Architecture 101: Public School That Went Private
How beautiful and majestic is the former P.S. 9 on Sterling Place in Prospect Heights? V-E-R-Y . The Renaissance Revival structure stopped us in our tracks as we strolled by on Vanderbilt the other day. Built in 1887, the building had fallen into severe disrepair by 1989, the year that, gasp!, Forest City Ratner struck…
How beautiful and majestic is the former P.S. 9 on Sterling Place in Prospect Heights? V-E-R-Y . The Renaissance Revival structure stopped us in our tracks as we strolled by on Vanderbilt the other day. Built in 1887, the building had fallen into severe disrepair by 1989, the year that, gasp!, Forest City Ratner struck a deal with the city to convert it into co-op apartments. As part of the conversion, the facade, which is a mix of brownstone, sandstone, terra-cotta and brick, was meticulously restored under the watch of LPC. Nine of the 22 apartments were taken by artists who had been displaced by the Metrotech project. Guess how much the 3,150-square-foot loft cost back in ’89? $500,000. Yowza.
From Classes to Co-ops [NY Times] GMAP
Back to say, could they build them, or what? Old Boy’s High, PS 9, and many of the other 19th century public school buildings in NYC are gorgeous pieces of public architecture. Thank goodness almost everyone realizes that, and as schools are decommissioned, they usually end up as apartment buildings, or as some kind of public building, but they rarely get torn down. The new schools they are replaced by are usually mediocre, architecturally, and pretty much forgetable.
If Old Boy’s High School was lying abandoned with trees growing out of upperstorey windows, I would have no problem with condos. You are right, the building would make wonderful apartments. Thank God it’s a city landmark, and has been restored and looks wonderful!
I’m very glad, too, that there are a couple of alternative high school and continuing education education mini schools operating out of Boy’s, which are working to improve the educational opportunities in Bed Stuy. Education is also a community’s wealth.
Yes. Incredible building. IMHO, make the Old Boys High a private school which would further promote gentrification, higher property values and economic development in the area. Private school conversion should also happen at the old armories on Jefferson Ave (corner of Throop) and Bedford (corner of Atlantic). In the end, the nabes with the best school options for parents will be the real winners in Brooklyn.
Back to the architecture. This is a beautiful building, but it is does not hold a candle to the truly majestic Old Boys High in Bed-Stuy. While it pains me to say it, that is a “castle” that would probably make amazing condos some day!
hahahhahaha! 3:59 that was awesome! hilarious! all of you ratner/frc/ay haters out there should take note. the above postings clearly show how retarded you sound to the rest of us when you demonize ay for the sake of nimby!
that darned Ratner. Tricked those people out of downtown -(you all do remember what a lovely place Myrtle Ave and vic. was down by Sid’s hardware back then, don’t you?) – and now they have to live in the down and out Prospect Hts. hood. Don’t trust that man.
Re 11:37 – Ratner used P.S. 9 as bait to get the people to move from the downtown area that became Metrotech – there was no charity involved on his part. People in PH were upset because the building was used as a neighborhood arts space -though the building was not in good shape but the neighborhood perception was that it was taken away from us.
Regarding prices, by the mid eighties prices were high enough that a top of the line brownstone would sell for 600K. After the stockmarket crashed in ’87 and the resulting recession – which was very nasty in NYC, prices dropped far lower. It was not until the mid nineties that got up to that level again.
I guess this is one of the artist studios:
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=879039
So I do some analysis as follows: apt goes for $1.25mm and cc of $725, versus buying a 3 family bstone for $1.9mm in Park Slope, and receive about $3600 in monthly rent to support about $540K of mortgage indebtedness (30 yrs @ 7%). Could be an even money toss-up on the amenities:waitlist for a parking space vs less sq footage, but with your own private backyard upon closing. So which would you take today? If its of interest, let me know, because I have a bstone to sell to you.