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

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

By Chuck Taylor 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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Downtown Skyscraper District: He Said/He Said On Landmarks Approval

By Chuck Taylor on February 8, 2012 9:34 pm in Brooklyn History, Commercial Real Estate, Downtown Brooklyn, Landmark Preservation

Despite City Council approval February 1 of the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District, which designated 21 buildings along Court Street as a new landmark district, the debate continues in an Op-Ed He Said/He Said piece in the Brooklyn Courier. Commentary is offered from supporter Philip Magnuson, chair of the Brooklyn Heights Assn. Landmark Preservation Committee; and opponent Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. Continue Reading →

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Le Pain Quotidien Taking Shape

By Chuck Taylor on February 8, 2012 6:42 pm in Commercial Real Estate, Food

The soon-to-be Le Pain Quotidien “bakery and communal table” at 121 Montague Street in the long-deserted former location of Jennifer Convertibles, is moving along faster than you can knead a loaf of bread. As of Tuesday, February 7, framing for new front windows was in the works. Continue Reading →

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Montague Street, Meet Your New Starbucks

By Chuck Taylor on February 8, 2012 6:10 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate

It’s been rumored for a couple months, but confirmation is now at hand: Starbucks at 112 Montague Street is moving east… to 134 Montague Street, site of the former Nine West shoes, which closed in July 2010. While the current space will lose a lot of window vistas along the front, the folks at Heights Vision next door tell BHB that the new locale is deeper and actually offers more square footage.

Reasons for the move: Apparently, the one-story building at 112 Montague was a constant source of roof leaks Continue Reading →

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Downtown BK’s Historic Offerman Building At Last Gets New Life Via TJ Maxx

By Chuck Taylor on February 7, 2012 8:01 pm in Brooklyn History, Commercial Real Estate, Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Landmark Preservation, Shopping, Streets

The beautifully historic but long-suffering Romanesque revival Offerman Building along Fulton Street Mall is at last getting the facelift it so deserves. As H&M continues its new-construction two-story glass modernist build-out next door, TJ Maxx will open a downtown Brooklyn store at 505 Fulton Street, according to signage that appeared within the last week.

Imagine Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani having presence on Fulton Street (albeit last season). This long-promised renaissance may well take hold, after all, Continue Reading →

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214/216 Hicks Street Carves Out Space For Larger Tenant

By Chuck Taylor on February 7, 2012 2:24 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate, Development, Shopping

The two narrow retail spaces at 214 and 216 Hicks Street—which housed the recently closed Overtures and Dara Ettinger—have been demolished inside to carve out a single larger space.

A manager at next door neighbor Heights Cafe at 84 Montague Street—which owns the retail building—tells BHB that no one has yet leased the space, but it is believed that the additional square footage will attract more potential vendors. Continue Reading →

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Morton’s Steakhouse On Adams Street Is Cooked

By Chuck Taylor on February 7, 2012 9:18 am in Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate, Downtown Brooklyn, Food

Morton’s The Steakhouse at 339 Adams Street (next to the Brooklyn Marriott) has shuttered, due to “shifting demographics.” The national steakhouse chain was purchased by hospitality company Landry’s Feb. 1; hours later, the company closed down the high-end eatery and stripped off its signage. Continue Reading →

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After Eight Years, BK Detention Center Reopens This Week

By Chuck Taylor on February 6, 2012 8:26 am in Other Brooklyn, Real Estate

It may not be as swanky as the annual BHA House Tour, but hundreds of locals attended an open house Saturday at the Brooklyn Detention Center, located within a whisper of Brooklyn Heights at 275 Atlantic Avenue off Smith Street in Boerum Hill.

The event, where carrot cake and coffee were served, is part of a city PR campaign to stave off fears about the jail’s reopening this week, after being shuttered in 2003 because of budget cuts. Continue Reading →

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Open Thread: Compare & Contrast 75 Clinton & 101 Clinton

By Chuck Taylor 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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Ask & You Shall Receive: Henry Street Garbage Dump Swept Clean

By Chuck Taylor on February 1, 2012 6:06 am in Brooklyn Heights, Real Estate

After reporting January 20 about the filthy dumping ground teeming with trash, glass and vermin on Henry Street behind Montague Street’s Andy’s Chinese, Dashing Diva and Heights Vision, the gods have shone down—and cleaned the backyard space.

More likely, it was the effort of Bobby Cruz, who is hoping to open a tapas and wine bar beneath Heights Vision this spring, Continue Reading →

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$ales $uperlative: Columbia Heights Townhouse Most Expensive In Heights History

By Chuck Taylor on January 31, 2012 6:41 am in Brooklyn Heights, Real Estate

A five-floor, 7,000sf townhouse at 212 Columbia Heights & Pierrepont Street has scored a lofty superlative as the most expensive home sale in Brooklyn Heights’ history. The closing price, according to Brownstoner: $11 million ($1,928/square foot). The owners, who paid $8.5 million in 2006, re The New York Times, listed it only three months ago for $13.5 million.

Here’s what you get for such a pretty penny: Continue Reading →

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WSJ Offers Tidbits About Montague Street’s “High-Rent Retail Strip”

By Chuck Taylor on January 30, 2012 10:57 am in brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate

A short piece in today’s Wall Street Journal “What’s The Deal” column, offers a few morsels about retail in Brooklyn Heights. Focusing on Le Pain Quotidien coming to 121 Montague Street, the story notes that this is the cafe’s first Brooklyn store, with 10+ already in Manhattan.

Glenn Markman, an executive VP at Cushman Wakefield, shares that rents currently run as high as $250 per square foot along Montague’s “high-rent retail strip,” Continue Reading →

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

By Chuck Taylor 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 Chuck Taylor 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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New 5-Level Townhouse At 314 Hicks Is Rising Fast

By Chuck Taylor on January 27, 2012 8:09 am in Real Estate

When does a single family home have its own sales website? Answer: When the asking price is $6.2 million for new construction in the Heights. The five-story red brick townhouse (including garden level) at 314 Hicks Street on the corner of State, is one story from topping out, according to Brownstoner. Inside: 5 bedrooms: 5 baths & 2 powder rooms, living & formal dining rooms, family room, eat-in kitchen and study. Continue Reading →