House of the Day: A Landmarked Clinton Hill Wreck Gets a Makeover
A boarded-up wreck for decades, this once-spectacular, landmarked 1890s Romanesque Revival brick and brownstone row house, at 245 Greene Avenue, was a Brownstoner House of the Day in 2014. It was asking $1,995,000, the longtime owner having just sold to a would-be flipper for $950,000 in April 2014. Commenters at the time said the price…
A boarded-up wreck for decades, this once-spectacular, landmarked 1890s Romanesque Revival brick and brownstone row house, at 245 Greene Avenue, was a Brownstoner House of the Day in 2014. It was asking $1,995,000, the longtime owner having just sold to a would-be flipper for $950,000 in April 2014.
Commenters at the time said the price was outrageous, given what it would cost to renovate. And sure enough, it didn’t sell. Instead the flipper opted to renovate it, and now it’s back on the market.
It’s been redone top to bottom and, generally speaking, it looks more like new construction than faded glory restored. The wooden mantels and mahogany banister look original. The floors are new, the stair was rebuilt, and one fireplace is now wood burning.
We’re not sure if the wainscoting is old, new or a blend. Two sets of original stained-glass window transoms survive on the parlor and second floors.
The place is laid out as a two-family, with a one-bedroom garden rental (duplexed with a finished basement) and a spacious four-bedroom triplex with a deck above.
Newfangled bells and whistles that the 19th century builders of this house would never have imagined include bathrooms with radiant floor heating, marble tiles, and “full body-jet showers systems,” as well as a Sonos sound system, video intercom, alarm system, Nest temperature control system and central air. Â There’s a full-size washer and dryer on the second floor and a hookup for a second one in the finished basement.
Listed by Heather McMaster and Daniel Cohen of Corcoran, the place is now priced at $3,250,000. Worth it after all that renovating? What do you think of it?
245 Greene Avenue [Corcoran]Â GMAP
House of the Day: 245 Greene Avenue [Brownstoner]
Building of the Day: 235-245 Greene Avenue [Brownstoner]
The house in its unrenovated state the last time it was for sale. Photos by Corcoran
I hate this so much I might actually die. Inside looks like a McMansion in Podunkville. Whoever buys this…please don’t. We don’t want you in Brooklyn.
The I guess the developer should consult with this group on the next renovation
“Open Concept” abuse.
This building is landmarked? I thought the Clinton Hill Historic District ended on the center line of Grand Avenue – which is west of it.
Impressive from the outside – looks very new construction showroom on the inside. The decor and color palatte are not helping; way too much beige!. The range top in the island seems misplaced – the counter seats wouldn’t be too usable while someone is cooking. The beamed ceiling in the bedroom is nice though.
It’s a narrow house at 15 ft and the reno is just allrite, $3.25m seems high. And isn’t the drug dealing that’s been getting renewed attention close by(Grand and Fulton)?
Nevertheless, there’s strong demand for move-on condition brownstones. This should sell for around $2.8-2.9m.
I know you meant to say “move-in condition” but I like the phrase “move-on condition”. I’m going to use that from now on.
This renovation is not for me but, from what i can tell about sales in the past year, someone will like this. And I know everyone was really beyond themselves when this flipper first listed the place at $1.95mil, but if you do overly general math, he hasn’t reduced his ambitions at all. If someone bought it at $1.95 and put a million into a personalized renovation (instead of this), then you’d have this house for $2.95mil instead of its current ask at $3.25mil. Now I have to wait and see what someone actually pays for this.