931 Carroll, former Sea Crest Linen garage, to become 7 story, 69 unit residential bldg

whynot_31

Remember when we used to wonder when the area between Empire and EP was going to be further developed?

That time is over.

The subject property is a 52,896 buildable square foot development site with 135 feet of frontage located at 931 Carroll Street in Crown Heights. Ideally situated just south of Eastern Parkway between Washington Avenue and Franklin Avenue, this offering presents one of the few development sites of scale in the neighborhood. The 2,3,4 & 5 subway lines are 3 blocks away at Eastern Parkway and Franklin Avenue with direct access to Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan in 10-15 minutes. The site sits just a half block from Prospect Park, allowing for convenient access to The Brooklyn Botanic Garden and The Brooklyn Museum, among other park amenities. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to develop near Franklin Avenue, Crown Height’s prime retail corridor, while recognizing all of the other benefits of Brooklyn’s most rapidly maturing neighborhood.

Overview
Building Type:Development/Conversion Sites
Location: Between Prospect Park and Franklin Avenue
Block/Lot:1188/58
Lot Dimensions:135' x 131
'Lot Sq Ft:17,632
Buildable Sq. Ft:52,896
Zoning:R6A FAR:3 .

http://www.masseyknakal.com/listingimages/setup/pdf/931_Carroll_Street_-_Setup.pdf

mcpoet

Is this the building directly across the street from the NYPD transit bureau office? Not a great location for a business, due to the lack of foot traffic (located on a dead end street), but it could make for a nice residential space. Having lived at Franklin and President for the last decade now, it's amazing to see how much is changing, especially south of the Parkway. There's been some more work going on in Bob & Betty's 2 lately (hopefully they'll open in the spring). The Owl and Thistle opened in their new location. Looks like Union Café is coming to the corner of Franklin and Union (not sure how things went at the community board meeting a couple night ago). If there's a clearer metaphor for gentrification than an old bodega covered in West Indian flags where old-timers hung out turning into a sidewalk café, I haven't seen it. There's going to be the new gym at Empire, a possible community center in the old armory on Bedford, etc., etc., etc.....The times they are a changin'......

whynot_31

Yes, this is but one of three sites in that immediate area that (once redeveloped) will make a big impact.

52k of buildable sq ft is substansial.

 

The other two are the Sea Crest Linen site, and the "repopulating" of Tivoli Towers.

http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/39234/the-sea-crest-linen-site-46-crown-st-#Item_10

http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/43762/tivoli-towers-crown-and-franklin/p1

whynot_31

931 Carroll won't have as large of an impact as some of the other developments that I am watching, but I am feeling generous today, and have added it to my list of developments in western Crown Heights that I am watching closely:   

http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/44634/links-to-the-big-16-developments-in-western-crown-heights/p1

whynot_31

Today, I learned that this property has sold.

Unknown to me, it was a satellite of the Sea Crest site. It was listed for sale prior to Sea Crest Laundry bankruptcy, and used to be a garage for the trucks.

It was listed and sold separately from the lots occupied by the plant. While this site has almost 53,000 buildable square feet, the other site is expected to contain over 100,000 buildable square feet.

whynot_31

Plans for the larger site at Franklin and Crown were filed today with DOB:   http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/39234/the-sea-crest-linen-site-46-crown-st-#Item_35

I expect this site to be next. Here's a shot that shows a little more context

whynot_31

929 Carroll
931 Carroll
933 Carroll
935 Carroll
937 Carroll
939 Carroll

Feb 26: No plans submitted to DOB yet. http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverviewServlet?requestid=1&bin=3808168&allinquirytype=BXS2IQ70

Here's an ad for the site, from back when it was for sale: http://www.masseyknakal.com/listingimages/setup/pdf/931_Carroll_Street_-_Setup.pdf

It has good aerial photos.

southeast

YIMBY: 931 Carroll Street: Cornell Realty has filed applications for a seven-story, 69-unit residential building measuring 54,252 square feet at 931 Carroll Street, in western Crown Heights. Jarl Fischer is designing, and an existing single-story warehouse must first be demolished.

- http://newyorkyimby.com/2015/03/dob-digest-filings-for-184-unit-project-at-2848-bainbridge-avenue-in-the-bronx-more.html

whynot_31

That fully utilizes the BSF. The mean unit size will be about 786 sq ft (minus common areas), so we are likely to get more rentals here.

Note, this is being built As of Right, so we won't be seeing any subsidized units.

The police are going to need to move their cars.

This site will be among those discussed on the upcoming walking tour: http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/45410/this-years-walking-tour-saturday-may-2nd-2-pm

whynot_31

Demolition permit granted 4/10/2015

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=1&passjobnumber=321098398&passdocnumber=01

whynot_31

Plywood fence now up:





It looks like the roof has already been demolished.   The building is now open to the sky.

whynot_31

Rachel's latest piece shows the fence is now painted green: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150518/crown-heights/demolition-makes-way-for-new-7-story-apartment-building-crown-heights

whynot_31

If one looks closely, one can see that the garage is being torn down despite three Sea Crest trucks still being on site.

I assume they have so little value that they will be towed out once the building is gone from around them.

whynot_31

Update:    There are five trucks.   

Two are are out of this photo, on the far left.   ....they are communists   

whynot_31

Like the main Sea Crest site, this site is now stalled.   

Demolition equipment is no longer on site.   ...and it is unclear why.

Did they lose financing?

There does not appear to be a Stop Work violation in place.

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByLocationServlet?requestid=3&allbin=3029709&allstrt=CARROLL STREET&allnumbhous=931

Are we seeing a slow down in the western Crown Heights boom?

whynot_31

Article about the nervousness (and possible slowdown) in the NYC market for new buildings.

http://therealdeal.com/2016/05/10/were-going-to-see-some-real-distress-witkoff/

yesbrooklyn

This article is talking about the slowdown in high end luxury buildings in Manhattan.  I doubt this guy's firm is tracking the rate new rental buildings (like 505 St. Marks and the others in south of EP that are under construction) are being filled in Prospect/Crown.  There are way fewer foreign investors interested in Prospect/Crown than in flashy Manhattan new construction.  If the rate at which the Pacific Park/550 Vanderbilt is any indication there sure is demand for new construction (and nice new construction) in the vicinity.  

whynot_31

The former Sea Crest garage (this site), the former Sea Crest plant and the former BBG building were, at one point, being developed by the same firm.

Then, they advertised the BBG garage as being for sale.    I don't know if they secured a buyer.

You are correct, none of these buildings are going to be high end luxury ones.   It all makes me wonder if this firm over extended itself, and/or has more profitable projects in the short term that it is working on, and will simply return to working on these sites when it makes the most financial sense.

whynot_31

Update:   This reader states there are reportedly construction workers on site at 931 Carroll today

https://twitter.com/NBoudreau21/status/730834582971502592

whynot_31

mugofmead111

Complete with busted Sea Crest linen trucks!

whynot_31

I hope to get a photo of them being dragged out.

This site continues to be one of the sites I believe will make a large impact on western Crown Heights:  http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/47007/the-big-18-developments-the-whynot-31-wont-stop-talking-about?new=1

whynot_31

whynot_31

Metal beams are now on the ground and it appears that most of the exterior walls have been reduced to rubble.

In maybe another week, it will be a clean, vacant lot.

whynot_31

Dead laundry trucks now gone. Only an exterior wall remains.

whynot_31

Now completely demolished and ready for excavation.

left side   

Right side:

whynot_31

The owners/developer has recently put in an application to make the building larger in exchange for including below market units.

"Two blocks to the north, Cornell owns a smaller site at 931 Carroll Street, which records show he also bought in 2014 for $2.5 million.

Hager is proposing developing a 16-story, 150-foot-tall purely residential building with 128 units, including 35 units at below-market rents.

In both developments, Cornell plans to set aside the “equivalent” of 25 percent of the total square footage for tenants earning 60 percent of the annual median income, with 10 percent of that area designated for those earning 40 percent of AMI."

http://therealdeal.com/2016/11/22/shifra-hager-looks-to-develop-500-unit-mih-project-in-crown-heights/

yesbrooklyn

Interesting.  Money's about to get more expensive.  Wonder if these (or the other monsters) will actually get built.

whynot_31

These big buildings are pretty profitable.

If buildings are going to get stuck or not happen, I expect small buildings to be effected first.

whynot_31

Updated plans and whatnot: http://newyorkyimby.com/2017/01/first-look-at-two-building-518-unit-development-planned-for-crown-heights.html

whynot_31

One will note that the buildings along Franklin are being listed as a proposed site and included in the above rendering as #3.

http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/applicants/env-review/eas/17dcp067k_eas.pdf