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30 Henry Street Reaps $500K Above Asking Price

30 Henry Street Reaps $500K Above Asking Price

By on May 15, 2012 2:37 pm in Commercial Real Estate, Development, Landmark Preservation

DUMBO-based developer Fortis Manor, which purchased the homely one-story Brooklyn Eagle Building at 30 Henry Street & Middagh in November 2011, paid $3.5 million for the property, according to a post today on Brownstoner. Broker Massey Knakal confirmed the figure, which is $500K over its asking price of $3 million.

That comes out to a cost of $209 per buildable square foot. Brownstoner notes that the site allows for a total of 16,740SF on the site. As previously reported, a six-story red brick building is slated to take its place. Continue Reading →

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Century 21 Department Store Commits To Fulton Mall: Opening In 2015

Century 21 Department Store Commits To Fulton Mall: Opening In 2015

By on May 12, 2012 12:14 am in Brooklyn Heights, Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Shopping

Following Downtown Brooklyn’s gentrification with the recent arrival or soon-to-open Shake Shack, Gap, Panera Bread, H&M and T.J. Maxx along Fulton Mall, the latest retailer committing to the rapidly expanding shopping destination is Century 21 Department Store.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the high-end label discount retailer has signed a deal to open a 125,000 SF store in the City Point development: the first new department store in Downtown BK since the 1970s. Continue Reading →

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75 Clinton Street Open For Biz: Rentals Up To $11K A Month

75 Clinton Street Open For Biz: Rentals Up To $11K A Month

By on May 6, 2012 11:51 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Development

The new nine-story 75 Clinton Street at the corner of Montague, which posted a short promotional video April 4, has begun leasing its 74 units. Nearly a dozen studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments are listed on Streeteasy. Monthly rent: from $2,362 to $11,000(!). See interior shots here. Continue Reading →

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WSJ: ‘A Storm Is Raging Over Plan For Brooklyn Bridge Park’

WSJ: ‘A Storm Is Raging Over Plan For Brooklyn Bridge Park’

By on April 16, 2012 11:36 am in brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Profiles

Is the sloooowly buregoning Brooklyn Bridge Park designed to encourage the interaction of those who visit the waterfront oasis—or is it little more than a handsome front lawn for wealthy homeowners, alienated from the surrounding community and lacking those things that make urban public spaces dynamic? That’s the question posed in a Wall Street Journal story Monday, titled “Conflict In Park Plans.”

The piece leads a more or less academic discussion over aesthetic disagreements between developers of the half-completed park’s future. Portions of Pier 1 and Pier 6 opened in 2010, with a new pier and footbridge slated for the latter part of 2012—while a majority remains on the drawing board. Continue Reading →

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Heights History: 52 Livingston Street, Then & Now

Heights History: 52 Livingston Street, Then & Now

By on April 7, 2012 11:00 am in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn History, Development

The standout Gothic Revival three-story brick row house at 52 Livingston Street (between Court & Clinton streets) has changed precious little since this Brooklyn Public Library photograph was taken in 1953, nearly 60 years ago. (Then & Now pics below the jump.)

Among few changes following its construction in 1846 (despite conflicting reports of it being built in 1901), according to Clay Lancaster’s 1979 book “Old Brooklyn Heights: New York’s First Suburb,” are the addition of the structure’s humble third story and the signature Romantic-style lace-like ironwork, cornice, porch and fencing, likely added in 1854 to complement the Packer School, being built across the street at that time. The stucco facade was also removed post-1953. Continue Reading →

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10 Days After Closing, 161 Columbia Heights Returns To Market As Rental

10 Days After Closing, 161 Columbia Heights Returns To Market As Rental

By on March 29, 2012 3:33 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Development, Real Estate, Watchtower

The Watchtower residential property at 161 Columbia Heights that closed March 20 after a $3 million sale to investment and management firm Sugar Hill Capital Partners, is back on the market less than two weeks later as a rental. According to Curbed, after a quick renovation, the newly named five-story walk-up “161 Heights” offers Continue Reading →

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Irish Pub Coming To Montague’s La Traviata Space

Irish Pub Coming To Montague’s La Traviata Space

By on March 25, 2012 12:00 am in Development, Food

The former La Traviata cafe at 139 Montague Street, between Henry and Clinton, is going to be replaced by an Irish pub and restaurant. The 30-year-old Italian eatery along Brooklyn Heights’ primary retail enclave shuttered suddenly in November 2011, and BHB reported in February that a sign in the window alerted us then that “RDR Bar & Restaurant Corp. plans to open a Tavern-Restaurant” in the space. Continue Reading →

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Downtown BK Skyline Reaches For New Heights

Downtown BK Skyline Reaches For New Heights

By on March 24, 2012 9:53 am in Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate, Development, Downtown Brooklyn

The long-stalled Downtown City Point Towers retail and residential complex in Downtown Brooklyn is aiming for the clouds. The Brooklyn Paper got an exclusive look this week at new mock-ups presented to Community Board 2, showing two potential horizon-altering skyscrapers at the site of the former Albee Square Mall, on the Flatbush Avenue Extension between Willoughby Street and DeKalb Avenue.

One of the two towers could reach 65 stories or more, with a targeted completion of 2015, while the second would be wrapped in 2016, said Paul Travis of developer Washington Square Partners. That would make it Brooklyn’s tallest building, period. Continue Reading →

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Quote Of The Day: ‘BH Is Too Small, Too Old For High-End Specialty Shops’

Quote Of The Day: ‘BH Is Too Small, Too Old For High-End Specialty Shops’

By on March 16, 2012 5:14 pm in Development, open thread

An intriguing comment comes from a BHB reader, remarking on the March 15 Blog post, “Is Sephora Coming To Brooklyn Heights?”

Amid frequent discussions that blanket the Brooklyn Heights Blog about chain retailers vs. local shops, AEB writes:

I sometimes feel we’re all in the grip of a mass delusion that BH will become the home of high-end specialty shops ‘curated’ by hip folks who have dernier cri taste, etc. Ain’t gonna happen, much as I wish it would. BH is too small, its real estate too pricey and its live-in ‘audience’ is too old/square. Sorry, I live here too, but…

Interesting thought, yes? And you? Feel free to add your thoughts to this ever-pertinent push-and-pull discussion… Continue Reading →

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A Sentimental Stroll Through Downtown Brooklyn

A Sentimental Stroll Through Downtown Brooklyn

By on March 5, 2012 7:37 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn History, Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Photos, Shopping

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. Continue Reading →

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Hot Damn! Pool Coming To Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2 This Summer

Hot Damn! Pool Coming To Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2 This Summer

By on February 29, 2012 10:24 am in brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Fun

Dive in—or, uh, at least wade—Brooklyn Heights: Officials overseeing the 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park are planning to install a temporary pool in the Pier 2 uplands section of the green space this summer. According to a story in today’s New York Post, the 30-by-50-foot pool will be above ground, 3½-feet deep across, fully decked and remain there for five glorious years. Continue Reading →

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<em>Brownstoner:</em> 72 Poplar Renovation Plans Approved

Brownstoner: 72 Poplar Renovation Plans Approved

By on February 27, 2012 10:29 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Development, News, Real Estate

“A tipster” said the City’s Department of Buildings has approved the plans of Daten Group LLP, who purchased the former police building at 72 Poplar Street last May for $7.5 million, to convert the building for residential use. Continue Reading →

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Muss Development Offers Vision For Downtown & Aligning Brooklyn Nabes

Muss Development Offers Vision For Downtown & Aligning Brooklyn Nabes

By on February 24, 2012 11:08 am in Development, Downtown Brooklyn

Family-owned commercial, residential, industrial and retail real estate firm Muss Development has its eye on development outside of Manhattan these days. Principal Jason Muss spoke with GlobeSt.com about the company’s projects in Downtown Brooklyn and aligning them bordering neighborhoods, including Brooklyn Heights.

Regarding his long-term vision for Downtown Brooklyn, Muss said Continue Reading →

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Get Ready For Gap’s Return: Opens In Fulton Mall Feb. 24

Get Ready For Gap’s Return: Opens In Fulton Mall Feb. 24

By on February 20, 2012 7:41 am in Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Shopping

Brooklyn Heights residents may recall that Gap had a store at 125 Montague Street in the late 1990s—the current location of Ann Taylor. If you’re still pining for plaid shorts and plain t-shirts, you only need cross to Fulton Street Mall, where a Gap factory store is opening this week.

Racked reports that the new outlet is launching Friday, February 24, at 400 Fulton Street, between Smith and Hoyt streets 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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