Building of the Day: 951 Prospect Place
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy. Address: 951 Prospect Place, corner of Brooklyn Avenue Name: Flats Building Neighborhood: Crown Heights North Year Built: 1906 Architectural…

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 951 Prospect Place, corner of Brooklyn Avenue
Name: Flats Building
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North
Year Built: 1906
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architect: Axel Hedman
Landmarked: Yes
Why chosen: Every neighborhood has that one building with an owner who just doesn’t give a damn. This one is Crown Heights North’s bane. Directly across from Brower Park and the Children’s Museum, this 8 unit flats building has been empty for over 30 years. The community board, HPD, Landmarks, community groups have all pleaded with the owner, an LLC, to either fix or sell, to no avail. Is it a case of demolition by neglect, warehousing, or what? It’s a landmark, designed by one of Bklyn’s best, and was once a gorgeous building, with a park view. Look at those dolphins, and the fine details. Hey, we need housing, and we need this building rehabbed. There is no excuse for this.
Right on, Crownlfc. If one of Bloomberg’s billionaire buddies wanted that spot to build a bathroom, that property would have been condemned, torn down, and transferred to his buddy years ago.
The irony of the state seizing functioning businesses and occupied house in the name of “eminent domain” to give to well connected private developers and schools whilst the likes of this building, 205 Parkside, Greene and Fulton, 7th ave and 3rd etc, aren’t considered blights in a crowded municipality?
this building owes ECB so much money in violation fines it isnt even funny….
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ECBQueryByLocationServlet?requestid=1&allbin=3031040
the 1st page of violations is about $50K alone
115 Kingston another example.
MM, I love the details on the outside of that building.
Do you know how it was emptied 30 yrs ago? Was there a fire?
At the very least the hole in the sidewalk on the Bklyn Ave side needs to be repaired. I have called 311 three times in the past eight years.
Etson, the fact that it is a gorgeous building is not my main point. I’d be just as upset if this place were simply “meh”. We have a couple of those around too, and those of us in the community are just as upset about them. The Crown Heights North Association is working with the city in identifying and listing abandoned buildings with the goal of getting the owners to either fix up or sell. This buildings has been at the top of the list for some time.
Yet even with the rights of ownership come responsibilities. And the rights of ownership are predicated on certain laws set up for the common good, by municipalities. I don’t think it’s having it both ways in asking a building owner, whose structure is taking up the public space on a street, not behind a gated estate wall in a forest, to maintain his building. If he puts a roof on it, secures the building from entry, and maintains the sidewalks, then he’s good to go, legally. The sidewalks around this building look like Fallujah after a bombing. Walking by here during good weather is tricky. Winter is impossible.
oops, yeah, i totally didnt even think about the vermin/squatter, etc situation.. of course i dont want to see the building abandoned, but if we are going to respect the idea of ownership in this country you cant have it both ways.
*rob*