Brooklyn Heights Blog » Architecture

Brooklyn Heights Cinema At 70 Henry Street To Be Razed, After All

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:16:08 +0000

After a push & pull tug of war throughout 2012, it appears the beloved Brooklyn Heights Cinema building at 70 Henry Street is about to meet the wrecking all, after all. But there’s hope: Plans call for a movie theater on the ground level.

BHB Top 10 2011 honoree and Cinema owner Ken Lowy—who wrote this guest post in January—said then that his lease runs until June 30. According to a Brownstoner post today, a new five-story rental will indeed replace the current building, which will result in shuttering of the theater in August.

SEE KEN LOWY’S COMMENT ON THIS POST AFTER THE JUMP…

On Wednesday, architects Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel presented plans to the CB2 Landuse Committee for a five-story, 17-unit building with a movie theater on the first floor and in a section of the basement. There will also be additional commercial space along Henry Street.

Brownstoner says that architect Randolph Gerner addressed preservationists’ concerns that the building is “an integral part of the Brooklyn Heights Landmark District and should not be demolished,” but refuted that the lot originally housed a five-story tenement with a one-story attached building for the proprietor of the site.

Gerner said a commissioned historical report of 70 Henry deemed that the one-story building—now the theater—underwent enough change so that it “no longer retains its historical significance,” according to Brownstoner. He added at the hearing, “We’re borrowing from historic materials in a modern fashion.”

The proposal involves a brick facade and massive steel windows reminiscent of the nearby new 20 Henry Street condo addition, sans balconies. The committee approved the design and, says Brownstoner, “seemed pleased that the movie theater would be retained.”

KEN LOWRY WEIGHED IN WITH THE FOLLOWING COMMENT BELOW:

We’ll find a temporary location close by and yes, we will be back. I will be signing a legal document guaranteeing I’ll be back. As long as we have a temporary location and keep it going, coming back will be easy. And we will still have music and silent films at the temporary space. Also, we’ll be at the current location until at least the end of August.

SOLD! Historic Bossert: Plan In Place To Convert Back To Hotel

Chuck Taylor — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:31:55 +0000

After revealing last week that Brooklyn Heights’ historic Bossert Hotel was returning to its roots as a hotel, Brownstoner reports today that city filings offer a confirmed buyer for the Jehovah’s Witnesses property.

David Bistricer has plans to turn the structure into a 302-unit “Hotels, Dormitories,” in DOB-speak. Meanwhile, according to the filings, the architect of record on the job is Gene Kaufman, who has been in the news lately for his plans to renovate the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan, a landmark in its own right.

Bistricer had this to say to us about the plans for the Bossert: “The facade is not going to be touched because it’s in impeccable condition. The present owners kept it in very good shape. The plans have not been finalized for the interior of the building but we are going to upgrade the plumbing and electrical.”

Well, now we know who some of the players are for a building that qualifies as a national treasure, since it is public record. What is not yet public record is how much the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ are in contract to sell the structure for, though some real estate insiders we have spoken to opine that it could be close to the $90 million price that the property almost sold for back in 2008.

(Photo: Brownstoner)

Last Minute Weekend Suggestions

Claude Scales — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:18:55 +0000

The House Tour. The House Tour. The House Tour! More info at the Brooklyn Heights Association website.

There are several activities at Brooklyn Bridge Park this weekend. The Green Team meets tomorrow (Saturday, May 12) from 10:00 a.m. until noon. At the same time, there will be a MillionTreesNYC community tree giveaway on Pier 6, near the foot of Atlantic Avenue.

Also tomorrow, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Bike New York will host a free street skills ride for adults and teens (bikes and helmets will be provided for those who need them) at the Pier 1 uplands near the foot of Old Fulton Street. At the same location on Sunday, starting at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Bike New York will give free learn to ride classes for adults and teens. You must pre-register for Bike New York classes through the linked website.

Don’t forget Theater 2020′s Comedy of Errors, tonight and tomorrow (Saturday) at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m., at the Cranberry Street Theater Space, Assumption Church, 55 Cranberry Street.

Photo: Judith Angel for BHA.

Is The Bossert Being Converted Back To The ‘Waldorf Astoria of Brooklyn’?

Chuck Taylor — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:13:10 +0000

Consider this a potential game-changer for Brooklyn Heights: The magnificent Bossert at 98 Montague Street, owned & maintained by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is apparently returning to its original domain as a hotel. Brownstoner reported Tuesday that according to a Public Hearing notice sent out by Community Board Two, a variance application has been filed to allow “reconversion of the existing community facility hotel back to its original, transient hotel use.”

What remains unclear is whether the flip is a maneuver on the part of Jehovah’s Witnesses to find an interested buyer for the building. It was first put on the market in 2008, just as the economy flatlined. A $90 million bid fell through, and the property has failed to draw serious interest since.

The religious group bought the Bossert in 1988 and meticulously returned the majestic 14-story building to world-class grandeur—restoring its one-time reputation as the “Waldorf Astoria of Brooklyn.” Currently, it is utilized as free lodging for Jehovah’s Witnesses visiting and studying at Brooklyn Heights’ Watchtower. The 200,000-square-foot building is configured into 224 apartments.

The Hotel Bossert was built in 1909 by Louis Bossert, a Brooklyn lumber magnate and opened as an “apartment hotel.” During the 1920s, it was known for its two-level rooftop restaurant that provided panoramic Manhattan views. In the 1950s, the Bossert was home to several Brooklyn Dodger players, and following the team’s win over the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series, Dodgers fans and players notoriously gathered in the lobby.

A public hearing will be held Wednesday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at the Dibner Library at 5 Metrotech Center.

(Top photo: Josh Derr; Below: BHB)

2012 Brooklyn Heights House Tour: A Preview Of Its Five Historic Townhouses

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:42:47 +0000

The 2012 Brooklyn Heights Assn. Landmark House & Garden Tour, which takes place Saturday May 12, has announced the five privately owned historic townhouses that comprise the annual event.

Highlights of the five homes include:
* A four-story townhouse circa 1873, designed in a classical revival style. After decades as a multi-unit building, it was updated by a gut renovation, preserving what few original elements remain. It is now a spacious home to a family of five.

* A three-story brick and sandstone carriage house constructed in the 1870s. During the 1940s, this building was a social club cum gym, owned by a famous boxer. The current owner’s attention to detail is evident throughout this inventively designed family home.

* A Federal-style row house built in 1826. There is an unusual rear addition dating from the Victorian era, featuring stained glass windows, oak paneling and basket-weave floors. Top floor bedrooms feature charming vintage wallpaper and wide plank original pine floors.

* Built in 1848, this Greek Revival townhouse—from the 1890s to early 1900s—was the home and office of Dr. Robert Latou Dickinson, a pioneer in women’s reproductive health, then became the Alpha Chi Ro Fraternity house, and was later rented by church groups during the Second World war as a hostel.

* This grandly proportioned 1856 Renaissance Revival style brownstone offers unmatched views of New York harbor, the lower Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The entrance foyer offers red marble floors, Fortuny-covered walls, Tang dynasty horse and Empire-style pedestals featuring Wedgewood basalt heads of Paris and Mercury.

The go-at-your-own-pace, self-guided House & Garden Tour, from 1-5 p.m. is $40 for general admission, and $30 for BHA members who reserve in advance. Tickets, which support the Brooklyn Heights Assn. are tax-deductible, and available (along with much more info, including interior pics) here.

Tour BHS Building Thursday Evening

Claude Scales — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:21:33 +0000

The Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) will present a guided tour of its historic building this Thursday evening, May 3, starting at 7:00 p.m. The building, completed in 1881, is noted for its elaborate terra cotta exterior decoration, but its interior is also dazzling, including elaborately patterned tile floors, carved woodwork, and stained glass windows. The Othmer Library is a spectacular space. The building was designed by George B. Post, among whose notable surviving buildings are the New York Stock Exchange and the Wisconsin State Capitol.

The tour is free for BHS members; for non-members it is $6 for adults, and $4 for seniors over 62, teachers, and students 12 and over (college students must have ID; children under 12 are free). There is more information here.

Everything You Could Ever Want To Know About The Hotel St. George

Chuck Taylor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:30:29 +0000

Brooklyn real estate blog Brownstoner has been running a book-length series on the history of Brooklyn Heights’ Hotel St. George, which includes a phenomenal collection of vintage images and every detail you could ever imagine about the historic locale. “Montrose Morris” posted Part VI April 26, with more to come.

You’ll need either a strong pot of java or a couple rich brandies to get through the read… truly comprehensive.

(Photo: St. George 1912, Brownstoner)

Help Needed for BHA House Tour

Claude Scales — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:38:09 +0000

The Brooklyn Heights Association’s annual House Tour (the photo was taken in one of the houses on this year’s tour) is coming soon, on Saturday, May 12. You can find more information, and buy tickets, here.

The BHA needs “house volunteers” who “are asked to take a shift, watching rooms to be sure there is no touching, no photo taking, etc.” either from 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. OR from 2:20-5:05 p.m. Volunteer bakers are also needed to make three or four dozen cookies, squares or bars and deliver them in a covered container to Plymouth Church (enter at 75 Hicks) on Friday, May 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. If you would like to be a house volunteer, bake, or both, please e-mail info@thebha.org.

Save the Date: BHA House Tour Saturday May 12

Claude Scales — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:44:57 +0000

The Brooklyn Heights Association will hold its annual House Tour on Saturday, May 12. More details will be given on BHB when available. The photo, by our own Homer Fink, is from the 2008 tour. There is no assurance that the house shown in the photo will be included in this year’s tour, but the roster of houses open for viewing has consistently been spectacular.

Brooklyn Heights: ‘You Couldn’t Pay Me Enough’

Chuck Taylor — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:28:31 +0000

That quote comes from your BHB correspondent as he witnessed the harrowing action over the past several weeks of a crane (beautifully) refurbishing trim around the eighth floor of 161 Henry Street (across from CVS).

Anyone who watched these brave guys at work saw them at various times floating across the middle of Henry or Pierrepont Street in their miniscule iron chamber. This is one Heights I’d prefer to avoid.

According to building permits at the front doorway, the 10-story, 31-unit residential coop, built in 1906, is also modifying window frames on the ground floor. More photos below.

(Photos: Chuck Taylor)

Heights History: Montague & Henry, Then & Now

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:34:08 +0000

The corner of Montague and Henry streets, at the current location of Andy’s Chinese, has no doubt seen a revolving door of businesses over the past 100+ years. But the actual building, constructed in 1900, has thankfully maintained its architectural integrity with surprising few changes, as we see from parallel Now & Then images from 1916 & 2008.

Long ago, on the lower level of 128 Montague was Kreinbrink & Steich Tailors. Above: John Wallace Insurance, a “New York Underwriters Agency.” Also note in this wintry image (there’s snow on Henry Street) the street sign and interesting light pole at the corner, which has certainly changed over the past 100 years.

Meanwhile, Melanie Hope Greenberg provided an image (below) of the same corner from the 1980s, first published on BHB in February 2009, which shows a cheese shop in the current location of Andy’s, and Hair Unlimited onto its left. On the upper level is Chuan Yuan Szechuan Restaurant. And across the street in the current location of Corcoran Realty are a dry cleaner and “Montague Meats.”

Next, a more modern photograph, taken in summer 2008, showing current Andy’s (which has been open for at least 17 years) and upstairs, Vegetarian Ginger—as well as the now-decimated beautiful tree to the left of the image, which was wiped out Feb. 29 when a truck swiped the corner. And finally, the corner today.

According to public records, the building is owned by Adkha Realty Corp., and has a market value of $1.6 million. Total square footage of the building, including six walk-up residential units, is 8,022 sf.

(Photos: New York Public Library, Melanie Hope Greenberg, Chuck Taylor)

Last Minute Weekend Suggestions

Claude Scales — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 04:14:27 +0000

There will be a concert of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, presented by Bach in the Heights, this Sunday, March 18, starting at 3:00 p.m. at Zion German Evangelical Lutheran Church, 125 Henry Street (between Clark and Pierrepont). More details are in Alexandra Bowie’s post in Brooklyn Bugle.

The Brooklyn Historical Society offers two walking tours of Brooklyn Heights this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Learn more about your neighborhood or show it off to visiting friends or family.

The Saturday tour, which leaves from the BHS building at 128 Pierrepont Street(corner of Clinton) at 2:00 p.m. and goes to 4:00, led by Jane Cowan of the Center for Architecture Foundation, is oriented toward families with children. “Kids will learn ways of looking for clues in the built environment to uncover some of the fascinating history of this neighborhood.” The cost is $20 for a family of up to four, or $10 for BHS members or CFAF dual or family members. Additional guests accompanying a family of four or more are $5 each. Advance reservations are required, and can be made here.

The Sunday tour, co-sponsored by BHS and Big Onion, is a historical walking tour of the Heights. It leaves from the Borough Hall steps facing Cadman Plaza at 11:00 a.m. The cost is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, full-time students, members of the Active Military and BHS members. No advance reservation is required; payment is made at the start of the tour. More details are here.

Historic 1820 Townhouse At 31 Middagh Street Hits The Market

Chuck Taylor — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:16:56 +0000

The Federal-style three-level single family townhouse at 31 Middagh Street, built in 1820, has hit the market with a price tag of $1.795 million. The listing with Prudential Douglas Elliman (here) characterizes the property as “one of the oldest houses in Brooklyn Heights,” with 4 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths and a basement/rec room. In all: 1,626 square feet.

According to a plaque on the building, 31 Middagh was registered in the City Directory as a paint store and a men’s hairdressing parlor, with living quarters upstairs. Some public records show it being built in 1847, but the sales listing stands by 1820.

Apparently, the home needs some pretty significant renovations. Douglas Elliman notes: “This gem is awaiting the right owner to transform it into a truly special city home.” Brownstoner adds, “Given how historically significant the exterior of 31 Middagh Street is, the interior is nothing short of a letdown: There’s no historic detail in the 1820′s house to speak of. At least the lack of detail frees up the new owner to start with a blank slate.”

(Photos: Prudential Douglas Elliman)

A Sentimental Stroll Through Downtown Brooklyn

Chuck Taylor — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:37:08 +0000

It wasn’t until I worked for the U.S. Census Bureau between February and August 2010 that I truly discovered Brooklyn. While I had lived in Brooklyn Heights for a decade, my compass always seemed to point toward Manhattan, where I worked and played. [See Photo gallery below the jump]

But with the Census gig, I had the opportunity to discover on a block-by-block (if not door-to-door) basis more than I ever realized was just east of the Heights: Sunset Park, Fort Greene, Park Slope, Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and—my favorite—Downtown Brooklyn.

Strolling through Fulton Mall every day on the way to the Census office on Flatbush Avenue as it was just beginning mass renewal, the sidewalks were widened, new bus stands and street lights installed, streets were repaved and repositioned for bus traffic only. The age-old Fulton Mall sign came down… Something big was happening here.

Of course, there are two sides to gentrification. In 2012, Shake Shack opened, while Gap launched a massive Factory Store there, with H&M and TJ Maxx on the way in the historic Offerman Building. While it’s nice to see the once-decaying area return to life, it’s also bittersweet to witness the typical fallout that comes in every neighborhood on the rise: the shuttering of local businesses, which can no longer afford escalating rents.

So before I bid a fond farewell to the fabulous array of wig stores, pawn shops, bodegas and discount vendors, I took another trip with camera in hand to capture what I suspect is going to look very different a year from now. With love to downtown BK.

Iconic 1826 Hicks Street Homes Reveal Fresh Facades

Chuck Taylor — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 02:35:36 +0000

The two adjoining wood clapboard multi-level town-homes at 146 and 148 Hicks Street—whose exteriors were seriously damaged when the Mansion House tree fell during last August’s Hurricane Irene—have both been undergoing intensive renovations since, with all new planking installed and replacement windows, many of which were broken by the felled American elm.

This weekend, the scaffolding came down, revealing the refreshed facades of the iconic Hicks homes. The blue three-level 146, built in 1826, was utilized for filming of the Coen brother’s “Burn After Reading,” starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, as well as the site of an AT&T commercial.

The gray four-level at 148 was also built in 1826, but its occupants appear intent on maintaining it as a home, instead of, uh, a profit-making machine.

(Photo: Chuck Taylor)

A Love Letter To Brooklyn Heights…

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:21:52 +0000

Despite moving to New York City in 1995, it wasn’t until I bought my first coop in Brooklyn Heights 12 years ago, that I first set foot in the borough of BK. In those first five years in NYC, I worked my way through three nabes—the Upper West Side, Chelsea and Tribeca—before a friend suggested Brooklyn Heights.

“But that’s in… um, Brooklyn,” I responded. Oh, how times have changed.

In the fall of 1999, after first setting foot in the Heights to begin my search, I recall vividly sniffing the air—and capturing the wondrous waft of autumn leaves. Nature was all about. The main drag Montague Street was charming. The area was clean, proud and felt so very safe. And then I found the Promenade. Sold!

After seeing dozens of overpriced or undersized units, I at last found my utopia: a two-bedroom, 950-square-foot dump in a beautifully historic building near the end of Montague Street, just steps from the Promenade. Ultimately, I paid $255,000 for the apartment, which at one time was the super’s home (I was told he not only had a large extended family, but frequent guests from afar, who ultimately left the unit in disastrous condition). After a typically gruesome coop interview, I moved in May 2, 2000.

While the second-floor apartment is hardly light-filled, I can’t imagine living anywhere else today. It doesn’t hurt that a grocery store and liquor shop—essential—are mere blocks away. So it might be shady indoors, but it takes all of 60 seconds to discover paradise on the outside.

Over the years, my building has installed a rooftop deck, replaced the elevator, added storage in the basement, while my neighbors (with expected exceptions here and there) are a gregarious lot. Meanwhile, I’ve renovated my kitchen and second bedroom, gutted the bathroom, and had the good fortune of having my master bedroom redone on an episode of HGTV’s “Dear Genevieve.”

And during the past decade-plus, I’ve come to discover and treasure a wide swath of big ole Brooklyn. Working for the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, I walked through Downtown Brooklyn every day for seven months—which I admittedly once viewed as seedy and a bit discomforting. Over time, I came to fondly regard that area as a cool, reminiscent mirror image of Manhattan in the late 1970s (not so much anymore). Alongside my Census duties, I discovered—block by block—Fort Greene, Prospect Park, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Sunset Park.

And now some history of the building I call home: 62 Montague Street. The Harbor View Apartments, later named The Arlington, were completed in 1887. The building was designed by Montrose W. Morris, who had built his own residence in Brooklyn and opened it to the public as his office, as a means of advertising his acumen.

Among visitors was developer Louis F. Seitz, who, mightily impressed, commissioned an apartment house on property he owned along Brooklyn’s Nostrand Avenue. He was so pleased with the resulting Alhambra that he commissioned Morris to design two additional multiple-family residences—a growing trend amid the prominent brownstones in the Heights.

In 1885, architectural firm Parfitt Brothers built the Montague, Grosvenor and Berkeley apartment buildings on Montague Street. Two years later, Morris was commissioned to design The Arlington, just up from a ferry landing at the foot of Montague Street. At the time, a trolley ran to the end of Montague, where the ferry took old-moneyed passengers to Wall Street.

Harlem-born American playwright Arthur Miller (1915-2005) lived on the 10th floor of 62 Montague in the early 1940s with his first wife Mary Grace Slattery, paying $60 a month, while writing and working at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It’s said to be one of four addresses he held in the Heights. In 1946, his play “All My Sons” earned him a first Tony Award. In 1949, Miller’s career-defining “Death of A Salesman” won a Pulitzer Prize and another Tony, propelling him to fame. He met Marilyn Monroe in 1951, then left poor Mary to become Monroe’s third husband in July 1956. She wasn’t having Brooklyn, and the couple moved to Manhattan. They divorced in 1961 and Monroe died 19 months later. Perhaps she’d still be with us had the pair stayed in BK?

The Arlington, meanwhile, originally contained 20 family apartments and 10 “bachelor”—or studio—units. For its first 20 years, at 10 stories, the building was the tallest residence in the Heights.

In 1965, 62 Montague joined with the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood as a National Historic Landmark for its “rare charm and historic significance.” The petition read: “Of the 1,284 buildings fronting on streets within the proposed District, 684 were built before the Civil War and 1,078 before the turn of the century. There are 60 Federal, 405 Greek Revival, 47 Gothic Revival and 201 Anglo-ltalianate buildings, as well as 216 buildings in eclectic and miscellaneous styles, not to mention 61 early carriage-houses grouped largely along unspoiled mews. In addition, 190 buildings are of generally conforming scale.”

To maintain the auspices of its Landmark stature, 62 Montague Street has been undergoing a massive renovation to restore and repair its façade to original grandeur: which boasts astonishing details, including terra cotta cherubs, intricate roping in the concrete and other decorative elements from sidewalk level to tip-top.

Whenever friends come to visit in New York, they are consistently charmed, if not seduced, by the architectural grandeur and calm of the Heights. I always nod in agreement, noting that when I worked in Manhattan as a journalist at Billboard magazine and then came home to Brooklyn, I felt I had a “there” and a “here,” two distinctly phenomenal destinations only a subway ride apart. How fortunate I am to have the two: New York City and the greatest neighborhood in the world, Brooklyn Heights. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.

Times Gives Posthumous Recognition to 75 Livingston Architect Abraham Simberg

Claude Scales — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:32:40 +0000

The recent designation of the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District brought attention to the thirty story building at 75 Livingston Street, completed in 1928 as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Building but since converted to co-operative apartments, whose residents opposed the landmarking because they feared it would increase the cost of maintaining the building and snarl such routine matters as window replacements in bureaucratic red tape. This has led to the Times to publish, in its “City Room” blog, a story about the architect who designed it.

The New York Times: The architect Abraham J. Simberg has finally received what he was looking for all along: professional respect and appreciation for the vibrant Jazz Age tower he inscribed on the downtown Brooklyn skyline in 1928…75 Livingston Street.

It is the crown jewel in the new Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District…along Court Street, created last year by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and sustained Feb. 1 by the City Council. In describing 75 Livingston Street, developed by Jacob Adelman, the commission said it was a work of “considerable elegance and sophistication,” with “projecting pavilions, chamfered corners and secondary setbacks that give the building visual interest well beyond what was required by the zoning regulations and equal to that of any skyscraper in greater New York.”

The article notes that 75 Livingston was, apart from a synagogue in the Bronx that has since been demolished, Simberg’s only prominent commission. The developer, Adelman, may have chosen him because he was familiar with Simberg’s work on apartment buildings along Ocean Parkway. The praise 75 Livingston received after its completion made Simberg confident that he had a bright future. Unfortunately, the 1929 stock market crash and subsequent Great Depression quashed his hopes. Simberg never received his full fee for designing his masterpiece. He died in 1981.jacob adelman, new york times,

Field for Pier 1 Hotel and Residential Structure Narrowed to Three

Claude Scales — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:30:48 +0000

Three finalists have been selected from among the seven original proposals for a combined hotel and residential complex to be built on land lying between Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Furman Street, which will generate payments in lieu of taxes to help fund maintenance and operation of the Park. One of the finalists is the Dermot Company proposal (image above), designed by FXFOWLE, which would incorporate a Hyatt hotel and a space dedicated as a permanent home for St. Ann’s Warehouse theater. Other finalists are Starwood Capital Group and Toll Brothers; images of their proposals can be seen on Curbed NY. The Dermot proposal is currently the favorite in Curbed’s reader poll. Announcement of the winner is expected this spring.

Heights History: November 1903, The Day BAM Burned To The Ground

Chuck Taylor — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:41:18 +0000

As stagehands at the Brooklyn Academy of Music began preparing the opera hall for a banquet honoring Sen. Patrick Henry McCarren the morning of November 30, 1903, no one could have been prepared for the horrifying event about to take place at 176-194 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights.

The week before, during Thanksgiving, BAM had staged William A. Brady’s “Way Down East,” and as the crew removed sets from “the beautiful pastoral play,” a small explosion occurred just offstage, most likely from a gas leak. In an instant, the scenery and canvas border ignited.

With a small water hose, stagehands attempted to extinguish the flames, as another charged up Montague to sound a fire alarm. But within minutes the 2,200-seat auditorium was engulfed and the ceiling began to collapse. Fire crews arrived within 10 minutes, but 20 minutes later, with a weak water supply and the Academy’s all-wooden interior, any hope of saving the structure was lost.

Meanwhile, surrounding buildings on Montague were beginning to catch fire, as well. A saloon next door was crushed by falling debris, while windows across the street shattered from the heat. Passersby dragged furniture and fixtures from nearby structures, while employees of a bank stashed as much cash as they could to transfer to another branch.

By the time the BAM blaze was extinguished, all that remained of the building—which held its opening performance January 16, 1861—were the front and back brick facades. One employee died by a collapsing wall. The cost of the damage, including surrounding buildings, was estimated at $237,000.

It took five years for the Academy to open at its current site in Fort Greene, at 30 Lafayette Avenue.

For dramatic footage of fire crews attempting the quell the flames, see video here. (The majority of information for this post was obtained from the BAM archives.)

I Want Candy? 20 Henry Condos At Last Hit The Market

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:46:08 +0000

The condo project at 20 Henry Street is at last hitting the marketplace after years of delays. Final polishes are taking place at the former Peaks Mason Mints building, known as the Candy Factory, with asking prices between $450,000 and $2.56 million for studios up to 4 bedrooms. The building includes 24 lofts (six of them penthouse units, at $2+ million), with an additional 14 units in an adjacent modern structure on Poplar Street scheduled to wrap by summer.

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal reminds us of the building’s history: The former industrial space was built in 1885 as the base of candy makers Mason Mints and Mason Dots. In the 1970s, it became housing for artists under the state’s Mitchell-Lama subsidized-housing program.

Artists lived in studios there until the program ended in 2004. Developers Urban Realty Partners bought the site in 2007, but weren’t able to finish a conversion to condos after the imminent financial crisis. Los Angeles-based Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund stepped in and took over the project in 2010, alongside plenty of legal drama.

When plans were first announced that the factory was slated to become a condo development, the Brooklyn Heights Assn. wanted 20 Henry’s garden to remain open space, the WSJ adds—which is now the site of the new 14-unit modern building. BHA executive director Judy Stanton says she still prefers the garden to the new building, but is glad the factory is finally ready for new homeowners: “I’m sure it will attract families.”

Brokerage firm Stribling & Associates is marketing the project, and says that 20 Henry St. already has an 800-applicant waiting list.

(Photos: Wall Street Journal)

March On: CFAF Offers Heights “Family Walking Tour”

Chuck Taylor — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:12:43 +0000

Until the next Homer Fink Hidden Brooklyn Heights tour, New York’s Center for Architecture Foundation (CFAF), in collaboration with the Brooklyn Historical Society, is offering a “Family Walking Tour of Historic Brooklyn Heights.” The excursion, which takes place Saturday, March 17 (rain date on the 18th) from 2-4 p.m., will “explore the architecture of this beautiful, historic neighborhood on an interactive walking tour with CFAF Educator Jane Cowan.”

Admission is $20 for a family of four ($5 each additional); and $10 for CAFF or Brooklyn Historical Society members. The meeting point is BHS at 128 Pierrepont Street.

Pre-registration is required. For tix, click here.

Open Thread: Compare & Contrast 75 Clinton & 101 Clinton

Chuck Taylor — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:40:16 +0000

In the BHB post a week ago about the new 80-unit building at 75 Clinton Street & Montague (on right) going rental, a healthy debate blossomed here between the architectural charms of its facade versus the new 40-unit residential building one block down at 101 Clinton Street & Joralemon (left). You guys took each building to task, with typical opinionated passion.

So let’s put up your dukes, BHB followers. We invite a full-on discussion about the merits—or not—of each property. The Corcoran link for 75 Clinton is here. 101 Clinton doesn’t appear to have a dedicated site yet, since it’s still under construction. You are welcome to add whatever you’ve seen, heard or linked to.

Please keep it clean, friends.

City Council Approves Skyscraper Historic District

Claude Scales — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:54:56 +0000

Today the City Council approved the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District by a vote of 46-1, with two abstentions.

The Brooklyn Paper: Preservationists hailed the city for protecting a slew of Romanesque Revival and Beaux-Arts structures, including the tiered co-op 75 Livingston St., which housed some of the designation’s most vocal opponents.

“We’re thrilled,” said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, the powerful community group that helped push for the district. “The opposition exaggerated the negatives. This is going to be good for Brooklyn as a whole and very good for Downtown and Court Street.”

According to the Brooklyn Paper story, Council Members Steve Levin and Brad Lander, both of whom voted for the designation, received assurances that proposed changes to buildings within the district would be given expedited consideration by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and that the LPC will “be flexible” with requests from residents of 75 Livingston.

NY Daily News Weighs In On Downtown Landmarking: “No Good Reason”

Chuck Taylor — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:11:47 +0000

The New York Daily News published a to-the-point Opinion piece titled “The Battle Of Brooklyn” condemning the proposed Brooklyn Downtown Skyscraper District, which is heading for a full City Council vote February 1. The five-paragraph story calls the bid to protect the 21 buildings “transparently nonsense.”

The piece goes on, “No one has claim to freeze New York’s ever-changing silhouette” and claims that the buildings’ “demolition and replacement would, frankly, be quite beautifying. Here is a landmark case of abusing the landmarking process.”

75 Clinton Street Nixes Condo Sales; Goes After “Booming” Rental Market

Chuck Taylor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:48:50 +0000

The gruesomely unattractive condo conversion at 75 Clinton and Montague streets (above Rite Aid) has scrubbed plans to sell the saltine box’s 74 units, instead vying to go rental. The building’s new owner, Dallas-based investment firm Invesco, will bring the project to market early next month, according to Crain’s.

Good luck: Prices range from $2,800 to $7,000 a month. Marketing Directors VP of Sales Angela Ferrara, the building’s marketing firm, says Invesco decided to take advantage of the “booming” rental market.

Before plans were approved in 2007 to go residential, 75 Clinton Street was a bankruptcy court. Is there a waft of irony there, perhaps?

NYTimes looks at Appellate Division on Monroe Place

TK Small — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:46:04 +0000

Recently, the NYTimes offered a superficial and frustrating article entitled: “A Judgeship With Prestige, and, Oh, What a Grand Room“. The article fails to include any significant historical or architectural information about this building. On the bright side, at least the St. Ann’s “smoking lounge” didn’t get included in the photo.

The article did however emphasize the luxurious chambers of the presiding Justice and the extreme competition for being selected to fill the upcoming vacancy.

According to the NYTimes: “Judges say there is such a backstabbing competition to get the attention of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is expected to fill the vacant position by spring, that fully half of the court’s 19 judges have applied for the job.”

On a personal note, it was almost exactly 18 years ago today, that I was sworn into the New York State Bar on a very snowy January morning. At least there is now a permanently installed ramp, which they didn’t have back then!

Downtown Brooklyn “Skyscraper District” On Track For Approval

Chuck Taylor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:33:02 +0000

Despite vehement opposition from segments of the local real estate community, the downtown Brooklyn “Borough Hall Skyscraper District” is on track for approval by the New York City Council. On Tuesday, January 24, the plan offering landmark protection to 21 buildings that abut Brooklyn Heights, was given a go by the Council’s landmarks subcommittee, all but ensuring the entire Council will ratify it Feb. 1. (See BHB’s previous Jan. 19 post here.)

Key endorsements for the landmark designation—which runs along Court Street, from Montague four blocks south to Livingston—were voiced by the council’s Subcommittee on Planning, along with Councilman Stephen Levin, who represents the area.

In a joint statement with Councilman Brad Lander, who heads the subcommittee, Levin said, “After close consideration, we believe this new historic district will strengthen the character of Downtown Brooklyn, allowing for new development and growth like the new retail space planned for the Municipal Building [next to Borough Hall] while preserving the graceful, historic, early-generation skyscrapers that make it Brooklyn’s civic center.”

Lander and Levin added that they intend to ask the city to ease rules for storefronts and work with Livingston Street residents “without imposing hardships on co-operators.”

The district was first proposed to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2010 by the Brooklyn Heights Assn. and other preservation groups and since, has fostered snarky opposition from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Brooklyn Law School, Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn Business Improvement District and similar groups.

Once again, REBNY president Steven Spinola tore the initiative to pieces in a New York Post article today: “Not only is this an inappropriate use of landmark designation, but it will end up costing the city much-needed tax revenue and jobs. This is another case of the city landmarking away its economic future.” As well, in a direct mail campaign blanketing the neighborhood, REBNY claimed, “In these economic times, when every dollar counts, landmarking threatens to send Court Street back to the ‘bad old days’ of empty storefronts and dirty streets.”

City officials refute that the designation only sets guidelines overseen by Landmarks to ensure that construction blends with the neighborhood.

Will Someone Buy the Heights Cinema Building to Preserve It?

Claude Scales — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:38:57 +0000

Kate Briquelet’s Brooklyn Paper story quotes Brooklyn Heights Cinema owner Kenn Lowy as saying he has “received e-mails from people interested in buying the building.”

The Brooklyn Paper: “There are a lot of people who want to keep it around,” said Lowy, who hopes to find a new home for the theater if the building can’t be saved. “It makes it easier to move forward knowing we have all this support.”

The story also quotes landowner Tom Caruana’s architect (not named) as saying “plans for the site are not yet ready to be shared.” Architectural historian Francis Morrone, author of An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn, who the article says “is working with the [Brooklyn] Heights Association on an in-depth history of the building”, is quoted thus: “It’s an intact piece of history, …A major part of what makes Brooklyn Heights what it is is this historical physical fabric.”

Modifications to 72 Poplar on CB2 Executive Committee Agenda Tomorrow Evening

Claude Scales — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:42:31 +0000

The plans of the development company that bought 72 Poplar Street, the former NYPD building (see photo), will be considered at the meeting of the Executive Committee of Community Board 2 tomorrow (Monday, January 23) evening, starting at 6:00, at the Library Learning Center, room 515, of Long Island University, at DeKalb and Hudson Avenues.

According to the developer, as quoted by C.B.2:

Application is to extend the existing fourth floor, construct a new fifth floor addition, set back the rear wall by five feet to achieve legal light and air requirements, construct new rear façade, install new accessible ramp at Poplar Street entrance, create new window and door openings at east and west facades, and construct a one-story rooftop addition on adjacent garage.

REBNY Amps Efforts To Quash “Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District” Landmarking

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:33:46 +0000

The Real Estate Board of New York is amping its drive to derail the still-tentative landmarking of 21 buildings in downtown Brooklyn, by sending out a mailing to thousands of area residents urging them to bend City Council’s ear against the newly proposed historic district. In addition, on Friday, REBNY sent a letter to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn urging the Council to rethink the decision.

All landmarked districts require final approval from the City Council and mayor within 120 days. The Council vote is slated for Feb. 1, with two hearings scheduled next week.

Preservationists had claimed victory last September when the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the “Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District,” a cluster of highrises built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries along Court Street and the corners of Joralemon, Remsen and Montague Streets around the already landmarked Borough Hall. Commission Chairman Robert B. Tierney noted then that “the buildings had a central role in Brooklyn’s development and illustrate an important chapter of New York City’s history.”

But a number of property owners, local landlords and developers were vehemently opposed, claiming it would drive up costs and impede retail redevelopment. Mike Slattery, SVP of the Real Estate Board of New York, sneered in September that the buildings “have little architectural and historic significance and distinction.”

In an article published in Crain’s Business New York January 18, Steve Spinola, president of REBNY, further belittled the district: “The city continues to landmark away its economic future. We want the people in the area to know landmarking will cause a lack of investment in buildings.”

Detractors argue that the designation puts a financial burden on landlords, who have to obtain additional permits and pay extra fees for any changes or upgrades on their properties. REBNY surveyed owners of roughly 750,000 square feet of space within the proposed historic district, and predicted property owners and retail tenants will incur $4.7 million in additional costs over the next several years as a result of landmark regulations and rules, according to the letter obtained by Crain’s.

“Some owners were prepared to make an investment in their buildings, but now they have a noose around their neck because it will cost them more money,” added Spinola.

Brooklyn Heights Assn. president Judy Stanton has stated that the landmark designation “is necessary to protect those buildings from being torn down—it does not prevent redevelopment. It has been a longstanding regret we did not get a district sooner.”