From "BP": I noticed that the "Nova Clutch" building beneath the Brooklyn Bridge on Front St. in DUMBO was being boarded up today. As I recall, Walentas/Two Trees owns it and has been wanting to convert/renovate/rebuild there.
Anyone know the deal here?
That’s it. Thank you for correcting me. Regardless of ownership, the plywood went up yesterday.
Boymelgreen sold or transferred the title to Walentas. It was part of the deal they made to get the easement Boymelgreen was missing on his 57 Front building. I live in the building. It now has the proper easements on all sides.
Walentas has been removing the asbestos on the Nova Clutch, and is beginning to tear pieces of it down (they seemed to be smashing windows out this a.m.) The building is not eligible for landmarking, per the recent landmarking meeting last (?) week, but it could be affected by zoning changes/height restrictions a la the Far West Village, should there ever be any, which is why he’s moving so quickly.
A lot of discussion re: Nova Clutch on dumbonyc.com. Just scroll down. Walentas proposed a tall building here in 2004(?) only to pull it (there is a times article on it). Maybe he’s trying again?
You have a Freudian finger.
A good thing? That depends on your viewpoint, or better yet, your view. If Walentas builds a 15-20 story building above St Ann’s Warehouse and the Nova Clutch site, it will affect the views from Sweeney and 70 Wash. But it will have to go through the ULURP variance process, just like in 2004.
Got a postcard showing the proposed building from
http://savethebrooklynbridge.org