Karma Is a Bitch: 185 Ocean Developer Sucking Wind
One of the galling chapters in the now-waning development boom of this decade was when a developer paid 33% over asking price for the turn-of-the-century brick house (above left) at 185 Ocean Avenue and proceeded to waste little time in tearing it down in order to put up an eight-story apartment building. (Dollar signs in…
One of the galling chapters in the now-waning development boom of this decade was when a developer paid 33% over asking price for the turn-of-the-century brick house (above left) at 185 Ocean Avenue and proceeded to waste little time in tearing it down in order to put up an eight-story apartment building. (Dollar signs in their eyes, the greedy neighbors tried to cash in but were too late to the party.) After paying $1,200,000 for a 30-by-150-foot property with a beautiful house on it, the developer now is trying to get $2,500,000 for the same piece of land with a big hole in the ground (above right). Where do we sign up! While the developer may lose some money on this deal, the real losers are the community and appreciators of Brooklyn’s architectural history.
185 Ocean Avenue [Corcoran] GMAP
PLG House Razed, 8-Story Building Planned [Brownstoner]
Ocean’s 13: Landmarking Against a Ticking Time Bomb [Brownstoner]
PLG Shocker! 185 Ocean Closes 33% Above Ask [Brownstoner]
I think the biggest irony here is that the seller of the single family house was once one of the biggest boosters of PLG gentrification. What’s the real story?
Polemicist,
You’re correct that the FAR connected to R2 zoning is less than what exists in most Lefferts Manor homes. It’s only the single family part that is the same as the 1893 covenant. My understanding is that back in 1960 the Lefferts Manor Association pushed for R2 zoning as a means of reducing the number of expensive lawsuits needed to protect the area’s single-family status. I guess the reduced FAR was a trade off (but I have no first hand knowledge of this–I was living in Queens and attending high school at the time).
FWIW R2 zoning in PLG only applies to Lefferts Manor, not to the rest of the PLG Historic District or to PLG as a whole.
It’s ironic that a restrictive covenant and single family zoning ended up helping to foster the development of a stable integrated neighborhood. I doubt that this was the intention of those who wrote the covenant 100+ years ago, but it’s something I’m very happy about.
Polemicist, when did I say I wanted free groceries? In fact, I said I don’t begrudge developers who want to make money, but I also think there’s too much focus on “luxury” buildings and not enough emphasis on low- and middle-class housing (by which I mean properties for less than a million bucks – I’m not asking for a $100,000 condo on Prospect Park West). I don’t know the details of this particular property, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in line with most other developments in New York in recent years. Now it’s just a hole in the ground. Hence, schadenfreude.
If you’re going to berate me, at least get the gist of what I’m saying right. I think YOU need to get a grip.
I loved that house!! But I love Carroll Gardens far more. It was a toss up as to live on Prospect Park would have been amazing, but the community in Carroll Gardens and PS 58 can not be beat. It gave my partner Gennaro the opportunity to do a full on green renovation as the house was is disrepair. Anyways…what the developer did was SAD! That house was so cute and that block has such landmark character. I would have been lucky to live in and raise my family. But I can not complain as nothing beats my daughter and I each hopping on our respective scooter for the 1 min. ride to school. BUT that house was so CUTE and at $930,000 it was a great deal depending on how you look at it! Just another house on the list of many that got away……I have a huge list of those. But this one I was out $700 as I wasted time signing the contract and paying my lawyer!
Bob Marvin,
I was under the impression the area was recently rezoned – but regardless, the present R2 zoning does not at ALL reflect the original development that began in 1893.
Practically every single building in the district exceeds the legal FAR, and most of the nicer houses do so by a factor of 3 or more. Some of the 4-story houses exceed the maximum FAR by 4 times, easily.
That zoning was purely oppressive to prevent ANY kind of development, EVER. It’s absolutely outrageous and flies in the face of any notion of fairness or equal protection under the law.
Don’t get me wrong – I am not saying we should nullify the restrict covenants or bulldoze the neighborhood. These kinds of zoning laws simply undermine the public’s respect for the law. Be happy most are ignorant of them.
New Community Garden slated?
areakidsbrooklyn,
I’m really sorry you lost out on this house. PLG’s loss is CG’s gain. It looks like you’re doing a wonderful job on the house you did buy–congratulations.
“I still think about it but instead bought this house in carroll gardens.”
Ask anyone on that block about the people you would have been sharing your space with across the driveway. You were very lucky not to purchase the PLG property.
I just read the listing for 185 Ocean. The seller actually uses pictures of what he destroyed to try to sell his hole in the ground. What chutzpah! This removes whatever guilt I might have felt for gloating.