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<em>Times</em> Gives Posthumous Recognition to 75 Livingston Architect Abraham Simberg

Times Gives Posthumous Recognition to 75 Livingston Architect Abraham Simberg

By on February 23, 2012 5:32 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, History, Landmark Preservation

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. Continue Reading →

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Field for Pier 1 Hotel and Residential Structure Narrowed to Three

Field for Pier 1 Hotel and Residential Structure Narrowed to Three

By on February 22, 2012 5:30 pm in Architecture, brooklyn bridge park, News

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.

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

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

By on February 19, 2012 9:41 am in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, History, Theater

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 Continue Reading →

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

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

By on February 9, 2012 3:46 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Landmark Preservation, Real Estate

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 Continue Reading →

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March On: CFAF Offers Heights “Family Walking Tour”

By on February 3, 2012 11:12 am in Architecture, Brooklyn History, Events, Kids

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.” Continue Reading →

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Open Thread: Compare & Contrast 75 Clinton & 101 Clinton

Open Thread: Compare & Contrast 75 Clinton & 101 Clinton

By on February 3, 2012 8:40 am in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development

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. Continue Reading →

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City Council Approves Skyscraper Historic District

By on February 1, 2012 10:54 pm in Architecture, Government, Landmark Preservation

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.” Continue Reading →

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

By on January 28, 2012 12:11 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Landmark Preservation, Real Estate

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.” Continue Reading →

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

By on January 27, 2012 10:48 am in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Real Estate

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. Continue Reading →

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NYTimes looks at Appellate Division on Monroe Place

By on January 26, 2012 12:46 am in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Legal

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.  Continue Reading →

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Downtown Brooklyn “Skyscraper District” On Track For Approval

By on January 25, 2012 2:33 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate, Downtown Brooklyn, Government, Landmark Preservation

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.) Continue Reading →

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Will Someone Buy the Heights Cinema Building to Preserve It?

By on January 23, 2012 11:38 pm in Architecture, Development, Landmark Preservation, movies

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.” Continue Reading →

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Modifications to 72 Poplar on CB2 Executive Committee Agenda Tomorrow Evening

Modifications to 72 Poplar on CB2 Executive Committee Agenda Tomorrow Evening

By on January 22, 2012 11:42 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Landmark Preservation, Real Estate

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. Continue Reading →

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

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

By on January 19, 2012 2:33 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Government, Landmark Preservation

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. Continue Reading →

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…Meanwhile, New Design for 30 Henry Approved

By on January 18, 2012 11:04 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Government, Landmark Preservation

According to Brownstoner, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved a new design for the five story residential building to replace the Eagle at 30 Henry Street, at the corner of Middagh. NOTE: the picture on the linked Brownstoner post is of a bank building in Williamsburg, not a rendering of the new 30 Henry design. For an earlier version of the 30 Henry design, see here. There is, as yet, no rendering of the new design available. As we noted earlier, the revisions required by the LPC at its previous hearing were “minor”, so it’s safe to guess that the approved design will not differ greatly from the earlier one.

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