Eagle: Renderings of 75 Clinton Residential Conversion Released

By on June 24, 2010 9:06 am in Real Estate

75_clinton

Rawlings Architects have released renderings of 75 Clinton Street, which is being converted from commercial to residential use:

Brooklyn Eagle: “We wanted to break down the façade to a more residential scale,” he said. “We believe this is a much more handsome building.”

The new façade will have a European terra cotta cladding in a variety of textures and colors (“more of a light brown to orange”) and balconies have been added on all three sides — with smaller juliet balconies along the narrower Clinton Street and five-foot deep balconies on the Montague and Remsen sides. “We also started the balconies at a higher level than usual because of the commercial nature of the streets below,” he said.

As for making it family-friendly, the 80 apartments will be a mix of studios, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units, according to Rawlings, who noted that among the three-bedroom choices there are two top-floor units at each corner that will also have private outdoor rooftop space.

The building falls outside the Brooklyn Heights Historic District, so it’s not subject to LPC approval.  What do you think of the design as represented here?

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  • Josh Goodman

    Cool – that block is so depressing; this will spruce it up a lot.

  • nabeguy

    Definitely an improvement from the previous building, although the 3 additional floors with no set-backs may create a rather monolithic facade on such a narrow street. Are they maintaining any commercial outlets on the ground floor?

  • design metric

    From this little rendering it reminds me of the low-income housing blocks in Crown Heights visible from Atlantic Avenue. There is absolutely nothing about this design that is special in any way. European terra cotta means units that are cheaper to lay up than brick. And multi-colored? Yuk!
    However I’m sure the rents will be special and will not match the low-income look of the architecture.

  • Mickey

    nabeguy: do you think we really need more commercial space in the area? I’ve been looking at several spots on Montague [aside: what’s the deal with City Chemists?] and another at the base of the St. George Tower on Clark Street that just can’t seem to get leased.

  • http://www.myhomebrooklyn.com Donald Brennan

    premature to judge final product from renderings but the idea of balconies is bland UES “low rent” IMO and incompatable with adjacent landmarked housing stock. Even 180 Montague didn’t go with balconies.
    Wonder what finished ceiling heights are going to be as this was a commercial setup – ie 8′ ceilings.

    Nabeguy – were are the 3 add’l floors? i thought the existing bldg was +/- 12 stories.

  • http://www.myhomebrooklyn.com Donald Brennan

    Nabeguy – drugstore on Montague is it’s own condominium. so i assume it stays. not sure about other former retail spaces.

  • Carol L. Ziegler

    Born in Brooklyn, 1947. Remember when the Eagle was a daily pape and the Dodgers played in Ebbetts Field. Resident of the Heights since 1974. The rendering appears to be a prosaic monothothic design. I know there are many talented architects out there, can’t we do better?

  • Bartmann

    I have always hated that stretch of Clinton street, from the parol office trash to the 16 wheelers loading goods into the drug store. I think this will be a vast improvement. However I agree Carol that we could do better. This is not architecture, it will be just a building. And I am concerned about real estate prices: with this building, the one across the street at 166 Montague, and One Brooklyn Bridge, there are a lot of units coming on the the market. The units at 166 Montague are priced way too high for what you get and the busy location. The developer bought the land at the height of the real estate market and the high prices of the units is reflected in their ill timing. I can’t imagine that a person who already lives in Brooklyn Heights would want to move there, but for someone coming from outside the neighborhood, say Manhattan, the two buildings on the corner of Clinton and Montague will see to be a tranquil Shangri-La.

    Bartmann

  • Remsen

    The “design” sucks. Balconies? and the color is ugly.

  • EHinBH

    Balconies are awsome. Once you have one, you never can not again. Being able to step outside is priceless.

  • http://www.myhomebrooklyn.com Donald Brennan

    Bartman – I could be wrong but I believe the developer of 166 Montague is the long time owner of the property.

  • http://www.myhomebrooklyn.com Donald Brennan

    Balconies are overrated. For units like these they are typically used as storage for bikes and other unused crap. I really don’t want to see other peoples crap on display all year round.

  • communitarian

    The Hasidic community also require balconies, for their sukkot. I wonder if that would be a target population.

  • ABC

    I’m with D. Brennan on this, but anything is an improvement I suppose.

  • nabeguy

    Donald, I was going by the Google street view, which only appears to show 6 floors, although there may be another 6 floors that are set back. As for additional commercial spaces, they could be viable as long as you don’t have the same gouging goniff landlords that are so typical of Montague Street. But, alas, that probably will not be the case

  • http://chucktaylorblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/xxxx.html nystrele

    i always kind of giggled that the multi-million apartments at the new 160 montague had a view to the side of the ugliest building in the heights… the new facade isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s a billion times more attractive than what’s there now, for sure.

  • jorale-mon

    I think a key consideration is the building’s potentially positive impact on the block. That stretch of Clinton and Remsen is one most charm-free, even forlorn, parts of the Heights. With that building revitalized it will bring some potential street life and vibrancy to the area.

    The design may be a little UES but better than what was there before.

  • Ben

    Donald Brennan,
    I have a balcony and I consider it valuable out door space, I have a container garden of landscapeing includes evergeens, flowers. Think sculpture garden, NOT suburban BBQ for a family of 5. I have a water feature a small fountian, and it is a 12 month a year theme I do a holiday, and a winterscape. You need to watch some HGTV. I love my terrace and I pay money for it. No building should allow outdoor space as storage one day a strong wind will lift a bike and it will land on someone dangerous, and sloppy. My terrace is a work of art.
    Ben

  • ashton

    I don’t know, that site could have been so much more. It is such an important crossroads. Minard Lafever’s Holy Trinity Church, York and Sawyer’s Brooklyn Trust Compay, George Morse’s Franklin Trust Company, and….this?
    PATHETIC!

  • ashton

    Just one more note: whenever architect’s renderings prominently feature greenery resembling parsley around the base of their building, you know you’re in trouble.

  • nabeguy

    I noticed that too ashton and wondered where the coffee cart and hotdog stand that are always on that corner are going to fit in. Greenery is a good thing, but that sidewalk already is narrow enough for the amount of pedestrian traffic on it.

  • David on Middagh

    So the verdict is: a new facade has to be better than what was there, but instead of 1960 ugly, it will be 2010 ugly. Got it!