Open House Picks


Prospect Heights
204 Park Place
Donawald Realty, Inc
Sunday, 12:00-2:00
$3,900,000
GMAP P*Shark

Boerum Hill
442 State Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday, 12:00-1:30
$3,500,000
GMAP P*Shark

Park Slope
98 6th Avenue
Corcoran
Sunday, 2:00-4:00
$3,300,000
GMAP P*Shark

Williamsburg
267 Ainslie Street
Aptsandlofts.com
Sunday, 12:00-2:00
$1,595,000
GMAP P*Shark

By Brownstoner | | Comment

Three Brooklyn Buildings Calendared This Week



The Landmarks Preservation Commission went through a very full agenda Tuesday, voting to calendar three historic Brooklyn sites. The first is the Henry and Susan McDonald House at 128 Clinton Avenue, in Clinton Hill (pictured left). Landmarks says that it’s an “unusually well-preserved and rare free-standing Italianate frame house with Greek Revival style elements” built in 1853-54. It was built for Henry McDonald, a prosperous baker with a business in Manhattan. The second is the Long Island Business College at 143 South 8th Street, in South Williamsburg (pictured right). It’s currently a co-op building, formerly a business college. The Romanesque Revival-style building was constructed in 1890-92 with red brick, brownstone details, and a slate roof. The third is the Peter Huberty House at 1019 Bushwick Avenue (pictured center), a Building of the Day pick. The Colonial Revival mansion was built in 1900. LPC details the facade: “The Huberty House design is cubic in form and is crowned by a hipped roof with dormers. Laid in a Flemish bond, its red brick facades are accented with glazed brick headers, gray brick corner quoins, and stone and terra-cotta window trim. Its main entrance features an impressive Federal-style curved portico with Ionic columns, arched gray brick Gibbs surround, historic double-leaf doors, and stained-glass fanlight.” You can read the full writeup of all three historic structures after the jump. And regarding the vote of a clapboard restoration at 122 Pacific Street, the LPC approved. (more…)

By Emily | | Comment

An Upscale Youth Hostel Set for Wythe Avenue


Big news for Williamsburg: Developer Sydell Group paid $10,000,000 for three parcels along Wythe Avenue between North 9th and 10th streets where they plan to build a hotel. The interiors will be designed by none other than Roman and Williams, the influential duo known for their work for the Ace Hotel and a rough-hewn, industrial, 19th century aesthetic that is very much associated with Brooklyn, although as far as we know, this is their first assignment in the borough. The hotel will be part of the Freehand chain of “haute hostels,” which in Miami Beach, at least, has communal lodging starting at the bargain price of $25 a night, The New York Observer noted. The location is, of course, close to the Wythe Hotel, pictured, where rooms (with bunk beds) start at $179. The New York Post calls it “Hotel Wars,” but we are sure the two will find a way to coexist.
Hotels Hitting Hipster ’Hood [NY Post]

By Emily | | Comment

Condo of the Day: 85 North 3rd Street, #306



The owner of this 1,797-square-foot loft in one of our favorite Williamsburg condos — The Mill Building — found out that selling an apartment isn’t always as easy as it looks. This place was on the market as an FSBO for the month of April at $2,095,000. Now it’s back on with Douglas Elliman for $2,150,000. It’s a big place with lovely original wood beams and floors as well as high ceilings. The only negative we can see is that there is only one exposure and the apartment goes back pretty deep into the center of the building (floor plan here), meaning that the parts of the apartment don’t get a lot of natural light. Otherwise, very sweet pad.
85 North 3rd Street, #306 [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark

By Brownstoner | | Comment

Third Northside Piers Tower Going Up


1-north-4th-place-051513Work is moving along at the third Northside Piers building at 1 North 4th Place in Williamsburg, BuzzBuzzHome reported. The new build will rise 41 stories with 509 units, according to permits approved last week. The developer is Douglaston Development (they also did the Edge); Fxfowle Architects designed it. The building will be a rental, according to the story. Click through to the jump to see the rendering of what the finished building will look like. (more…)

By Cate | | Comment

Last Week’s Biggest Sales



1. BOERUM HILL $3,200,000
118 Wyckoff Street GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the listing for this Boerum Hill one family, which was owned by Corcoran senior vice president Deborah Rieders. According to the Real Deal, Rieders purchased the home for $999,000 in 2005. It was asking $3,200,000. Deed recorded on 5/10/2013.

2. PARK SLOPE $2,800,000
592 3rd Street GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the old listing for this one family. It was listed in December 2012 for $2,850,000 and entered contract by March. Deed recorded on 5/8/2013.

3. FORT GREENE $2,775,000
11A South Elliott Place GMAP P*Shark
An Open House Pick in March. It was listed in February for $2,750,000. The home’s a looker, check out the old listing here. Deed recorded on 5/9/2013.

4. WILLIAMSBURG $2,316,518.75
20 Bayard Street, PHB GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the listing for this three bed, two-and-a-half bath condo unit. It was listed in January for $2,250,000. The new owner got a parking space in the deal. Deed recorded on 5/7/2013.

5. COBBLE HILL $2,150,000
253 Pacific Street, #1 GMAP P*Shark
This is the last unit to sell at the modern build 253 Pacific Street. It went right at ask. The other two units sold for $2,495,528 and $2,647,450. Deed recorded on 5/7/2013.

By Emily | | Comment

204 Wythe Avenue, Under Construction



Yesterday, a fresh rendering and details of the new rental building at 204 Wythe Avenue popped up. We knew the Williamsburg development was slated for a summer completion, but we didn’t have a recent photo of the construction site. A helpful tipster sent the above image, showing that the building facade is almost done. Once finished, this build will have 229 residential units and 7,500 square feet of ground floor retail space.
New Rendering, Rentals for 204 Wythe Avenue [Brownstoner]

By Emily | | Comment

Inside the Domino Sugar Plant


On Untapped Cities, Julia Vitullo-Martin has posted some remarkable interior photos of the Domino Sugar refinery. And she talked with Two Trees developer Jed Walentas about some of the challenges he’ll face transforming the empty industrial site into his vision for a residential and office complex. One of the real challenges will be converting the main brick building. She writes: “For one thing, it has no real floors and no real internal structure, but is instead ‘just a weird labyrinthine of equipment, much of which is completely integrated with the structure of the building,’ says Walentas. Massively big equipment will have to be removed and new space constructed within the empty shell of the building.” See a picture of some of that equipment after the jump and lots more on the Untapped Cities site.

(more…)

By Jim | | Comment

North 10th Street Conversion Project Sells for $16 Million


The Greystone Company snatched up a five story Williamsburg building at 137-143 North 10th Street, currently a half finished conversion project. The Real Deal reports that the buyers paid $16 million for the site, an offer the previous developer “couldn’t pass up.” Previous plans called to convert this building into a luxury condo development, although the new developers haven’t announced if they’ll build out condo or rental units. It’s also unclear if the building designer will change or not. The estimated completion date for this one is the summer of next year.
Greystone Buys Williamsburg Conversion for $16M [The Real Deal]

By Emily | | Comment

New Rendering, Rentals for 204 Wythe Avenue



Things are getting serious at 204 Wythe, the former Western Carpet site now under-construction. The developers just released the above rendering with lots of juicy details of what’s to come for the large rental project. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

The development consists of 229 residential units and 7,500 sf of ground floor retail with dedicated parking spaces. The project is seven stories and totals 248,000 gross sf. The retail component features 275 feet of wrap-around glass frontage with 13 foot ceilings; reasonable divisions will be considered. Mack Real Estate Capital and Urban Development Partners are the Developers.

The plan, and the rendering, has changed quite a bit since 2011. Back then, plans called for 5 stories and 157 units. The developers also ditched the old brick design for something much sleeker, and more typical of new Williamsburg developments. AREA Property Partners is still associated with the development, although they’ve since teamed up with Urban Development Partners according to the press release. We don’t have a recent shot of the construction site but the word is that construction is moving along with the retail temporary certificate of occupancy expected this summer and one for the building expected in the third quarter of this year. Zelnik & Company is in charge of marketing the retail. Curbed noticed that construction started up late last summer, after the Western Carpet building was demolished in early 2012.
Demolition of Burg’s Western Carpet Warehouse Begins [Brownstoner]
Big New Development in the Works in Prime Williamsburg [Brownstoner]
Western Carpet Warehouse in W’burg Sells for $27.5 Mil [Brownstoner] GMAP

By Emily | | Comment

Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #2F



This two-bedroom condo in the converted industrial building at 55 Berry Street just hit the market with an asking price of $1,495,000. Given that this place is the same price as yesterday’s Condo of the Day in Dumbo but 10 percent smaller, it seems like a bit of a stretch to us. Williamsburg is on fire, though, so who the heck knows! This place has a lot of windows and a nice open plan. Personally, we like the finishes in yesterday’s apartment a little better.
55 Berry Street, #2F [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark

By Brownstoner | | Comment

Open Houses Tonight in Brooklyn


Even though it’s a Wednesday, there are several open houses going on tonight. Below are listings from the Marketplace (complete with their verbatim broker babble) that will be opening their doors open later tonight.
(more…)

By Brownstoner | | Comment

Rental Listings Pop up for 50 North 1st Street



Six rental units just showed up on Streeteasy for the troubled Williamsburg development at 50 North 1st Street, under construction for at least five years. (In 2009, a partial building collapse at the construction site caused an evacuation at the building next door.) One- and two-bedroom units are priced at $3,175 to $4,325 a month. Amenities include a parking garage, fitness room, courtyard and roof deck. Units have plank flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows, a dishwasher, and a washer/dryer unit; some apartments also have private outdoor space. Check out floor plans at the building website. It looks like the first open house will be held this weekend. When we checked on this building last spring, after work had restarted, DOB plans called for 41 units. The listing does not specify if that’s the total number of rentals available.
50 North 1st Street Website [50 North 1st Street]
Progress Being Made at 50 North 1st Street [Brownstoner]
Stalled Burg Site Sells, Restart Coming? [Brownstoner]
Frozen at 50 North 1st Street [Brownstoner]
Partial Building Collapse, Evacuation at North 1st Street [Brownstoner] GMAP

By Emily | | Comment

Group Alleges Broadway Triangle Buildings Favor Hasadim


Two as-yet-unbuilt private apartment buildings in the contentious Broadway Triangle area are illegally discriminating against blacks and Hispanics, according to a group called Broadway Triangle Community Coalition, The New York Daily News reported. Hispanics and African Americans who inquired about apartments at 70 Union Avenue and 246 Lynch Street were told there were no applications and turned away, said the group, which sent the applicants. The buildings have already been filled with Hasidim, they said. The buildings are slated to rise in now-empty, privately owned lots in a 31-acre area called Broadway Triangle on the border of Williamsburg, Bushwick and Bed Stuy. Previous plans to build public housing in the area were halted last year by a federal judge on the grounds that the plans “illegally favored Hasidim over blacks and Latinos.” The Broadway Triangle Community Coalition alleges a rezoning of the area in 2009 from industrial to residential use favored the Hasadim, according to the story. A City spokeswoman scoffed at that notion and said, “if private landlords are acting in a discriminatory manner, as is alleged, that is not to be tolerated, and concerned citizens should make a report to the authorities responsible for enforcing laws against discrimination.”
Critics: Two Apartment Buildings Unfairly Filled With Hasidic Families [NY Daily News]
Photo by Christopher Bride for PropertyShark

By Cate | | Comment

Amazon Photo Studio Build-Out Under Way at 35 Kent



Last November, word got out that online retailing behemoth Amazon was renting a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg to create a facility for photographing the zillions of products it sells on its website. At the time, a spokesperson for the company did have this to say about the location: “We think of it as joining an emerging neighborhood that’s known for its creative talent and community. It’s going to be a mecca — we hope — for creative talent.” The exact location was not disclosed, but it won’t come as any surprise to anyone who’s ridden a bike up Kent recently and taken note of the construction project under way between North 11th and North 12th Streets to learn that the address for the project is 35 Kent Avenue. According to the building permits, the renovation is a “Type One application for change in use and enlargement from glass manufacturing to photo studio and offices.” The project cost estimate on the application is for $4.16 million, so it’s safe to assume the actual cost will probably be north of $5 million. GMAP

By Brownstoner | | Comment

Big Deals in ‘Burg



A couple of big ‘Burg sales popped up in the news this morning. The first is a huge acquisition of three adjacent properties along North 3rd Street between Berry Street and Bedford Avenue for $51.5 million. The Real Deal reports that SL Green and Magnum Real Estate Group purchased 44 condominium units at 195 Berry Street for $19.58 million, 28 condos at 248 Bedford Avenue for $14.1 million, and 12 townhouses at 129 North 3rd Street for $17.8 million. SL Green and Magnum also own the retail space under the apartments, which they bought in 2010 for $20.8 million. The buyers plan to rent the apartment units and put the 12 townhouses up for sale. MNS will begin marketing them within the next several months. And the Wall Street Journal reports on another massive sale by Waterbridge Capital LLC for nearly the entire block bounded by Bedford, Driggs, North 3rd and North 4th streets (pictured). The developers have been picking up property along the block in five different transactions for a total of $30 million. This parcel is currently home to a former bagel store, a hookah bar, Foodtown grocery store, and Kings Pharmacy; the only businesses the developers have not purchased are two corner properties. Not surprisingly, the developers are aiming to bring “high end retail” into these spaces.
SL Green, Magnum pay $52M for Newly Constructed Williamsburg Residential Portfolio [TRD]
Block by Block in Brooklyn [WSJ]
Photo via Google Maps

By Emily | | Comment

Rental of the Day: 415 Leonard Street



Big windows, white walls, and a lofted bedroom: yup, it’s a Williamsburg condo unit up for rent! This three-bedroom, three-bathroom at 415 Leonard Street also boasts two terraces and a nice location right off the southeast edge of McCarren Park. It’s asking a cool $6,500 a month. For that many bathrooms, maybe they’ll get their price.
415 Leonard Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark

By Emily | | Comment

Windows, Teaser Site for ‘Burg Build



The walls are up and the windows are going in at the 50-unit rental at 456 Grand Street in Williamsburg, east of the BQE. So far, the building matches the rendering. A couple one-page teaser sites have gone up, which were spotted by BuzzBuzz Home. According to BuzzBuzz, the one- and two-bedroom apartments will rent for $2,000 to $6,000 a month. Designed by Koh Architecture, the building will also have a restaurant and stores. MNS will do the leasing. Click through to the jump to see the rendering. (more…)

By Cate | | Comment

Furor Over Bus Zone, Parking in Williamsburg


A tussle has broken out over the location of a bus zone in South Williamsburg. A City bus driver said he saw two unnamed “Jewish guys” illegally moving a City bus zone sign to make way for school bus parking in front of Yeshiva Bnos Ahavas Israel on Franklin just north of Flushing Avenue on the border of South Williamsbug and Bed Stuy, The New York Post reported. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though: According to the story, the Hasids move traffic signs around illegally all the time. Sign-swapping “is a common problem in the Hasidic community,” said Tommy McNally, a safety officer from the Transit Workers Union. “These guys are just constantly moving these signs.” The lack of a city bus zone is making it difficult for riders to safely board the bus. The Yeshiva bus drivers said they also need the parking space to safely deliver the children to school.
Fury as Hasids “Move” City Post [NY Post]
Photo by The New York Post

By Cate | | Comment

Open House Picks


Park Slope
208 8th Avenue
Douglas Elliman
Sunday, 12:00-1:00
$3,150,000
GMAP P*Shark

Carroll Gardens
455 Sackett Street
Corcoran
Sunday, 4:00-5:00
$2,995,000
GMAP P*Shark

East Williamsburg
47 Orient Avenue
Corcoran
Sunday, 2:30-4:00
$1,799,000
GMAP P*Shark

Bed Stuy
687 Monroe Street
Bedford Brownstone Realty
Sunday, 1:00-4:00
$869,000
GMAP P*Shark

By Brownstoner | | Comment