Schermerhorn Street: Not Crappy for Much Longer
Much of Schermerhorn Street between Adams and Nevins was razed in the 1920s to make way for the A and C subway line. (One treasure destroyed in the process was Frank Freeman-designed, Richardsonian-style Germania Club at 120 Schermerhorn, at right.) Until very recently, it seemed like this stretch of downtown would never be more than…
Much of Schermerhorn Street between Adams and Nevins was razed in the 1920s to make way for the A and C subway line. (One treasure destroyed in the process was Frank Freeman-designed, Richardsonian-style Germania Club at 120 Schermerhorn, at right.) Until very recently, it seemed like this stretch of downtown would never be more than a dismal drag of drab commercial and municipal buildings. Now, as The Brooklyn Paper reports, Schermerhorn is getting a new lease on life but not forgetting its more humble history. A slew of new projects are springing up, some of which have significant affordable-housing components. There’s the State Renaissance Court, the 158-unit mixed income (low, middle and market-rate) development and the Schermerhorn House, which is being developed by the same team that did the 14 Townhouses and where half the units will be reserved for the formerly homeless. In addition, you’ve got the 25-story 189 Schermerhorn and a 20-plus-story rental building set to break ground at 230 Livingston. To cap it off, Sam Chang is planning a 80,000-square-foot hotel at the corner of Schermerhorn and Nevins. As Frank Terzulli, of Winick Realty Group, said, If we close our eyes and open them up three years from now, you’d think you’re somewhere else.
Schermerhorn Rising [Brooklyn Paper] GMAP
Germania photo from the Brooklyn Historical Society
anon 9:59,
read some digby. you need it.
I love poor people and wish i could live in the same building as them
All new buildings suck. Landmark everything. I love vacant lots. Buck Fush. Free Mumia.
John Ife – I assume 9:31 was referring to the complaints yesterday that there was too little in the way of affordable housing going up in downtown Brooklyn. Of course, all any of the complainers were looking at were the projects along Flatbush, so once again, they look foolish.
But… but… Sterling Silver had me convinced that there was nowhere for middle-class folks to live in prime Brooklyn anymore!!!!
My faith in his rhetoric is crumbling!
The downtown area was so underutilized and great to read about all the new development (although wish there were more office space in the mix).
Anyone know of any proposals for the parking lot along Hoyt from Schermerhorn to State? That lot, to me, was biggest negative to 14 Townhouses. Those big stadium lights shining brightly into backs of those houses.
Affordable housing in a McSam hotel? WTF are you talking about? My comment was purely with relation to that building. I’m well aware that Schermerhorn house has excellent design credentials (Polshek). In fact if a quality building can be put up with such a large affordable content, it makes Chang’s $290/night polystyrene boxes even more despicable.
The 189 Schermerhorn development will only be 6 stories — it is the Livingston side of the same lot that is the 25 story tower (right now they seemed to have reached 20).
Gosh, even with an affordable housing component, people still do nothing but complain. I guess there’s no way to keep certain people happy.