Joshua Guttman: The Real Slim Shady
As most people know by now, Joshua Guttman, the owner of the Greenpoint Terminal Market which met its own suspicious demise two weeks ago, is no stranger to fires conveniently consuming properties that he wants to redevelop. Yesterday, the Times explored the history of another one of his properties, 247 Water Street, in Dumbo. In…
As most people know by now, Joshua Guttman, the owner of the Greenpoint Terminal Market which met its own suspicious demise two weeks ago, is no stranger to fires conveniently consuming properties that he wants to redevelop. Yesterday, the Times explored the history of another one of his properties, 247 Water Street, in Dumbo. In this story, the requisite fire was preceded by a “campaign of harrassment,” as former tenants describe it, that included cutting holes in the roof, disabling the elevator and giving keys to the building to a neighborhood crackhead. Here’s what happened when Guttman finally got the tenants out:
The neighborhood exploded with apartments and tenants paying rents that rivaled those in Manhattan. In 2003, Mr. Guttman applied to have the zoning for the building changed to allow for legal apartments, a boon for the building. On Feb. 11, 2004, the community board recommended that the request be denied.
Seven days later, 247 Water Street burned. The fire brought a four-alarm response and took firefighters more than 12 hours to extinguish. An investigation was inconclusive. Workers may have been using acetylene torches at the time, the Fire Department said.
In the two years since the fire, Mr. Guttman has worked with an architect, Robert M. Scarano Jr., and drawn up plans to raise the building to 11 stories. He has received permits to begin rebuilding interior floors ruined in the fire, according to the Department of Buildings, which is investigating allegations that Mr. Scarano has ignoring zoning rules in numerous Brooklyn buildings.
On Thursday, inspectors from the department ordered that work at the building be stopped pending an audit of the job. But the future of 247 Water Street may be just a matter of time. Across the street, the bricks of No. 260, an apartment building, are new and red, with a little garden ringed by an iron fence, an ornate wood front door and parking in the rear.
Lofts, a Landlord and a Battle [NY Times]
We have zoning rules for a reason. Before the enactment of zoning regulations, it wasn’t uncommon for tenants to be injured through for lack of building standards. To think that enforcement of building codes will bring us back to that point is utter and unmitigated BS.
IANAL either, but I think Arson is a criminal act, especially because it creates dangers to people and other property regardless of fire insurance. I think actually going for the insurance afterwards constitutes fraud.Plus there is the expense of involving city services such as fire and police, who are also endangered by arson.
Any theories on how Guttman gets away with seems to be an obviously criminal MO? Who has to get paid for him to get away with it? I guess the DA, Housing etc?
I guess we’ll have to wait for an arson job that goes terribly wrong and people will have to die before any action is forced. And I’m pro-development, but this ain’t right.
Iceberg- are you actually equating property development rights with landlord harassment? That’s supposed to excuse their behavior? Or that we should give in to them because protective laws make them angry? You might know something about property development but you sure as heck know nothing about human psychology.
What legitimate property rights do you think someone like Guttman should still have?
iceberg, I did RTFA – it represents the wisdom of the man with the following curriculum vitae:
‘Joseph Weisenthal, is a former equity analyst, now working as a writer. His work can be found at Techdirt, Dealbreaker, as well as here at The ‘Wart. He is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin (’02)
Besides being interested in economics and markets, Mr. Weisenthal is an avid songwriter, composer, and occasional playwright, having co-produced three original theatrical works.’
I think I’ll look for serious thinking elsewhere
Hells Kitchen has a much older history of LL’s attempting to force tenants to vacate through harrassment (going back to the 60’s when HK was perceived by developers as the next hot area). The community and elected officals passed the Clinton Special District which provides for some degree of real penalties for LL’s that harass tenants out of their homes even after the buildings are vacant. We need an even stronger set of penalties after a finding of harassment by an impartial NYC body (not NYS such as DHCR) for the City as a whole.
If not KARMA maybe some former tenants. Public stoning would be perfect.
“When Property Development Is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Develop Property:”
well- there’s an idiot statement if ever I saw one. Look around, pal- what property development is outlawed?