Brooklyn Residential Development

[NoyokA]

Originally Posted by krulltime

High-rise plan rocks stables

He wants to knock them down and build an eight-story luxury condominium with 107 apartments and underground parking.

The $20 million building would have a garden, floor-to-ceiling windows and a two-story lobby.

We're not in Kansas, by NYC standards 8 storeys is a lowrise not a highrise.

[Gulcrapek]

I don't know what the address is here, but it's on 7th Avenue by the entrance to the Prospect Expressway (19 St.). A 6 storry stucco building with balconies. Not so great. It's better than it looks in the picture though.



edit: never mind, found it

560 7th Avenue
6 floors, 57 ft
11 units
Architect: Defonseca Associates Architects

[Derek2k3]

Here's a nice long overview of Brooklyn's residential development.
http://directory.cooperator.com/arch...qa_id=00001120

Originally Posted by Stern

We're not in Kansas, by NYC standards 8 storeys is a lowrise not a highrise.

I was thinking the same thing.

Originally Posted by Gulcrapek

560 7th Avenue
6 floors, 57 ft
11 units
Architect: Defonseca Associates Architects

It's funny how different Brooklyn neighborhoods have their own styles of new construction even though they are almost always out of context with their neighborhood.

[muscle1313]

NY Post

BEHIND THE BED-STUY HYPE
By LISA KEYS

At a Brooklyn open house earlier this month, a dozen or so would-be buyers examined a brownstone for original details, discussing renovation possibilities and debating rental incomes for the upper-floor apartments.

As a sign of the type of buyers the home attracted, a Saab - with Florida plates - sat double-parked outside.

It's a familiar scene in Brooklyn's classic neighborhoods, like Park Slope and Carroll Gardens. Except that this particular open house was in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood whose reputation has been transformed, seemingly overnight, from the hard streets of hip-hop lore to the last bastion of affordability in brownstone Brooklyn.

Affordability is relative, of course. Recently, a two-family brownstone sold for $872,500 - a record for the neighborhood - and some homes currently on the market hover around the $1 million mark.

Just how hot is the area? Look at the sheer volume of real-estate transactions. Back in 1995, 362 houses were sold in the neighborhood, according to real-estate appraiser Dominick Neglia. By contrast, 1,454 were sold in the first half of 2004.

The tidal wave of gentrification now reaches firmly into Bed-Stuy - best known, until recently, as "Do or Die" - bringing with it new faces, new construction and ceaseless renovation projects.

Rawle Howard, a lawyer, is one among many newcomers to the nabe. After nearly two years of searching (starting in Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Prospect Heights) he closed on a two-family brownstone on Tomkins Avenue in September.

At that time, Howard, 33, was able to purchase something "below $500,000." But today, he notes, homes on his block are selling for nearly $700,000.

"I see the neighborhood changing every day," he says. "There was a vacant building on my street; now it's being rented out. There are three or four abandoned properties just a block away, and they're being gutted and renovated. There's new construction next to me. It's just incredible."

But has the neighborhood become overpriced?

Working undercover on a rainy Sunday afternoon, NYP Home attended open houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Among the many houses we visited, one was advertised as a three-family duplex with two two-bedroom apartments.

In reality, we viewed a decrepit home with visible water damage, exposed wiring and a nonsensical layout. It was a distant walk to the G train - arguably the least accessible line in the city. The price for all this inconvenience was a staggering $725,000.

Whether or not the sellers will get this price remains to be seen. However, the area still lacks many services, and - while certainly on the up-and-up - still boasts some of the toughest streets in the city.

"Bed-Stuy's not undervalued," says appraiser Neglia. "It's a tough call as to whether it's overvalued, because it's such a big area.

"Some blocks aren't that desirable; they lack strong block associations and aren't well maintained," he adds. "Others are very beautiful, very desirable."

The most coveted area of Bed-Stuy is the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District - a dozen blocks of magnificent 19th-century homes - as well as brownstones on the southern portion of the nabe, close to the A train, which zaps commuters to Wall Street in about 15 minutes.

Also heating up is the western section of the neighborhood. Though it has less attractive houses and is serviced only by the G train, it's been optimistically dubbed by many brokers as "Clinton Hill East."

Since Bed-Stuy is so vast, transportation is a major issue.

"People want to be able to walk to the train and get to work quickly," says Furman Calhoun of Halstead Property. "More people want to be near the A, C line, and I think that's a component of the price, how accessible public transportation is."

"The closer you get to the J train, the lower the price is," says Eva Daniels, principal of her namesake realty company. Daniels is referring to the eastern border of Bed-Stuy.

"But it's all beginning to blend in," she adds. "I have listings over there; people are willing to move over there."

Angus Sullivan feels he got good value for his money in Bed-Stuy; earlier this month, he closed on a newly renovated two-family in the $800,000s - one of the highest prices in the neighborhood.

The Australian native and his wife, Andrea, and kids Tao, 3, and Kai, 1, moved to New York just over a year ago. Right away, it was obvious the family couldn't afford enough space in Manhattan.

"We were conducting the stereotypical brownstone search; we had about $1 million to spend," says Sullivan, a consultant. "After looking through our options, we realized we could get something really downmarket in Park Slope or something really nice in Bed-Stuy."

"The people have been really welcoming," says Sullivan, asserting there's been little talk about the high price he and his family paid for their home.

"I had my first block association meeting last Monday; we talked about planting flowers and having a block party in July. I've never seen anything like that anywhere."

Howard says his one complaint about the area is the lack of services.

"I'm not too worried about it," he says. "I get in my car - the parking's great - and I go around the corner, head to Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Brooklyn Heights, wherever and pick up the things I need."

Though there are exceptions, like Solomon's Porch, a laid-back, full-service caf‚ on Stuyvesant Avenue, much of the commercial space lies vacant, or is of the storefront church variety.

"People who want to own a home so badly will forgo some of these neighborhood amenities in order to own a house," says Keith Mack of the Corcoran Group.

"They're also betting that, at some point, those services will arrive."

The flip side of the influx (five of Howard's friends have followed his lead and moved to the 'hood) is the old-timers who are defiantly staying put.

Phyllis Humes, 62, was born in her brownstone and has lived there all her life; she's the third-generation owner in her family.

She looks back fondly on the Bedford-Stuyvesant of her youth; the trolley tracks on the streets and the milk deliveries by horse-and-buggy.

Humes stuck through the neighborhood's lean years - the decades wracked by gangs and drugs - and welcomes the recent transformation. "The neighborhood is getting better," she says.

Nonetheless, Humes admits it's a tad bittersweet to see her friends and neighbors move on; many are moving south, she says, while others have become too old to maintain their stately homes.

Humes herself has no plans to leave.

"All the time I get mail, cards, phone calls, people ringing my bell, asking me if I want to sell," she says. "But I'm not selling."

[Gulcrapek]

702 Ocean Parkway is topped out and half-facaded, I just found this rendering:




www.madisonestates.com

[Derek2k3]

Looks better than average I guess.

[Gulcrapek]

505 Court Street (renovation)
10 floors, 126 ft
124 units

http://www.corcoran.com/property/nd/index.asp?p=2&BDD=Y



"At Court Street Lofts you will discover high ceilings, open floor plans and oversized windows with expansive views of Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn.


Residents are welcomed home each day to a warm lobby that has been sculpted from rich-toned woods, textural stone and stainless steel.

Ideally positioned at the crossroads of Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens– Court Street Lofts are just steps from convenient transportation and major roadways. At every turn, essential services support your way of life. Beyond your Carroll Gardens enclave, you'll be surrounded by an environment of quality and convenience. Luxury loft living comes of age in Brooklyn at Court Street Lofts"

[Gulcrapek]

728 Oceanview Avenue
5 floors, 55 ft
11 units
Architect: Nataliya Donskoy

There's a rendering at the site, it looks pretty good. She also designed 727 OV Ave across the street, which is topped out with the same height as 728.

[muscle1313]

Originally Posted by Gulcrapek

728 Oceanview Avenue
5 floors, 55 ft
11 units
Architect: Nataliya Donskoy

There's a rendering at the site, it looks pretty good. She also designed 727 OV Ave across the street, which is topped out with the same height as 728.

Gul can you give me a count of how many condos are being built in Brighton Beach in total? See you have posted a lot of them here. Appreciate it.

[Gulcrapek]

I don't know if they're all condos. But probably. As of now I have 9 excluding Oceana, but I'm sure there are more.

[muscle1313]

Thanks Gul.

My opinion is that Oceana ignited all this and that neighborhood is quickly going from low income to rich.

[muscle1313]

Million dollar condos are ugly?? And 60 year old broken down bungalows are the most attractive thing on Earth

Nimbyism

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/...p-279424c.html

NY Daily News
Brighton Beach land grab

Developers eye condos

By ELIZABETH HAYS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Barbara Sabourin's old-time bungalow may soon be one of the the last
standing in Brighton Beach.
Next door to Sabourin on Brighton Fourth St., six of the cottages
were torn down to make room for a soaring eight-story condominium -
part of a real estate "gold rush" sweeping the once-dilapidated
neighborhood's narrow seaside streets.

Across from Sabourin, there's another four-story apartment building
where wood-frame summer bungalows used to stand.

A similar cottage has been sold to developers near Sabourin, while
next to that, a bungalow has a "For Sale" sign hanging outside.

"They've been trying to buy my house like crazy," said Sabourin, who
has lived in the same bungalow for 50 years and raised two kids
there. "I'm 75 years old. To pick up roots and start over again
somewhere else, it's hard."

Sabourin's bungalow may stand, but it will be hard to turn back time
for scores of others that already have been leveled.

Brighton Beach community leaders are scrambling to change the zoning
in the neighborhood to stop the rampant development craze.

"It's like a Brighton Beach gold rush," said Pat Singer, executive
director of the Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association. "It's not
going to be Grandma's Brighton Beach anymore."

But it could be too late. The rezoning could take many months to push
through. At the same time, many homeowners have already sold or are
on the verge of cutting a deal.

City Councilman Michael Nelson (D-Brighton Beach) and members of
Community Board 13 hope to meet with City Planning officials next
month to hammer out a deal to bar such high-rise development.

But Nelson said it could take up to a year and a half - even on a
fast track. "We want to stop this as soon as possible," said
Nelson. "It's like concrete graffiti. It uglifies the area, and the
effect on infrastructure and parking are major concerns."

City Planning spokeswoman Rachaele Raynoff said protecting low-rise
neighborhoods is a priority.

"When it's brought to our attention, we work with communities to
expedite the process," said Raynoff.

Not everyone is upset by the boom. Many bungalow owners have sold
their once-modest homes for upwards of $500,000.

"It's going to become a beautiful area," said a woman who owns a
bungalow on Brighton Fourth Walk. "I'm waiting for my house to be
sold."

For renters, many of whom are recent immigrants, the picture is bleak.

"They should stop making condos so we could stay," said Jackie
Harshfield, 17, who grew up in a rented bungalow next door to
Sabourin but now must move. "How many more condos do we need?"

Originally published on July 11, 2005

[sfenn1117]

I read that article this morning. While I like the bungalows, I don't mind an 8 story condo replacing some as long as it looks decent. It's the ugly, ugly new developments that I can't stand anymore. Those bricolage designs crap.

[muscle1313]

I know a ton of people that are just absolutely desperate to move into 60 year old broken down bungalows. I have an idea lets save the empty lots in Coney Island too. Instead of an indoor amusement park I would much rather stare at weeds and garbage. Who wouldn't?

There is a Nimby epidemic in Brooklyn right now.

[NewYorkYankee]

What do these bungalows look like? Ive never seen one.