Getting an E9 warehouse to be a legal residence in an R6A C1-4 zone

There’s a ‘townhouse’ available that is an E9 warehouse, outfitted as a residence. The current and previous owners have used it as a residence illegally. I’m considering a purchase but would like to make it a legal residence so that I can 1) live there and 2) make renovations that will require DOB approval.

It’s in an R6A zone so the neighborhood is zoned for housing. The CO on the property is extremely old (it was built at the beginning of the 1900s) and illegible from the scan online.

One architect I consulted said I would have difficulty getting this done because the building goes all the way to the back property line (where it shares a wall and roof with a neighboring building). They said DOB requirements for a back yard might require me to knock the building down to comply with the rear yard requirement. I’m wondering if it’s possible to avoid this, or is there no possibility of preserving the existing building and getting it reclassified?

brianrainey065

in General Discussion 1 year and 4 months ago

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cate | 1 year and 4 months ago

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You will have to file an Alt-1 and change the C of O, which means in two years the tax cap will be removed and you will be paying full freight on your property taxes — figure $20,000 a year or so or more, depending on location and size. If that’s what you want, first consult with an architect with lots and lots of experience with C of O changes in Brooklyn under OLD CODE, which means certain things are grandfathered in. (Even better if they have lots of experience converting warehouses to single-family houses and in the same neighborhood too.) The entire building is not expected to be knocked down to conform to the latest code, though certain updates will be required (modern electrical code, plumbing, sprinklers — which you probably already have — etc.). Good luck.