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Park Place Homeless Fort ? — Brooklynian

Park Place Homeless Fort ?

xlizellx
xlizellx
edited November -1 in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens
On Park Place between Washington Avenue and Classon Avenue there is a large fence in front of an empty building on the north side of the street. There is a huge hole in the fence. It creates a sort of cave. I originally thought it was simply empty, but each time I walk past, the mattress "door" is shifted or a new blanket is hung, etc. There is also an addition of a metal shopping cart out front some times as well.

I assume this is a fort-style home for someone? Has anyone called 311/talked to the person? I planned to call 311 last night but figured I'd wait until the morning when I hadn't had a few drinks already..

Anyone know the deal with this?
Or with this building in general?

If people have called 311 previously, was anything done to help those using that area?

Thanks.

Comments

  • ben
    ben
    building was sold within the past few months, not sure what the plan is but based on the price I think work will be done to put it back into use as apartments.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Dept of Buildings would likely be the agency who ensures properties (be them abandoned or construction sites) are secure. ---in otherwords, they'll tell the owner to repair the fence and/or board up the property.

    Department of Homeless Services has street outreach teams, but I doubt they'll enter a private dwelling/lot.
  • catwalkertexasranger
    catwalkertexasranger
    Please don't drop the 311 dime on these guys until I get some of the cheap bicycle parts from them. way scarier " camp" site on Franklin. Remember it's close to the holidays. If they kick in this guys hobo Christmas or Thanksgiving you will feel bad.
  • park deliciatessen
    park deliciatessen
    I walk past this site everyday... It does not seem like anyone is living there, just storing cans, and bottles there, and no one has been in for at least a week..... The fence has been broken for 2 years... The building has no roof, and is uninhabitable.
    This is the first I am hearing of the building being sold.... any more info on that?
  • xlizellx
    xlizellx
    Park Deliciatessen wrote: I walk past this site everyday... It does not seem like anyone is living there, just storing cans, and bottles there, and no one has been in for at least a week..... The fence has been broken for 2 years... The building has no roof, and is uninhabitable.
    This is the first I am hearing of the building being sold.... any more info on that?
    yeah, that's what i always thought and then i saw an addition of a new blanket (at least new to me noticing) and the shopping cart so thought maybe someone *was* staying there.
  • capt. planet
    capt. planet
    if you're talking about 461 Park Place, it was sold in July for $1.25M. I see a building permit was applied for in August. Looks like whoever is living there had better find a new home!
  • ben
    ben
    I believe the building being discussed is a few doors down at 469 Park. Sold 8/31 for $1.15M. It looks like the same people bought both 461 and 469.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Ben wrote: I believe the building being discussed is a few doors down at 469 Park. Sold 8/31 for $1.15M. It looks like the same people bought both 461 and 469.
    ...which could mean tear down of several building, then big development/building in the future.
  • jack krohn
    jack krohn
    I hope so! Those buildings are the biggest eyesores on that block.
  • ishtar
    ishtar
    Jack Krohn wrote: I hope so! Those buildings are the biggest eyesores on that block.
    I wonder what eyesores they'll replace them with.
  • capt. planet
    capt. planet
    The question here is FAR - Floor Area Ratio. Can the buildings be torn down and larger buildings built without getting variances from City Planning and the Community Board. As a CB 8 member, I can almost guarantee that the CB won't support a variance.
    According to the city records, both 461 and 469 were bought by LLC's headed by Leo Kaufman. Both buildings can have a total of 9,550 total square feet as of right with the existing zoning, while the existing buildings have about 8,360 sf, meaning the new owner can build an additional 1,190 sf as of right without a variance. This would be about an additional 1/2 floor on top of the existing building, or the equivalent of a penthouse apartment at the back of the building not visible from the street.
    Adding a small penthouse would make a lot more sense that demolishing the building just to add a few additional sf. The cost of a new foundation and new building structure would be a lot more than the costs of gutting out the existing building I would imagine.
    Checking with the Dept of Buildings website, I see that the new owner applied for a permit to convert 461 Park Place from an 8 family to a 12 family. The permit was denied but they'll probably resubmit.
    This situation deserves watching. A friend lives at 465 Park Place, so I'm sure I'll hear of any actual work when it occurs, but that might be too late if something undesirable is planned.
  • jack krohn
    jack krohn
    Whatever replaces them, it's sure to be far better than the abandoned, uninhabitable structure that now stands there.
  • lo kee
    lo kee
    Jack Krohn wrote: Whatever replaces them, it's sure to be far better than the abandoned, uninhabitable structure that now stands there.
    You would think so. Unfortunately, that's not how these nimby downzoners feel. They would rather see an empty, trash-strewn lot (or decrepit heap of bricks) sit derelict for decades than a (OMG!) "noncontextual" development that supposedly crowds their precious light and air.

    More accurately, they don't want to see their neighborhood "gentrified" by larger developments with a higher PS because they feel like it will drive their rents up.

    What they don't realize is that increased supply inevitably leads to lower prices over the long term, not higher prices. Witness what will happen in the next two years when all the shadow inventory in north brooklyn comes online.

    [Cue shitstorm.]
  • capt. planet
    capt. planet
    I've you're ever in the vicinty of NY Ave and St. Johns Place, check out 950 St. Johns Place. On the south side of St. Johns Place bet. NY and Brooklyn Aves, you'll find a continuous row of two story houses all with deep front yards
    Except for the last house in the row, 950 St. Johns, where is now situated a six story tower. Hulking, out of scale, boring, lacking in any architectural interest, and now, half finished. It seems the owner not only lacks taste, his math isn't so great either. I gather he ran out of money before the job was finished.

    I think one of the reasons people like to live in Brooklyn is because of the neighborhoods, the low rise and human scale. Thankfully many of the more interesting n'hood are protected through landmarking or restrictive zoning.

    For the developers, we have Fourth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, both of which have been upzoned to allow 12 story buildings. Knock yourselves out guys. Looks like most the recent towers will be foreclosed. Life's rough in the fast lane.
  • lo kee
    lo kee
    Capt. Planet wrote: Knock yourselves out guys. Looks like most the recent towers will be foreclosed. Life's rough in the fast lane.
    And, once foreclosed, resurrected as affordable housing.

    Increased supply, in the face of slackening demand can only lead to one thing. Can you guess what that is?
  • capt. planet
    capt. planet
    A lot of developers made tons of money in the early 2000's due to cheap land and rising prices. Many just kept rolling over the profit into new projects, as if there was an endless amount of money and an endless apetite for new apartments.
    Of course all good things come to an end and now a lot of the guys who didn't know when to stop will end up losing all of the profits thye made and then some.
    The results may be some more affordable housing, but it doesn't seem that folks need to lose their shirt in the process.
    The alternative would be more planning, better housing and a lot less pain.
  • park deliciatessen
    park deliciatessen
    They are cleaning this up as we speak! New owner, says he already has the permits to begin construction. hope so!
  • eastbloc
    eastbloc
    It really does look awful. I hope it gets addressed soon.

    I used to live on the corner of Ave D and E7th St in Manhattan, and there was a shanty in the empty lot next door. We tried to be nice and tolerant about it until we had a bag of feces from the shanty thrown over the fence and into our small private outdoor area.

    I recognize that indigents have to live somewhere, but wage-earning, tax-paying citizens should not have to bear the burden directly. The state needs to make provisions for their care and rehabilitation that do not require us to give up our rights to a civically functional nabe.
  • capt. planet
    capt. planet
    A permit was approved by the DOB for 469 Park Place on 12-22-09 to do the following:
    "ALTERATION HEREWITH FILED FOR CONVERSION OF EXISTING 8 FAMILY DWELLING TO 12 DWELLING UNITS. NEW PARTITION AND RELATED WORK WORK AS SHOWN ON PLANS. "
    No permits have been approved for 461 Park Place.
    Keep us posted about what you see going on, Park Deli.
    You can get the full DOB details at:
    http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=2&passjobnumber=320048426&passdocnumber=01
  • joshb
    joshb
    Yeah, the building was being gutted yesterday. Just a total shell—nothing inside.
  • jack krohn
    jack krohn
    From the outside, these renovations looks promising. The windows are being installed and I'm sure the interiors are starting to look better. Anyone have more specific details?
  • ben
    ben
    There are some ads on craigslist for these apts, looks like 4BRs for $3k/month and maybe some 2BRs for $2100.
  • rednaxela
    rednaxela
    almost all rented now, according to the guy standing out front the other day
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