Developer Offers 75 Henry Residents Big Payout to Raze Pineapple Walk Stores and Build 40 Story Condo

By on December 3, 2015 12:20 am in Brooklyn Heights, Development, Real Estate

The Eagle reports that an as yet unidentified developer has offered the co-op board of 75 Henry Street, one of the high rise Cadman Plaza buildings that also controls some adjacent low rise townhouses, a payment of $75 million for the right to raze the existing store buildings along Pineapple Walk, which the 75 Henry co-op also owns and which includes the popular food mart in the photo on the end near Henry Street and the Park Plaza Diner on the Cadman Plaza West side, in order to build a 40 story condo apartment building which would have retail on the ground floor. According to the Eagle story, the 75 Henry board’s reaction has been cautious, noting that the proposed new building would block views from one side of 75 Henry and that the project would arouse substantial community opposition. Reaction from 75 Henry residents has been mixed. If and when the developer’s proposal is finalized, the board plans to put it to a shareholder/resident vote.

Photo: Panoramio.

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  • DIBS

    Clever. For a third grader.

  • DIBS

    OK, you are right on that but totally wrong about the footprint and what it will or will not block. So one point for factual data and -3 points for interpretation, common sense and logic.

  • HereToStay

    You are the one that is not thinking logically, but I am not going to go through this here. Waste of time…You just want to argue for the sake of arguing.

  • DIBS

    I am not the only one who pointed out the weakness of your arguments.

  • Sadie Horton

    The shareholders at the market rate 75 Henry charge very high retail rents but perform minimal maintenance on their side of pineapple walk. I am not surprised at all to hear that they are now looking to capitalize on their property at the expense of the quality of life to their neighbors (and their own shareholders who face north). It’s all about the bottom line. Compare their shabby side of pineapple walk to the side of the walk maintained by their neighbors at 101 Clark where the bricks have been maintained and the trees are regularly planted with fresh flowers.
    The only upside to this development would be the new owners would hopefully improve the upkeep of the sidewalks. I’m just hoping the subway won’t interfere with the addition of another garage for all the upscale owners with their SUV’s

  • NeighboorHood

    YES! It was my first thought as well. I have never, and I mean never, seen a real estate development posted about on this blog that DIBS wasn’t in favor of 100% while being snarky and dismissive to those who were opposed to,or god forbid, had questions and reservations about. Maybe DIBS had a late night visitation from The Ghost of Brooklyn Yet to Come? Humbug…probably just a bit of undigested beef…

  • DIBS

    I have supported three developments here…the Cinema, BBP and the library. All for completely different reasons.

  • Jorale-man

    The point about infrastructure is a crucial one that always gets overlooked when these monstrosities are built. The real estate developer crowd that flocks to this website might consider this proposal as God’s gift to Brooklyn Heights but it strikes me as very poor urban planning.

    Just because you CAN building a massive, 40+ story skyscraper on the edge of a quiet historic neighborhood doesn’t mean you should.

  • Pierre Pont

    This idea is worse than the artwork at Fascati’s

  • WS Gilbert

    The Bucks County correspondent checks in. Thanks for all of your insight. Normally, you are so pro development so why is this so different?

    See what money and unregulated, unbridled development can do.

  • jonny

    As a resident of one of the to be affected buildings, I strongly oppose to this development. I know it is early in the game and no plans have been shown yet, but frankly, you only need a few brain cells to visualize the monstrosity that we will be facing. (SKIP TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH if you are bored)

    My rationale is as follows:

    1 – It will block the views of all south-facing apartments on 75 Henry St., which will experience a drop in property value due to that. Aside from loss in value, they will loose tons of natural light that all apartments on 75 have access too. The same can be said for the other tall building, which will loose most of their primary view to the “world” and will end up facing someone’s living room.
    2 – Natural light at PW, 75 Henry Street Plaza, and sidewalks will be affected anytime of the day. In the morning a huge shadow will be cast on landmarked areas, in the afternoon Cadman Plaza will be a dark place too.
    3 – PS8 will be affected even more. 40 Story building means at least 300-400 new units in the area. Where will this people eat? Where will they shop? Where will they park? Where will their kids get quality education and space?
    4 – Someone mentioned about building codes and developers forced to reduce the footprint of their towers. Not true. Look at Montague street building across from Citibank, it went over by 2 feet into the sidewalk. Good luck complaining on that.
    5 – Look at the Library development, BB Park condos, all approved and later turned into mammoths.
    6 – I agree PW needs attention and eventually a modernized structure. But jumping ahead on to accept a 40 story high mammoth sounds like a desperate, selfish move from the board.

    I can go on and on but what bothers me the most is that 75 Henry Board sent a letter with dollar figures on it, a low end strategy to get 75% of the unaffected residents salivating for this sale even before an impact study have been conducted. The remaining 25% who will loose a great chunk of privacy, light and eventually their views to Cadman plaza, will have to fight hard to get this idea put to sleep.

  • Pierre Pont

    I agree with everything above. Well said.

  • TeddyNYC

    It would definitely look strange to have a 40 story building shoehorned into that space. I think the spacing between buildings is just right at the moment, allowing the existing buildings to have adequate light and good views. That doesn’t mean Pineapple Walk has to remain the same forever, but I think any building constructed there should only be 50 feet or less in height. Maybe a row of townhouses with retail at street level.

  • Clarksy

    Oh no! I would hate to lose Peas & Pickles AKA Green Apple Corp. Their amazing cashiers are the fastest and the best. And if yet another tall tower is squeezed between the other two, a lot of people are going to lose lovely views from their apartments. The buyout money must be very tempting for the folks at 75 Henry, but I hope they consider the impact it would bring to their immediate neighbors and to the community as a whole. Isn’t PS8 already overcrowded?

  • Pierre Pont

    75 Henry maintains both sides of pineapple walk

  • Pierre Pont

    In a perfect world, the building would be built and then fall on Toba.

  • Sadie Horton

    Then can you explain why the 101 Clark side looks like this ?

  • Sadie Horton

    And the 75 Henry side looks like this?

  • Mad Man

    Food for Thought…..
    I wanted to share some visual reference. Please note these images are a close approximation to the footprint in discussion. Shadows are based on Google Earth~s imaging. Building width based on 101 Clark. Height 37-40 floors range. Scary!

  • Mary

    I’m a shareholder at 75 Henry and I strongly oppose the idea. So do many of my fellow shareholders. There is no upside to this, other than to line the pockets of yet another greedy developer and unwitting shareholders who’ll be making a deal with the devil. You couldn’t pay me enough to take part in razing the businesses that Mr. and Mrs. Lee at Peas and Pickles, Derrick at Heights Kids, and Andrea at Rocco and Jezebel built for so many years. These aren’t the types of businesses that can just up and move to another location. They and their employees will have their livelihoods destroyed. We need to also think about our neighbors at 101 Clark who will, yes absolutely, lose light and view, and have to deal with 2-3 years of construction next door and gain nothing from it. How about Clark St. station at rush hour? Imagine what it’ll be like after a 40 story building goes up across the street. Schools? Let’s not even go there. There is no upside to this, none.

    To our neighbors who are already angry at our entire building, please note that at this point, there is only a vote on whether we should even explore the idea, which by the way, could cost us 100’s of thousands of dollars to do, whether we make a deal in the end or not.

  • Concerned

    Thank you, Mary!!!!

  • Mad Man

    Well said Mary.
    I do not see any positive aspect of this deal. I hope the majority of the shareholders will oppose that. For those only interested in cashing in, their chance to make easy money was given when the building was converted from Mitchell-Lama to the Coop it is today.

  • Anonymous

    What do you mean you have nothing to gain? You are being PAID to be a real estate shill and constantly write pro development statements here. We are not stupid you know.

  • DIBS

    I’m not in Bucks County now. was on Cape Cod last week and I am in Philadelphia today but I will be in Bucks County later. Try to keep up.

  • JDubs

    Any development should include a school for the community!

  • Bluehairedcatlady

    No 75 Henry only maintains their side. 101 Clark maintains there own.

  • DIBS

    One of the few sane comments here. I agree.

  • DIBS

    LOL. i didnt even know there was any

  • Pierre Pont

    Oh. That must be why I feel like I’m entering the gardens of Versailles whenever I cross the threshold

  • JaneVI

    I agree, and thank you for mentioning the many businesses that would be affected by this deal.

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