New Building on Washington

You mean on Washington north of Myrtle?

Hmm. That would suck. I saw plans a year ago for a 6 story mod condo building. I'll try to dig those up.

yup.

http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2007/04/18story_tower_f.php

shit.

Councilwoman Letitia James has helped to set up a meeting TONIGHT where we can all talk together about strategies and developments to stop this building.

The meeting is at St.Lukes parish house, 59 Washington Avenue between Willoughby and DeKalb, at 7:30.

Please tell everyone you can.

The building is going to be built. 18 stories I believe.

After multiple appeals by community groups to the DOB, the developer won a final ruling and they got the plans grandfathered under the old zoning, despite not having the foundation laid by the deadline in 2007, having repeated violations and using, um, 'half-truths' at various DOB hearings.

So goes a 18 story building on a block of 3 story woodframe houses, some of the oldest such houses in the entire borough.

Here's the most recent Brownstoner post

May 23, 2008
Back in Business at 163 Washington Avenue

Judging from the photos we received from a tipster yesterday, work has resumed at 163 Washington Avenue, the controversial 18-story project in Clinton Hill that has rankled neighbors for its height and politicians for its lack of affordable housing over the last year. Despite rumors of possible behind-the-scenes compromises, the most recent DOB filing still refers to an 18-story structure (which is, by the way, designed by Karl Fischer).

LimestoneKid wrote: Given the animosity in the neighborhood for the building is it any wonder that they've installed security cameras?

Yep.

kgs wrote: I live in Willoughby Walk, in one of the tall buildings across Myrtle overlooking this site. I saw construction workers there this morning and some movement of the equipment on top of the huge dirt pile, so they are definitely back in business. I am very sad about this development, which I fear will add nothing positive to the character of the neighborhood, and angry about the continued strongarming by real estate interests citywide, as well as the weakness of political leadership in protecting and preserving all strata of our communities.

Um, this was sarcastic, right? Given that you live in one of the uglier, biggest buildings in the neighborhood, how are you complaining about another big building going up? I would agree that this building seems out of context, but people have to live somewhere. I'd love a couple of big buildings over in my corner of the hood - it migh drive out the whores and drug dealers.

Well I am sorry you felt "sniped" at, but I was really trying to understand how you, someone who lives in the biggest building in the neighborhood, would be complaining about another big building. I sorta thought your post was like someone driving a hummer and then complaining about the neighbors buying an SUV. If that wasn't your intended meaning, feel free to correct it. What you may have learned by living at Willoughby Walk is that it made possible many more people to live there, adn has (up until the last few years) been a very affordable choice for working and middle class people to live. I am really not trying to pick a fight with you - in fact I agree that the building on Washington seems misplaces and out of context. But again, where are all the new people going to live? The down-zoning of brownstone neighborhoods is sometimes criticized as being a way rich people preserve their enclaves of single family homes in an area which might otherwise be redeveloped for denser housing. This has been exacerbated by the slow conversion of those homes from SROs and floor thoughs to triplex over gardens etc.

My other point was that such development would be welcome in other parts of the neighborhood, along the Fulton corridor. But perhaps I am even wrong about that. I was chatting with my neighbor about the fact (which I welcomed) that a junkyard a block over was being cleared for condo development. He expressed some dismay, saying we needed more community gardens. I myself feel that we just need more hard-working people around to drive some of the less savory activites (drug selling, prostitution) away. (Feel free to attack that last sentence, guys!)