Development Watch: 1382 Bedford Avenue
There are not a lot of new developments going up in Crown Heights North these days mostly, we assume, because, unlike in neighboring Bed Stuy, there are not a lot of vacant lots in the area. One of the few good-sized projects in the area is at 1378-1386 Bedford Avenue between Bergen Street and St….
There are not a lot of new developments going up in Crown Heights North these days mostly, we assume, because, unlike in neighboring Bed Stuy, there are not a lot of vacant lots in the area. One of the few good-sized projects in the area is at 1378-1386 Bedford Avenue between Bergen Street and St. Marks Avenue. The paper trail on this one’s a little confusing. It look like the developer bought part or all of the property for $1,000,000 back in December 2005; the DOB filings show approval to construct a five-story, ten-unit building of just under 10,000 square feet. Problem is, this looks bigger to us than 10,000 square feet. We’re thinking that this may actually be two identical buildings of 10,000 square feet each. Anyway, it’s too early to tell much about the aesthetics of the building. Good-sized windows at least. Anyone know anything about this project? Update: Thanks to a helpful comment from a reader, we were able to grab the rendering above from the site of Durak Design; the project description also reveals that this is a 40-unit, 39,000-square-foot project. Looks pretty darn upscale for that stretch of Bedford. More power to ’em. GMAP P*Shark DOB
Durak design? Durak is Russian for idiot
it’s fucking ugly.
2:16, I basically agree with what you are saying, especially in terms of pricing and development. I just wish the hairs on the back of my neck didn’t rise up with words like “pioneers, gentrifiers, and fringe nabes”.
No matter how well you say it, and thanks for the mention of long standing residents, it still implies that these neighborhoods are in need of fixing, saving, and rescuing, with a sort of messianic, missionary zeal to go with it. No one was rushing to save us until y’all ran out of affordable places to live, and people kind of looked over and said – well, what about over THERE? Now everyone wants to come over and fix things.
Some things weren’t broken, they are just culturally different. The things that are broken, by which I mean services, policing, schools, job creation, etc,etc, should have been fixed years ago, just because we are tax paying citizens too, not because the “pioneers” are here. While change and movement is inevitable, certainly a thinking person can see why resentment from many quarters is also inevitable.
BTW – local scuttlebutt says that the units are being marketed as affordable, not luxury condos. We shall see.
I live on the block, though I am a relative latecomer. I bought in 2005. I can see this building going up from my back yard and have been very impressed with the big sliding glass doors that they are installing on all the balconies. Ceiling heights seem generous and they are keeping up a steady pace of the work.
The floor plan on the web site is a little disappointing. Looks like most of the units will be the same. I tend to think that a mix of apartment sizes makes for a better building. You get a mix of lifelstyles. Not everyone has a cookie cutter life.
wow. well said 2:16…i think that western bed stuy bordering clinton hill will continue to see huge leaps in development/gentrification despite rapidly rising prices because of the excellent location. everytime i walk down the street i see new faces…the circle is widening and the city is growing-it’s inevitable.
“Looks pretty darn upscale for that stretch of Bedford. More power to ’em.”
Mr. B, that’s how it works. The same thing was said at one time or another about every gentrified section of brownstone Brooklyn. It’s a progression. Forward thinking developers raise the bar and others follow, knowing that the “first to market” developers took on a much larger risk, made the neighborhood more attractive to newcomers, and paved the way for more upscale development that will continue the cycle of personal enrichment for those willing to assume the additional risk.
The only problem that I have about condo development in “fringe” nabes is that greedy developers typically try to command prices that reflect how the nabe might be in five years as opposed to how it is today. The land is not that expensive in CHN and Bed-Stuy. If developers tried to make a decent/standard profit then units could be had at about $300 sq. ft. This in turn would give families willing to be pioneers the incentive to move into fringe nabes and continue the work (along with long standing residents) of further developing these communities.
Fort Greene is successful because prices stayed low enough for a long enough period of time to bring into the nabe a a critical mass of gentrifiers to really make a difference. Newly minted fringe nabes are having a more difficult time keeping up with the gentrification momentum because prices have risen too high too quickly.
If a buyer is paying $1M to move into Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights North and PLG then that property should be in mint/move in condition. What’s holding up and coming neighborhoods like BS, CHN and PLG is greedy brokers who are gasing up the heads of sellers by telling them that their homes should command Clinton Hill/Fort Greene prices; nabes which are also predominantly black with equally superior housing stock.
But the problem is BS, CHN and PLG is about 5 to 7 years behind the curve. No one paid 2003 prices in Fort Greene in 1998. But folks are being asked to pay 2012 prices in BS, CH and PLG in 2007. Developers must take into account the big picture and price their buildings correctly. If they own multiple sites in one of these communities, they can escalate prices as the neighborhoods grow and improve. But by putting the wagon infront of the horse they are biting off their nose to spite their face.
There is great transport in the area so I think it’s ripe for development.. and it’s close to prospect park.. I have been following the pacific blue/hello living project so I hope this is of the same calibre. That one looks good….
Look here under projects | Residential Architecture: http://durukandesign.com/index.swf
Looks like the same design firm that did pacific blue/hello living, the firehouse condos, and a number of other projects in the area