This week, Brownstoner posted about a planned addition to 108 Joralemon Street (photo here is a rendering of it). The multi-family dwelling is being converted into a 4,800 square foot one family dwelling. This could be a trend – earlier this year Jared Kusnher announced a plan to turn 3 former Brooklyn Law School dorms into mega-mansions.
The Brownstoner peanut gallery, at least many of them, is not thrilled about this:
“Tfpunko” comments: As if housing in NYC, and in Brooklyn in particular, is not already extremely expensive and hard to find, this trend of the very wealthy buying multi-family townhouses and converting them back to one-family homes adds to the squeeze. If you want twelve rooms and five baths and a media room and all that stuff go back to the suburbs. Don’t come live in the city if mega-consumption is your way. The environmental benefits of urban living are being slowly strangled by this over-consumption of space and resources. And I am sure many of these families are driving gas-guzzling Range Rovers as they go about their daily errands.
“dandelion” adds: I have to say, I also find this rather disgusting. The 4-story house isn’t big enough for one family? They really need the addition? I know it’s just replacing an older addition, but that was to house five apartments.
“Andrew Porter”, moonlighting on ‘Stoner, tries to put things in perspective: “Also, as a property owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, this property formerly paid no property taxes. This is now being returned to private use, hence will be back on all the tax rolls.
Houses that are bought in BH commonly have the old stucco removed, their stoops put back on, etc. Consider the appearance of the restored house at the NE corner of Hicks and Joralemon, which won an award from the Brooklyn Heights Association.”
So what do you think? Comment away!
