420 42nd Street: This One Could Get Ugly
It looks like Sunset Park is not immune from the kind of neighborhood wrecking developers who’ve been plaguing the South Slope and Greenwood Heights. First brought to our attention in Monday’s Sterling Place thread, a section of Sunset Park that heretofore has been composed almost uniformly of 3-story houses is about to get its first…
It looks like Sunset Park is not immune from the kind of neighborhood wrecking developers who’ve been plaguing the South Slope and Greenwood Heights. First brought to our attention in Monday’s Sterling Place thread, a section of Sunset Park that heretofore has been composed almost uniformly of 3-story houses is about to get its first non-contextual sore thumb in the form of a full lot-line (or almost 85X100′) 10-story, 31-unit building with underground parking and a 29′-high first floor daycare facility. The pile-driving started last Friday, which was a surprise to the neighbors who had never received advanced noticed that is required to be given to owners of adjacent properties. From the correspondence we’ve been privy to, there’s a groundswell of opposition building in the community. Once word gets out that this building, if built, will ruin the park view of historic St. Michael’s Church on 4th Avenue and seriously compromise the harbor vista, the whole nabe is likely to be up in arms. Given the scale, this fight could be the ugliest one we’ve seen yet. Check out the first salvo on YouTube below.
420 42nd Photo Gallery [CCGH] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Goodbye Sunset Park Views [YouTube]
Sunset Park Vista Photos [Bridge & Tunnel Club]
LostinBrooklyn, if you think primarily Mexican and Chinese Sunset Park is as influential politically as Park Slope, be my guest.
Furthermore, if you think recent Mexican and Chinese immigrants get all worked up about big buildings, be my guest. People working 60-hour weeks don’t have time to pretend fight “The Man”. These activities are reserved for Brown grads and aspiring authors in Park Slope.
People need to live somewhere. Not everyone was old enough to have purchase entire houses when they were “cheap”. I say build ’em high.
Oh, and the extremely active 5th Ave BID. Forgot to add them…
Crawford,
Gee, last time I checked SSP has a very active and outspoken Latino community, it being the center of the seat for NYC CM Gonzalez, NYS AM Ortiz and this new building’s next to Community Board 7.
How is this community less influential that the South Slope or Greenwood Hts., both ‘nabes on the fringes of their districts?
You should do a bit of research first before you throw out your fav NIMBY remarks.
Lost in Brooklyn, despite your best efforts, you and your fellow anti-everythings can’t halt housing construction.
What selfish NIMBYS like you can do is limit construction in certain politically influential neighborhoods, which leads to a burst of construction in adjacent, less influential neighborhoods.
When the Department of City Planning upzoned 4th Avenue and downzoned the side streets in North Park Slope, it didn’t bother with South Slope. Who would ever build there?
A frenzied rezoning of South Slope followed. But they didn’t bother with Sunset Park. Who would ever build there?
Gee, I was waiting for crawford to surface…
Just wait till the rezoning of the rest of the district bucko…
JoshK: typical troll behavior from you. grow up.
Anon 10:57: our second troll of the day…St. Michael’s, built in the 1870’s, has been earmarked by the NY Times as an unofficial landmark of Sunset Park. Currently it is undergoing a major clean up (though it looked pretty darn good for its age before). So again, grow up.
I agree with sarahg, SSP is a vibrant and distinctive community. Made up of a mix of architecturally interesting brownstones, limestones, brick and frame buildings, it may be as architecturally significant (in places) as our beloved Park Slope. Up to debate. This building will not add to the character of this community. Its out-of-context (10 stories on a 3 story block) and non-contextual nature is obvious.
Either way, this monster will be an eye sore and will not only mar views from the Park and St. Michael’s, but also impair the views from SSP’s 9/11 Memorial Garden in the park. Hey Mayor Mike, you out there?
Seems some folks (and no NIMBY B.S. here from the peanut gallery of trolls) in the area will be just as concerned about the views as they will be about the size of the structure…and right next to the Community Board too boot.
The developer has every right to build on the old Schaeffer’s parking lot, but come on…10 stories? Pretty greedy if you ask me. But, that’s most of these fella’s MO. Most bang for yer buck.
Oops, now I have opened the door to all you Libertarians out there 😉
You people are completely insane.
The funniest thing about all this is that the people on this board complaining are actually the ones responsible for the building.
This is only happening because of all the ridiculous downzonings in the South Slope. When it happened I repeatedly posted that the downzoning would have no impact on construction because construction is based on financing and demand.
All the downzoning did was shift construction from blocks closer to brownstone Brooklyn to neighborhoods further away.
Why do all you crazies move to NYC and then try and stop anything taller than three floors from being built? This isn’t Florence or Brugge.
I strongly support this new midrise. Hopefully it will be the first of many, and the vacant blocks down by the Gowanus will again become vibrant.