For Dowtown Brooklyn to Thrive, Bring 370 Jay to Life
If downtown Brooklyn is to be home to the creative class, one thing has got to stop standing in the way: 370 Jay Street. That’s the word from Brooklyn Borough Hall and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, which are both trying to lure businesses and re-brand the area as a “college town” (Urban Outfitters and Trader…
If downtown Brooklyn is to be home to the creative class, one thing has got to stop standing in the way: 370 Jay Street. That’s the word from Brooklyn Borough Hall and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, which are both trying to lure businesses and re-brand the area as a “college town” (Urban Outfitters and Trader Joe’s are a start, says Gothamist). But in the middle of this renaissance (no matter how nascent) sits the decrepit, largely abandoned 14-story MTA building, which Markowitz called a “blight on the face of downtown Brooklyn” in a Daily News article. How about office space for small business, some folks ask. One MTA vision for 370 Jay is to invest $150 million in renovations and house scattered MTA workers, though the Brooklyn Paper reports it’s only worth $100 million. The subway station below it is also a mess; the MTA says the $106 million to fix it will be in the next capital improvement plan.
Brooklynites Plead with MTA to Fix Building, Stop [NY Daily News]
Downtown to MTA: Sell 370 Jay St [Brooklyn Paper]
It is an architecturally interesting building for the time it was constructed. It could look great as is. We really do need some more schools in the area. Our schools are so overcrowded. How about housing a few schools within it’s walls… an elementary and middle school combined. With all the high rises going up nearby, our public schools are going to experience a tremendous influx of students in the next 5 to 10 years. How about looking ahead for a change.
I was under the impression that work was underway to rehab this station. You can see where they have already done some wall tiling, have removed a layer of the platform floor and I think there are new lights also. Hasn’t been much progress for the last several weeks though.
William Haugard?
Andrew Thomas?
Not exactly Mies, Aalto, or Breuer.
This building is mildly interesting. But no one will miss it
twenty minutes after it is demolished.
From The Brooklyn Heights Association and the Municipal Arts Society’s joint list of 28 of the most important buildings to preserve in downtown Brooklyn:
“370 Jay Street, designed by
William Haugaard and Andrew Thomas, 1950
Just after World War II the city commissioned this limestone structure articulated by a simple pattern of window openings. This is one of New York’s earliest examples of a Modern style office building.”
Properly preserved (this means, most importantly, NOT replacing the windows) this building could be a modern beacon in downtown, part of the richly diverse collection of buildings in the area. If cleaned up and rehabilitated it would shine.
“home to the creative class”
Huh? To whom are you referring?
There are those who believe this is a very important work of American Modernism. I am not one of them. I believe it is a poster child for how the MTA treats everything it owns. Both the building and the station it sits on are indictments agaisnt our dysfunctional Transit Authority.
Where does the money go?
How can these people steal so much and not get caught?
The MTA has to keep this building empty so that they can sell it to Bruce Ratner for 50% of its worth once he’s ready to buy it.
btw, Polemicist, there are some people (not necessarily me) who believe that 370 Jay is an excellent example of early Modern architecture.
Hear hear, Snarkslope.
Brownstoner, can Snarkslope’s comment be the “Quote of the Day”?