Development Botch: 528 Bergen Street
Depending on how good you are at remembering the people who are destroying the borough’s architectural history, you may recall a story last January about one Carl Merola who, according to the original Brooklyn Papers story, illegally demolished the former carriage house at 528 Bergen Street in Prospect Heights. Despite not having a permit and…
Depending on how good you are at remembering the people who are destroying the borough’s architectural history, you may recall a story last January about one Carl Merola who, according to the original Brooklyn Papers story, illegally demolished the former carriage house at 528 Bergen Street in Prospect Heights. Despite not having a permit and having a Stop Work Order slapped on him, Merola brought in the wrecking ball, proving that persistence and a lack of scruples can be a very effective combination. It’s just so comforting to see that he’s replacing the historic structure with such a beautiful building that will bring joy to area residents for years to come.
Illegal Demo on Bergen Street Destroys Old Stable [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Construction on this building has barely begun and you guys are already condemning it. Further proof that this site exists primarly for you people to bitch and moan about any and every building erected after 1935. Yea, I’m crushed that the old carriage house was torn down. I mean, doesn’t everyone want a decrepit, graffiti-covered, urine-reeking building on their block?
I hear you anon 12.24. I doubt the developer is worried about affordable housing though, just the amount he can make from selling this. He may have thought that he’d make more money selling more apartments that were not high end at this location across from a playground than he would with a nicer building. He may be right. But I wouldn’t attribute that to any altruistic behavior of the developer. I was just commenting on the notes above about rampant capitalism etc. and noting he could have potentially made as much money without knocking the place down.
And to learn to spell.
lp you make a compelling point but if that happened where would all the people go who were unwilling to pay a little more for a quality building simply because they don’t have it? some people really don’t have the luxury to choose.
Thing is, the developer probably could have made more money by gutting the building and building something tasteful on top in the form of a new story or two to the extent unused FAR existed. That would attract people willing to pay more for the units than what looks to be a nondescript fedders box would.
Yes, bless the developer for spending his money.
To make himself a profit.
Developers are in it to make a profit, they are businesses, which is fine. But neighborhood aesthetics and atmosphere aren’t part of that calculation. So there has to be something to balance that or we’d all be living in Stuyvesant town-type godawful utilitarian nastiness.
anon 10:47 here – as far as I’m concerned in the true sense there’s no such thing as being screwed over in NYC you know the deal when you move here. you get little product for a large price. for the most part people are trying to make the best of what they can paying 2 grand to live in 1 bedroom apartments, paying 40 dollars each time you forget to move your car to the other side of the street for alternate side parking and getting fined for putting a mayo jar in the trash instead of recycling this city is setup to squeeze money out of us all its capitalism for sure if you don’t like it move somewhere else where all of the buildings are restored to their former glory. in the meantime get real no one has time for that nonsense that brownstoner preaches about restoring these properties people have money to make they have kids to send to uppity private schools or properties to buy on the right street so their kids can go to PS 321. this is new york city love it or leave it, its the way it is. how is it that you people have the nerve to throw stones at this situation when you’re not doing anything better? Brownstoner has a blog pointing out how crappy developments are and eats off that he’s just like the rest of us sitting behind our computers commenting on the situation and not doing anything about it. you don’t like it? turn your fabulous park slope brownstone in district 321 into a 3 family and put section 8 tenants in there and maybe they will stop builiding ugly fedders buildings mostly occupied by low-income tenants. you people go on and on kicking and screaming about rent stabilization in properties that you would otherwise consider a good but you’re not willing to do anything for the people out there who need these kinds of developments. the bottom line is when a developer spends more money to restore a building that gets passed down to the people who will eventually live there.
No one has the right to flat out break the law. Sorry if the process of getting the proper permits “takes too long”. Tough. Knocking down a building without the proper safety procedures and document in place is wrong not matter what. A stop work order is just that. Stop work. Wow when did everyone get the right to ignore the law ’cause they want to make a buck. Guess i will just go out and steal what i want cause i can’t wait to get paid. sheesh!
“ignormaus xenophile” is even better. Is that liking foreigners because you don’t know how awful they actually are?
Anon 11.29 has proven once again that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. After learning a word, one must hasten to learn its meaning.