Construction On Hicks Progresses, Serenity On Remsen Regresses

By on August 16, 2012 9:49 am in Brooklyn Heights, Landmark Preservation, Real Estate, Streets

The sidewalk reconstruction bedlam in front of 200 Hicks Street at Montague is rapidly easing, as progress moves forward at a nice clip. Over the weekend, a hole in front of the residential building was getting wider and deeper, but as of Thursday, fresh white cement curbs have been poured and reshaped at the corner, and are in place along Hicks. Mind you, for now, it still sounds like a never-ending barrage of machine gun fire, as excavation continues.

UPDATE: AS OF 5 P.M. THURSDAY, THE SIDEWALK & CURB PROJECT APPEARS 90% COMPLETE.

Unfortunately, one block over, the serenity of Remsen Street between Montague Terrace and Hicks just took a dive, as a mass of scaffolding prepares to cover the beauty of the three-story residence at 48 Remsen, on the south side of the street. (Pics below.) And let’s not forget the mess, uh, mass of scaffolding that wraps around the residential highrise at 1 Pierrepont (& Columbia Heights). What’s the deal this summer? Brooklyn Heights resembles a construction war zone… more than usual.

Below: 1) 200 Hicks Street on Sunday 2) progress as of Thursday 5 p.m. and below that, as of Thursday morning, then 48 Remsen Street and impending scaffolding. (Photos: Chuck Taylor)

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  • None

    Speaking of sidewalk changes, I was at the NE corner of Monty and Henry last night on the new outcropping (which, basically, puts you out into oncoming traffic on cement instead of macadam)

    DOT needs to paint a line along the street to keep cars lined up to the intersection long before they get there AND put up reflectors on the traffic side of the outcropping

    A taxi came zipping through trying to make the light nearly cruising over the new sidewalk and giving me a good look at his undercarriage

    He barely kept to the street at the last second with his tires rubbing down part of the new curb – I escaped death last night but this is a death lawsuit waiting to happen

  • http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com Flashlight Worthy

    I live near the intersection of Joralemon and Hicks. They added the same “curb bulbs” there. Twice I’ve seen cars come flying along at night — MUCH too fast — and hit the bumb out and blow out two tires. Agreed, they need to put up some relfectors or something along the edge of these.

  • David on Middagh

    In theory, and as a pedestrian, I love curb bulbs. In practice, curb bulbs and traffic lights don’t mix.

  • Ari

    I’m a pedestrian and a driver. When they first started deploying the sidewalk outcroppings a few years back, I wasn’t even a fan either.

    But they certainly do encourage drivers to approach those intersections with more caution and with less speed. And to take turns onto the cross streets with more care. Passing through these intersections is definitely narrower, seemingly putting drivers and pedestrians at greater risk. (I seriously am concerned about a running child or loose dog or a biker wandering into a suddenly much less forgiving and narrower intersection). Speaking for myself there is no doubt that it slows drivers down and those other two car drivers will never make that mistake again….

    On the Joralemon & Hicks intersection, on the northbound Hicks portion, they have recently added a yellow sign with black striping indicating the presence of the outcrop (in addition to the white striping on the pavement) which is helpful, and the building owner cleverly placed planters along the edge of the curb, so you’d really have to go out of your to not pay attention at that intersection specifically and risk jumping the curb and into waiting pedestrians who will still stand as close to the edge of the sidewalk so as not to have to take that extra step once the coast is clear. Come on everyone knows what I’m talking about.

  • Bette

    Re: “a smart building owner”… It’s so great when individuals see a problem and instead of waiting for it to be solved or corrected by some authority that has too many chores and little manpower, they just fix it.

    I wish I could gain access to the lot behind Andy’s Chinese restaurant. My “to do” list:

    clear out rubble
    plant grass
    build flowerbeds
    install stone walk-way
    restore broken fountain
    build containers for garbage bins on Henry Street next to restaurant

    Alas.

  • Andrew Porter

    Bette, lots of discussion and comments about the rat city behind Andy’s—no relation—here on the BHB.

    About the construction on Montague: at least they haven’t had to deal with the streetcar tracks, apparently removed decades ago.

  • http://chucktaylorblog.blogspot.com/ Chuck Taylor

    Bette — All you have to do to gain access to the lot behind Andy’s is open the gate. It’s never been locked. That’s how I took pics when BHB reported the mess there earlier this year. It’s a bit cleaner, but still has such potential for a coolio little public oasis.