP is a 1,709-sf, 3-bedroom that was last asking $1,295,000, according to StreetEasy. The sale included a second "condo unit without a kitchen," #T8, but it's unclear from listings what that is. Entered into contract on 8/31/09; closed on 10/14/09; deed recorded on 10/29/09.
4. BRIGHTON BEACH $1,300,000
253 Corbin Place GMAP
A 3,048-sf, 2-family house, according to Property Shark. Entered into contract on 8/12/09; closed on 10/23/09; deed recorded on 10/29/09.
5. MIDWOOD $1,250,000
3403 Bedford Avenue GMAP
This 4,070-sf 2-family was listed for $1,499,000. Entered into contract on 5/5/09; closed on 8/12/09; deed recorded on 10/29/09.
Photos from Property Shark.
October 29, 2009
Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million
Some of the sales recorded last week that went for $1 million or less:
$250K or under: PARK SLOPE
130 8th Avenue, #5H; Price=$250,000 GMAP
This 400-sf studio co-op was listed for $289,000 in May, according to StreetEasy. Maintenance=$551/month. Closed on 10/1/09; deed recorded on 10/22/09.
$250-$500K Range: FORT GREENE
155 Lafayette Avenue, #3D; Price=$382,500 GMAP
A 723-sf, 1-bedroom co-op, says StreetEasy. Maintenance=$737/month. Closed on 10/13/09; deed recorded on 10/22/09.
$500-$750K Range: BEDFORD-STUYVESANT
652 Jefferson Avenue; Price=$600,000 GMAP
This 2-family brownstone was listed for $599,000 in March. Entered into contract on 8/18/09; closed on 10/15/09; deed recorded on 10/21/09.
$750K-$1 Million Range: GREENPOINT
196 North Henry Street; Price=$887,500 GMAP
This 2,334-sf, 3-family was listed for $939,000. Entered into contract on 7/31/09; closed on 9/7/09; deed recorded on 10/22/09.
Photos from Property Shark.
October 28, 2009
Development Watch: Fischer Out at 572 5th Avenue
Initially, the development on 5th Avenue near the corner of 16th Street was designed by Karl Fischer, but DOB records inform that the architect on the job was recently switched to a firm called David King. The building is supposed to have 18 units.
A Karl Fischer Building for South Slope's 5th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*SharkDOB