Keep the building, make it a trendy hotel with bars in place, add some nightclubs with names of famous prisons... Sing Sing, Alcatraz Chino (grateful dead mention that women's pen in a song...)

Posted by: chrishavens at April 30, 2008 10:05 AM in response to Big Bucks for Downtown's Big House?

Does he already have permit to do a '421a foundation'? maybe that's all for now...

Posted by: chrishavens at May 14, 2008 12:29 PM in response to Development Watch: Catsimatidis Ready to Go on Myrtle?

Totally cutting out program an unmitigated long-term knee jerk disaster for affordable and unaffordable housing.

Good news - will kill much development in city, bringing down inventory. Will also cause shortage in 2-5 years, helping raise prices again.

Taxes so high in city. Program rules ought to have been changed to faster fade-out, partial abatement or some such thing, not total fadeout. Govt. and R.e. don't mix well.

There will be less affordable in city as a result.

I spent 9 years doing 1000 affordable units for City and a NPO in BK, 10 years selling apartments in BK and Manhattan and how do commercial.

Posted by: chrishavens at May 21, 2008 4:36 PM in response to 421-a Revamp: A Lose-Lose Proposition?

i would imagine anyone seeking to develop there would wait and see how IKEA does
not a great time to finance a project, esp. a 3-6 year timeline thing like this site

Posted by: chrishavens at May 29, 2008 9:49 AM in response to Big Plans for Red Hook's 'Graffiti Park'?

Outrageous treatment of a lovely building. We in the R.E. business are all replaceable in our roles as brokers, landlords, tenants.
Buildings list this are irreplaceable. Take care of them!

Posted by: chrishavens at May 30, 2008 1:18 PM in response to 3rd St. Landmark Crumbling; Is Whole Foods to Blame?

my friend saw Ted Allen, late of Queer Eye, at the Flea this past sunday

Posted by: chrishavens at June 2, 2008 8:51 AM in response to Closing Bell: Flea Me!

The outside is striking. You can see it from airplanes on the southern approach to LaGuardia. Interior is a knockout, will be best place for kids in BK, huge change from old version. Many additional feature, esp. more room for youngest kids. Dedicated room for teens program, decent offices for staff.

Posted by: chrishavens at June 12, 2008 10:55 AM in response to A Look Inside the New Brooklyn Children's Museum

I am skeptical that much of this will be built in the near future given the very negative financing environmen and the huge number of competitors (one reason sam chang bailed is he feels once too many come, his won't work). Acquisition, planning and permitting make sense, but are these all really going to happen? At the same time, as the writer above said, they are desparately needed.

Posted by: chrishavens at June 13, 2008 12:11 PM in response to Gowanus Hotel District Getting Even Bigger

only way you get jobs in red hook is retail
jobs, jobs, jobs

Posted by: chrishavens at June 16, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Eulogies for the Pre-Ikea Red Hook

only way you get jobs in red hook is retail
jobs, jobs, jobs

Posted by: chrishavens at June 16, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Eulogies for the Pre-Ikea Red Hook