Construction Back on at Susan Elkins House?
Work appears to have started up again at the landmarked Susan Elkins house at 1375 Dean Street, the oldest house in Crown Heights North. The man in the photo above appears to be bringing in construction supplies, and the tipster who sent us the photo said he saw permits posted on the house.
The Crown Heights North Association reported the owner, a developer, for “demo by neglect” a few months ago, according to another source. “They had left gaping holes in the roof, which could be seen by people living in the building next door,” she said. “Landmarks was going to get on their butts. They bought the house [several] years ago, and had promised that they were renovating it for apartments, and planned to restore the facade to its 1939 condition, as per the tax photo. They were honored to have such an historic building, blah, blah. Since it’s an individual landmark, they would have to restore it anyway. They did some initial demo and shoring up, and then nothing for years.” Real Properties Group closed on the house in 2011 for $194,000, according to PropertyShark.
A permit that was filed in 1998 by the previous owner and approved in 1999 before the house was landmarked in 2006 was just issued Aug. 16. The scope of work is “minor partition work, repair fire damage, remove and replace all defective windows, remove defective chimney at roof and cap off, scrape and paint, replace all broken doors, repair and paint all cracks at walls, floors and ceilings, new exit signs and lights.” Another proposal, filed in 2011, to change the building type from “other” to a one-, two- or three-family, was disapproved in May of this year. We could not find any document filed with Landmarks to get approval for the work described above. Real Properties Group was reportedly issued a stop work order in 2011 for working without a permit.
Scofflaw Construction at Crown Heights Landmark [Brownstoner]
CHNA Seeks to Purchase Historic Elkins House [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Three Still Available at Park Slope Conversion
Three of four units are still available and pricing has changed (it’s higher) at 371 6th Avenue in Park Slope, a condo conversion by East River Partners that is almost complete. The top three floors are floor-through apartments with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and there’s a garden duplex with two bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The 2,069-square-foot duplex with a 600-square-foot garden has the highest asking price at $2,095,000; the second floor is $1,150,000; the third floor is $1,175,000; and the penthouse is going for $1,350,000. (Previously prices ranged from $1,050,000 to $1,800,000.)
One of the units is in contract, said a spokeswoman, although she did not specify which one. The renovation of the 19th-century brick four-family was originally anticipated to be completed this summer; now it looks like construction will wrap in the next two months, she said. Sales launched in April, according to a story we ran then, but the company says sales officially launched this week.
Park Slope Condo Conversion Now on the Market [Brownstoner]
Image via StreetEasy
Whole Foods Hiring, to Open Before End of Year
The long-anticipated Whole Foods on 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street in Gowanus plans to open before the end of the year, a spokesperson for the store told DNAinfo. The building is still very much under construction, with scaffolding obscuring the exterior, but the store is hiring more than 300 staff now. Pardon Me for Asking was the first to report the store is hiring. Curbed also published a rumor the store is aiming to open in time for Thanksgiving. About 90 percent of the store workers are expected to be Brooklyn residents, said Whole Foods. Gotham Greens will operate a rooftop garden on the top of the building. The rendering of the new store, above, shows the site from 3rd Street. The historic Coignet building on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street, which Whole Foods does not own but is restoring, is barely visible in the upper left corner.
Whole Foods Hiring for First Brooklyn Store [DNAinfo]
Whole Foods in Gowanus Now Hiring [PMFA]
Rumor: Gowanus Whole Foods to Open Before Thanksgiving? [Curbed]
Rendering from Whole Foods Via DNAinfo
Huge Waterfront Parcel Sells for $91.5 Million
A gigantic industrial lot on the waterfront in Greenwood Heights has sold for a whopping $91,500,000, The Real Deal reported. The parcel at 75 20th Street is 690,000 square feet and includes 32 commercial units. Seems like this industrial area between Sunset Park and Red Hook could be getting hot as areas nearby take off. Earlier this week we reported on a demo of a power plant here, and the waterfront area just below in Sunset Park, which contains Industry City as well as city land, is poised for redevelopment, including a public park. A kitchen supply center at 75 19th Street, on the same block, sold for $19,000,000 this month, the story noted. Rents in Gowanus, also nearby, have increased 15 to 20 percent since Whole Foods said they were moving in. This parcel could be converted to offices, but is very unlikely to be rezoned for residential, according to the Real Deal.
Brooklyn Waterfront Site Trades for Sky-High $92M [TRD]
Photo by Kate Leonova for PropertyShark
Brooklyn Rents Rise Even Faster Than Manhattan’s, Narrowing Price Gap
Brooklyn rental prices continue to climb, as the median rental price shot up 4.6 percent to $2,850 in August, compared to the same period last year, according to a report from Douglas Elliman. Manhattan prices rose as well, but at a much slower rate, leading to a price difference of just $300 in August — the second smallest price gap on record. Rentals in Manhattan increased 1.8 percent to $3,150 in August vs. the same period last year, while Brooklyn rents reached a five-year high. The number of new rentals surged in Brooklyn as well, with 554 new rentals in August alone, 166.3 percent higher than August of 2012. We’ve inlcuded Elliman’s graph of Brooklyn rental prices after the jump.
As Brooklyn Rents Soar, Price Gap With Manhattan Has Narrowed to a Near-Record Low [Daily News]
Summer of Queens: Renters Flee Manhattan and Brooklyn for Gentler Borough [TRD]
Brooklyn “Wins Big” in Primary Elections
Brooklyn-based candidates won some of the most hotly contested seats in yesterday’s primary, noted The Brooklyn Paper, with “Park Sloper Bill DeBlasio claiming the Democratic nomination for mayor, Brooklyn Heights boy Joe Lhota grabbing the Republican line, and Carroll Gardens state Sen. Daniel Squadron and Fort Greene Councilwoman Letitia James heading into a runoff for Public Advocate.” Quite a few of the ballot hopefuls for citywide elections came from Brooklyn, including Bill Thompson, who was born in Bed Stuy, Sal Albanese and Anthony Weiner.
So far, DeBlasio has garnered more than 40 percent of the votes, necessary to win, but the ballots are still being counted. If there is a runoff election, it will be against Thompson.
The outcome of a number of closely watched Brooklyn City Council races are likely to affect development in the borough. In the 33rd District, incumbent Steve Levin of Greenpoint, who had ties to former Assemblyman Vito Lopez, beat challenger Stephen Pierson, who had promised to sue the city over developments Greenpoint Landing and 77 Commercial Street. No word yet on whether he still intends to do so.
In the nearby 34th District, relative newcomer Antonio Reynoso beat Lopez, who had been hugely influential on housing issues in Brooklyn and citywide until forced to resign from the state legislature because of sexual harassment charges. In the 35th District, Laurie Cumbo will replace Tish James as council member.
Cumbo said she will be more friendly to developers, according to The Brooklyn Paper. “It would be almost malpractice to be a council member and to have no relationship with the developers who are building this community,” she said. How do you like that?
Brooklyn Wins Big at the Primaries [Brooklyn Paper]
Antonio Reynoso Beats Vito Lopez and Stephen Levin Keeps City Council Seat [DNAinfo]
Photo by Charles16e
Karl Fischer’s Landmark Park Slope 50 Percent Rented After One Month
Half the units at Naftali Group’s new luxury rental development in Park Slope have been leased since the listings came on the market a month ago, and tenants are already moving in, The Real Deal reported. The apartments in the Karl Fischer-designed tower are going quickly because of its location on the border of established Park Slope and emerging Gowanus, plus rentals are scarce in the area, according to David Maundrell of Aptsandlofts.com, which is marketing the building.
Rents at the 104-unit, 12-story high-rise at 267 6th Street start at $2,150 a month for studios, $2,500 for one-bedrooms, and $3,800 for a two-bedroom. Also, seven penthouses are going for prices ranging from $3,200 to $5,100 a month. When leasing started August 9, there were already 800 potential renters on the waiting list; 100 showing were scheduled in the first three days. GMAP
Karl Fischer’s Landmark Park Slope 50 Percent Leased in Only a Month [TRD]
The Big Reveal at Landmark Park Slope [Brownstoner]
Karl Fischer Build Rising up on 4th Avenue [Brownstoner]
What’s Going on at Katan’s No-Go 6th Street Site? [Brownstoner]
Gowanus Bay Power Plant Coming Down
The Department of Buildings Thursday issued a demolition permit for a power plant overlooking Gowanus Bay just south of Red Hook between 31st and 32nd streets. We couldn’t find a lot of information about the building, which is next to a prison, but it appears to be owned by the city, or more specifically the New York Economic Development Corporation. The architect is Zambrano Architectural Design. Industry City, or Bush Terminal, which recently acquired a new co-owner, Jamestown Properties, and is slated for more development, is located just down the road. The NYEDC is working on several projects in the area, including developing the Sunset Park waterfront for public use and making a nearby vacant warehouse, known as Federal Building No. 2, into a “a state-of-the-art industrial center.” Anyone know more about this property?
More Than Half of Dorms-Turned-Luxury-Condos at 184 Joralemon Street Rented
A luxury development at 184 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights, which hit the market in May, is over 50 percent rented, according to agents Ideal Properties. The former Brooklyn Law School dorm sold in 2011 for $10,576,000, according to Streeteasy, and was converted into 24 two-bedroom rental units. They’re priced between $4,250 and $6,200, renting for an average price of $5,187. GMAP
184 Joralemon [Ideal Properties]
Dorms-Turned-Luxury-Rentals Now on the Market [Brownstoner]
184 Joralemon Conversion Coming Soon [Brownstoner]
184 Joralemon Going Condo [Brownstoner]
Developer Receives $5 Million to Complete Restoration of Williamsburgh Savings Bank
Developer Juan Figueroa has secured an additional $5 million loan to restore the landmarked Williamsburgh Savings Bank on Broadway in South Williamsburg, Free Williamsburg reported. The blog spied a press release about the loan from Emerald Creek Capital late last month. The restoration of the iconic 1875 building with a gold dome has been in the works for years. Figuero, who also owns a hostel in the area, plans to turn the property into an event space and museum. Next door he is planning a 40-story hotel but has yet to secure financing for the project.
Williamsburg Savings Bank Secures $5 Million to Complete Restoration [Free Williamsburg]
Giant Hotel Going in Next to Williamsburgh Savings Bank [Brownstoner]
Checking in on the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Reno [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by Christopher Bride for PropertyShark
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