326 State Street: Fudging the Mezzanines
Maybe we were too quick to praise the design of the new Scarano building at 326 State Street last month. According to a reader who got a look at the interior, the building’s working the whole plywood mezzanine charade. Here’s what the reader had to say: I thought you might be amused by this little…
Maybe we were too quick to praise the design of the new Scarano building at 326 State Street last month. According to a reader who got a look at the interior, the building’s working the whole plywood mezzanine charade. Here’s what the reader had to say:
I thought you might be amused by this little anecdote resulting from my popping into the open house at 326 State today on my way to Atlantic Antic. The developer is selling the units himself, without the aid of any agent, and he was there, in person…What was much more interesting was that when I saw a ladder, as opposed to a stair, going up to the mezzanine and asked “So, is that a way to get around the FAR situation?” he said, “Kind of,” and then volunteered the information that there was a built-up plywood floor in the bedroom upstairs (or actually up-ladder), adding, “You can remove it once you move in”.
Word to the wise: If you’re going to facilitate the violation of building codes, probably better not to advertise the fact to someone walking in off the street.
326 State Street: Eating Our Words [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Still Out of Scale on State Street [Brownstoner] DOB
326 State Street: When Too Much FAR Is a Bad Thing [Brownstoner]
To all,
Ok, now it is time to set the record straight.
First, this building was filed, reviewed and approved by the Dept of buildings under a standard filing (NOT PROFESSIONALLY CERTIFIED). This careful and complete examination CLEARLY showed the raised areas of the mezzanine level as storage (NON_HABITABLE SPACES) for the unit, NOT A BEDROOM, OFFICE, STUDY, ETC. The construction of this raised area was done in such a way that it is not possible to remove it without affecting the structural intergity of the entire level since the beams are at two different elevations. The items that exist on this MEZZANINE including a mechanical equiptment room, washer/dryer units and the storage area are there to give additional space to the lower level of the unit.Speaking to the owner today, NO ONE said anything to anyone who visited the open house this weekend about the ability to take this out since that is actually not even possible. I believe that someone has created this entire story in their own mind.
As far as the floors being spongy this condition is quite normal since a prefinished wood floating floor was installed over padding to accomodate the RADIANT FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM that was put in. This premier heating system is much healthier for the occupants of the unit and more environmentally sensitive than a convential sysem as it costs about twice as much as a traditional system would.
Every aspect the zoning and building code was followed to the letter which is how this project was allowed to be approved and permitted in the first place.
Lastly, concerning the layouts. Todays modern brownstone buildings, which is what this is one of, give a greater degree of fire safety to the unit owners since the entire building is constructed with non-combustable materials, have a steel and concrete exit stair and are fully sprinklered. Many of the old units on the market rely on escaping through a fire escape during an emergency and it is these same firescapes that contribute to more than half of the burglaries in the borough.
Today buyers have asked us for high ceilings and large windowed spaces which give the feeling of a loft environment. Since the price of a square foot of real estate has gone through the roof sizes of rooms have been brought down to what is an absolutely minimum functional area to be “AFFORDABLE ” to a greater percentage of the population.
This overall change coupled with the contemporary finishes is what is being presented here.
The Department of Buildings, the developer, the architect and the builder have all done their job here and people are still free in this country to decide if what is being presented is right for them or not.
The false allegations, made up stories, spun verisions of reality, delusional rantings and general off color comments about our work will now be addressed each and every time they are raised by me. Since it is obvious that many people are worried about me, my jobs and my office I will attempt to educate them about construction and development activities in New York City.
Thank you for your attention,
Robert M. Scarano Jr, AIA, FARA, ALA
guest, 10:26,
Suits me. It’s impossible to know which of the multiple “guests” one is responding to anyway. How can one have a meaningful discussion when the refusal of participants to uniquely identify themselves means one has no idea who said what?
I will only respond to cohesive, civil posts. If you are going to just dismiss what I say or froth at the mouth I cannot help you.
Puppies are better than ponies. Because I like them better. It’s simple economics.
I like ponies.
building codes are all about safety
guest at October 4, 2007 9:10 wrote:
“Economics 101: any increase in the minimum wage drives up the rate of unemployment.”
Typical right wing / Libertarian claptrap.
http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/01/22/minimum-wage-s-minimal-effect-on-unemployment
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/briefingpapers_bp150
OMG – No Government Oversight of Wages!
Think of the number of jobs that could be created if each individual employee and employer had the right to negotiate ANY wage.
Economics 101: any increase in the minimum wage drives up the rate of unemployment.
guest at October 4, 2007 5:20 PM wrote:
“….if it is yours and you are not harming anyone else, then do with it as you please”
How do you define “harm”? If I lived in an idyllic rural location zoned residential and the guy next door decided to use his land next door to start a hog farm after the Libertarians come to power do I have to suck up not only the smell and shit run-off but also the loss of value of my property? Is that a loss? Did the 20,000 folks in Bhopal that died as a consequence of the explosion at a plant that was declared safe by Union Carbide suffer a loss and would Libertarians in their zeal for smaller government accept a corporation’s declaration of safety in the US as acceptable? Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne in 2001 advocated no government oversight of wages. Do you honestly think that that would miraculously result in corporate farm enterprises and fast food joints paying unskilled workers anything other than a wage that’s a ticket to poverty?
I’m sorry, I have much less faith than you in the kindheartedness of people engaged in commercial enterprises and I think the record is on my side. Andrew Carnegie enjoyed essentially a Libertarian atmosphere and what a nice guy he was (not).