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Tell me it ain't so... — Brooklynian

Tell me it ain't so...

iowagirl
iowagirl
edited November -1 in Prospect Heights

Subject: Tell me it ain't so...

So I'm walking home with my son down Underhill when I notice a guy with a little dog on the corner of St. John's by the triangular building with the laundromat sign and the nasty jumping dog. He explains that he works for the owner of the building, the little dog lives inside with the big nasty one, and that he (the guy) won't go inside so he's outside with the little dog. He tells me that the owner of the building, "a really nice guy," is going to build on top of the building so that there will be nine "very high-end" apartments.

He describes himself as the designer, and says the owner got the idea from the Richard Meier building on the corner. I ask him if it will have a parking garage, and he says, "It's only nine apartments." The building will have ten stories, I think, and they hope to start building in August. I ask him if the neighbors know, and he says, "A few. We don't care."

Argh.

Comments

  • escap
    escap
    remind me why this is bad again? i can't help but keep being happy when i hear news like this, and i rely on you guys to repeatedly re-explain to me why i should be unhappy.
  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior
    how is it bad news :p. i'm mostly prodevelopment :p. hehe
  • iowagirl
    iowagirl
    I encourage and welcome thoughtful development. An easily tossed-off line like "We don't care," doesn't bode well, however. I'm tired of seeing people priced out of the neighborhood. More expensive apartments drive up property values for us lucky owners, but make ownership, or renting here, that much more inaccessible. That was the reason for the "argh." This time.
  • whyfi
    whyfi
    I really don't care, but I just can't see that particular building being built upon in that fashion... I REALLY can't see the owner of that building being one to execute it well, if you judge by the current condition of the building.
  • escap
    escap
    iowagirl wrote: I encourage and welcome thoughtful development. An easily tossed-off line like "We don't care," doesn't bode well, however. I'm tired of seeing people priced out of the neighborhood. More expensive apartments drive up property values for us lucky owners, but make ownership, or renting here, that much more inaccessible. That was the reason for the "argh." This time.
    Right. Crazy me, I always thought that increasing the number of housing made an area MORE accessible, but clearly I was mistaken. I'm sure that the key to neighborhood accessibility is limiting the housing supply while keeping prices controlled so that nobody wants to move out.

    Gee, I'm taking the CFA this Saturday--in the econ section I'm gonna answer that a firm can simply increase prices by ramping up production and flooding the market with new supply. I wonder where that'll get me....
  • candicissima
    candicissima
    escap wrote: Right. Crazy me, I always thought that increasing the number of housing made an area MORE accessible, but clearly I was mistaken. I'm sure that the key to neighborhood accessibility is limiting the housing supply while keeping prices controlled so that nobody wants to move out.
    And of course, nothing says accessible like building a "high-end" development diagonally across from a semi-crack house. :roll:

    Anyways, we've discussed this before somewhere, back when the Meier stuff was first announced.
  • escap
    escap
    Discussed this before? Yeah, I'd say this makes 10,000 threads on the topic and counting. Seriously though, if one of you guys can actually find evidence showing that you can increase housing prices by building luxury units, not only will you win a nobel prize and turn the entire world on its head, but you'll have unlocked the easiest money-making strategy in history. I hope it's true!!
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    actually, all I can think is "who the f is so stupid as to buy a triangular condo on THAT corner?"
    I mean, how many times have I had loud-ass conversations standing there post-sepia at 2 a.m. blithering about "dude, that asshole was such an asshole and I can't believe he kept talking to us. and omg, that chick was so retarded - can you belive she said wednesday is her favorite day? and lol! what's with that guy who is always trying to dance?" etc
    good luck, dumbasses!
  • easternpkwy
    easternpkwy
    unless they are getting a variance, or the FAR calculations for that lot are surprisingly generous, no way can they go 10 stories...

    I've always thought that lot would be PERFECT for a coffee shop - cut windows in both sides so you can look through from St. Johns to Underhill or vice versa, have an open, welcoming experience, lots of sidewalk space for seating...too bad.
  • rbg
    rbg

    Subject: It will NEVER Happen...

    This is the same guy who's been saying that he was going to make the building a sports bar---and he's been saying that for the past 3 years. As many of you know, this owner of the triangular laundrymat building owns about 8 or 9 buildings in the neighborhood. His son owns the pitbull (unleashed) Angel and several other dogs...They have an "I don't Care," attitude because they own so much property in the neighborhood and are trying to make a profit of the new people. I seriously doubt that building will ever become more than what it is---an torn up laundrymat...
  • emily
    emily
    alafairnadia wrote: actually, all I can think is "who the f is so stupid as to buy a triangular condo on THAT corner?"
    Or really, who wants a triangular condo at all?
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Maybe it will be a trapezoidal condo with a triangular balcony.
  • sweet tea
    sweet tea
    maybe hexagonal with triangular closets
  • doctorj
    doctorj
    EmilyM wrote:
    Or really, who wants a triangular condo at all?
    Well, as a matter of fact...

    http://www.fortgreenecourier.com/site/tab10.cfm?newsid=16664209&BRD=2384&PAG=461&dept_id=552856&rfi=6
    http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/05/triangular_towe.html#comments

    230 Ashland Pl. near Fulton.
  • jarvis
    jarvis
    I talked to that dude about the space about a year ago and he said he was going to build eight stories of condos .. all glass. It's not that I have an issue with new housing and development, but when a developer comes into the neighborhood and erects a structure that is so completely out of line with the existing architecture - its easy to believe that they don't care about the integrity and history of the neighborhood. [In the interest of full disclosure, this building would cast a nasty shadow over mine.]

    I always dreamed of a 50s style diner/coffee shop. Perfect shape, and perfect for breakfast or greasy food post-sepia.
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    sweet tea wrote: maybe hexagonal with triangular closets
    I'd move in just to have that many closets!
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    Technically, it's a trapezoid (because one "point" is flattened).

    See it here from above:

    http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=316+st+johns+pl,+brooklyn+ny&ll=40.674234,-73.967165&spn=0.001037,0.002666&t=k&om=1

    Actually, not exactly a trapezoid since it doesn't look like any of the sides are truly parallel. More acurately, I guess it's a quadrilateral.

    Is there a "dork" emoticon? :roll:
  • sweet tea
    sweet tea
    hey, that's still two super-sweet triangular closets.....
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    sweet tea wrote: hey, that's still two super-sweet triangular closets.....
    :D
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    According to Quig (at Andy's goodbye party last night), The Dept of Buildings just approved a plan to add 6 stories to the top of that building.

    Anyone have confirmation?
  • quig
    quig
    Now everyone should know not to listen to moi @ happy hour

    But this time I'm right.... Whew:

    http://tinyurl.com/m88n4
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    quig wrote: Now everyone should know not to listen to moi @ happy hour

    But this time I'm right.... Whew:

    http://tinyurl.com/m88n4
    Thanks for the link!
  • djuoh
    djuoh
    I think the guy that owns the building was smoking crack. You can't just develop a Richard Meier building on the fly. You need a ton of capital and the location to make it viable. The Grand Army Plaza location is viable with the Arc De Brooklyn. Not Underhill and St. Johns. There is too much talk and dreaming in the hood and take it with a grain of salt.
  • djuoh
    djuoh
    If you have an exact address, you can check if permits have been processed with the DOB NYC, and all online.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    djuoh wrote: If you have an exact address, you can check if permits have been processed with the DOB NYC, and all online.
    That's what quig did. The link to the approved permits is in his post above.
  • djuoh
    djuoh
    Here is the name of the owner's website:

    http://www.gkarchitect.com

    I don't think he is much of a Meier Architect, and his logo needs some serious help. The permit is for a total estimated cost of $400,000.00! You can't buy a One bedroom for that. I guess it is going to be constructed by a crew of crackheads...
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