What a Difference a Week Makes on Washington
The Pratt Area Community Council demolished another floor of this old brownstone on Washington Avenue between Fulton and Gates last weekend. At the current pace, the whole thing should be gone by the end of the month. Kinda makes you wonder how much of a priority the group really places on the architecture of the…
The Pratt Area Community Council demolished another floor of this old brownstone on Washington Avenue between Fulton and Gates last weekend. At the current pace, the whole thing should be gone by the end of the month. Kinda makes you wonder how much of a priority the group really places on the architecture of the Fulton Mall.
What’s Happening at 483 Washington [Brownstoner] GMAP
haterade? (: >, LOL
Okay, why buy the building then if it takes you 6 years to complete development when it takes other developers 2 years to complete the project? Especially, when these business are an eyesore and blight on the neighborhood and they will end up knocking down the building anyway.
Why not focus on acquiring vacant land? Why ‘horde’ beautiful derelict buildings (like the one on washington and the 2 ‘on Classon between Gates & Quincy’) and let them stay vacant for years only to knock them down 6 years later. I pass by the Washington Ave building and always hoped that someone rich would have bought it and converted it to a fab mansion. It would have maintained the historic character of the block/strip.
My apologies in assuming that PACC was connected to Pratt. I should have checked.
I know that PACC did a very nice apartment building (moderate-income) on the corner of Gates & Franklin and 105 Quincy Street, another apartment building.
Rather than casting aspersions, you should call PACC and ask for a copy of their annual report or check out their website. I’m sure that will list all of their projects. Since PACC is not affiliated with Pratt Institute you can’t blame them for rundown properties owned by Pratt Institute.
I imagine there are a lot of stumbling blocks for communty development (especially when competing with for-profit developers) and it can take a long time to complete a project.
For example, PACC owns 2 of the three derelict properties on Classon between Gates & Quincy. Some guy bought the third one (with the huge For Sale by Owner Sign) and is basically trying to extort them to buy it from him. He paid about 300K and is trying to get over a million from them. So this turkey is holding up the entire project.
Please do some research before passing out the haterade.
Okay, if PACC is committed to creating affordable housing, where are they? I’ve heard about that project on Gates which was a great idea and a lovely restoration project but what else has PACC done. It seems that everytime I inquire about an great looking abandoned building that’s in disrepair I find out that it’s owned by PACC or Pratt. But these buildings remain in disrepair for years. I don’t see how that’s helping the community or the poorer residents in need of affordable housing.
Pratt Area Community Council is a nonprofit community group that creates and manages low- and moderate-income housing funded by government grants and subsidies.
HPD frequently gives them condemned properties to rehab or tear down and build new housing. They have done a terrific job on several developments (especially the on Gates bet. Classon & Franklin which has set-asides for people who are HIV+).
They are NOT run by Pratt Institute.
They are NOT a historic preservation group.
Their aim is to help maintain diversity in the neighborhood by creating affordable housing and helping long-term residents stay in the neighborhood when housing values and rents increase.
I know that many brownstoners are not down with poor and moderate income people or even long-standing residents but that’s a whole other issue.
It’s so easy to make harsh comments, but please try to know something about what you’re attacking before you do. Brownstoner even provided a handy link, please click on it before you go off again.
Another clarification for 11:43–While the Pratt Center for Community Development is located out of Pratt Institute, it is a separate non-profit organization of urban planners and architects that is completely separate from the real estate dealings of Pratt Institute.
http://prattcenter.net/
To further clarify: the Pratt Center for Community Development did the Fulton Mall preservation study which is in no way related to the brownstone demolition that the Pratt Area Community Council did.
Why should Pratt Institute be ashamed of a group that has no affiliation with it?
Note the name- Pratt “Area” Community Council.
Well, in my opinion, they both seem to be in the business of keeping the area sub-par. And Pratt should be a bit ashamed because they’re an art and design institute after all. Really blows the conception that ‘artists’ and creative types improve the community.