Heights Residents and Electeds Gather in Opposition to Pineapple Walk Tower

By on January 8, 2016 12:19 am in Brooklyn Heights, Development, Real Estate

As reported in detail by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, concerned Heights residents and numerous elected officials convened at 101 Clark Street on Wednesday night to brainstorm ways to convince their neighbors at 75 Henry Street and adjacent town houses to vote “NO” on the potential sale of Pineapple Walk.  A developer has offered $75 million dollars for the site owned by Whitman Owners Corp. and has proposed a 40-story tower along with new retail stores.

Peter Bray, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association warned investigating the sale “opens a Pandora’s Box” adding that once developers have entered the conversation “with their money, PR firms, architect’s fancy renderings and promises pulled out of their pockets, it’s all very seductive. You can’t say no at that point, you’re really committed. A yes vote is saying this is going to happen.”

Councilmember Steve Levin said shareholders should reject the offer, “because of the impact to the community of the development, because of the impact of the density, because of the light and air impacts.” Adding, “[Shareholders] are obligated to look to after the long-term financial stability of their building” but he would also “encourage them to consider the input of their neighbors.”

Cadman Towers Board President, Toba Potosky cautioned that once the site has been sold, Whitman Owners Corp. has no influence over what developers will build explaining, “you’re not going to be partners.”  Unlike the recently approved sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library (where Councilman Levin negotiated many “sweeteners” to the deal), this sale is as-of-right and does not require approval from the City.   Shareholders have been asked to vote by January 15th, not on the actual sale, but whether to investigate the offer in more detail.

DISCLOSURE: This correspondent is a resident of Whitman Owners Corp.

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  • HereToStay

    Toba. Hilarious. Someone should tell him that all of his self-serving deeds over the years have finally come back to haunt him. Plenty of people have asked Cadman Towers to help with issues in the hood and he has refused – unless there was a benefit to their building only. FINALLY: What goes around comes around.

  • DIBS

    Yes, let’s make this all about one person. SMH

  • HereToStay

    Some people love to post even when they KNOW NOTHING about a situation. Enjoy.

  • DIBS

    Do you have some inside information that none of the rest of us are privy too?

  • HereToStay

    For the record, I own millions of dollars of real estate in the Heights and have relationships in place to find out what is happening in regard to some matters — and have no information about other matters. I wouldn’t post something unless it was based on facts I have gathered. But enough about that. The fact is, Pineapple walk is an awful place and it could be really special and coveted, if you stand in front of Plymouth you can clearly see there is plenty of space for a building — especially one heavily placed closer to CPW — without disrupting 75 Henry at all, really. There is not going to be much change in light. As for 101 Clark, yes, there would be some change to the view for North facing units. But this is life in the big city folks. I have known some friends that had their windows bricked over because of sky rights next door. Streetscapes change, we move on, we become a more dynamic and different place. This is how cities work.

  • Reggie

    I guess Toba has never heard of a deed restriction.

  • William Spier

    I agree with the BHH and Councilman Levin: a building of 40 stories at Pineapple Walk would be detrimental for all their reasons. But, when money is waved in front of people like this promise, I believe most will go for it and ignore what is right for the neighborhood. They would simply be following precedent. However, with overcrowded schools, and inadequate services for a densely packed neighborhood now; with huge buildings going up by Fortis, a scam centered at the end of Atlantic Avenue, a big structure in place of the library, and with a disgraceful mess already up at the end of Old Fulton, Brooklyn Heights will soon become a sort of museum tucked within a 21st Century COOP City.

    This city needs housing for people who do the hard work. That means neighborhoods in parts of Brooklyn and Queens where the brown bag folks live need more development and better housing. To banks, real estate developers, and the pols they influence, this area, BH, is a good place to accumulate more capital. Evey thing else, like stressed services, density issues, community life issues, decent housing for workers, etc. are what the little people fret about.

    A building at Pineapple Walk serves no purpose other than to make money. The one proposed on the library is unfortunate; this one at Pineapple Walk promises some real degradation of life in BH.

  • MonroeOrange

    A building of this size will do nothing to the neighborhood, except add more people to a neighborhood that is stretched super thin on resources (school capacity, hospital access etc).

    The structural integrity of 101 Clark may very well be affected.

    You reference ‘friends’ that had windows bricked over…it wasn’t right for that to happen to them, and now you seem ok for letting that essentially happen to 100s of people (you are quite a great neighbor).

    Futhermore, someone like myself, who actually lived here their whole life, as well as family who has lived here for generations (you cleary haven’t as you seem to care about nothing that is actually good for our neighborhood), appreciates the beauty that is Pineapple walk. Pineapple walk is almost entirely ‘mom and pop’ stores (While Peas and Pickles, may be a corporation now and doing very well, i remember when they opened and were indeed a mom and pop store, nevertheless still feels like a mom and pop). these are type of stores that make the neighborhood feel like a real neighborhood with a strong community.

    HereToStay…you don’t represent even 1% of the people that live here, and you clearly have no idea what made Brooklyn Heights such a great place to live. I am not going to argue with you, bc you represent the worst in humanity (greed at the expense of anyone that isn’t yourself…sad individual you are).

  • DIBS

    You and I don’t often agree but on this we do.

  • A Neighbor

    Someone needs to look at the records pertaining to the transfer of the land for 75 Henry and Pineapple Walk. There may have been restrictions on building, including height, density, and use.

  • DIBS

    But HereToStay has admonished us yesterday that it’s too early to be speculating about all of this!!!

  • SongBirdNYC

    The building was built in the 60’s. How does one go about doing that?

  • sue

    councilman levin will fold as soon as pressure is put on him.. he has no backbone and is now owned by real estate..look at his library capitulation

  • sue

    he was neutral on the library tower and now it comes back to haunt him… ha ha

  • DIBS

    Levin can have no real input. As long as there are no issues with the original deeds of this property it is a commercial transaction and can proceed “as of right.” The library was acompletely different situation.

  • Andrew Porter

    I have several photos I took at the meeting, for instance:

  • Andrew Porter

    Another photo:

  • Andrew Porter

    And…

  • Andrew Porter

    Also…

  • StoptheChop

    of course he has input– there could be a rezoning.

  • DIBS

    That would be a completely different, highly unlikely issue.

  • HereToStay

    You have no clue who I know in the hood, Believe me — 100% — the views of about a handful of people on this blog DO NOT represent what most of the people of Brooklyn Heights want or need. I don’t know a soul who doesn’t think this new tower and the new shopping street would be great for Brooklyn Heights. Same with the new library. Getting market-rate housing with a brand new library for the community (an axing the business library) was one of the best things that could have ever happened to us. And for the record, I do not represent greed. I have an opinion of the majority.

  • StoptheChop

    Doesn’t have to be “highly unlikely”. Plenty of downzonings in NYC neighborhoods during Bloomberg administration, to ensure contextual building.

  • HereToStay

    There are no more overcrowded schools and this building will not make the subway and roads any worse than they already are. All you do is spread fear and lies.

  • DIBS

    A downzoning would be most welcome. That really isn’t what people are concerned abouth though, at this point. Stay focused.

  • DIBS

    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ludicrous

  • DIBS

    Are you sure you even live in Brooklyn Heights? You sound totally clueless

  • DIBS

    “millions of dollars of real estate in the Heights” A two bedroom condo?

  • StoptheChop

    This is focus- and a lasting solution.

  • StoptheChop

    I will grant you, however, that whether there’s political will is the crux of the matter, depending on what happens on the 15th.

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