Downtown Brooklyn

Images courtesy of Studio Gang

The first residential tower in New York City designed by Jeanne Gang’s Studio Gang topped out this week in Downtown Brooklyn. Reaching 620 feet tall, 11 Hoyt Street will offer 481 condos, an elevated park, and 55,000 square feet of amenities. Sales launched at the Tishman Speyer-developed building last September, with prices ranging from $690,000 for studios to about $3.5 million for a four-bedroom. Hill West Architects served as the architect of record for the project.

Now at its full height, 11 Hoyt’s scalloped concrete and glass facade come into focus. Because of the alternating exterior, the building boasts 190 unique floor plans.

“It’s made up of a series of bay window types that collectively create a dynamic sweep on the exterior while providing individual unique experiences from inside the homes,” Gang said in a statement.

Its rippling exterior seems to borrow elements used in two of Gang’s Chicago projects, the Aqua Tower and the Vista Tower, which is currently under construction. While the project will be Studio Gang’s first residential building, the firm designed the Solar Carve Tower, a 12-story office building on the High Line, as well as the Museum of Natural History’s expansion.

11 Hoyt Street, Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang Brooklyn, Tishman Speyer

11 Hoyt Street, Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang Brooklyn, Tishman Speyer
Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios for 11 Hoyt

As 6sqft previously noted, units feature 10-foot ceilings, large windows with panoramic views, white oak floors, and Italian stone kitchen counters. Designed by Michaelis Boyd Associates, the interiors come in two options “Classic,” offering lighter colors and materials, and “Heritage,” an ode to Brooklyn’s industrial past with darker hues and tactile finishes.

Amenities include a 27,000-square-foot private park equipped with a fitness deck, hot tub, sun deck, and playground. Residents will also be able to enjoy a fitness center that comes with a 75-foot saltwater pool and spa, a game room, children’s playroom, catering kitchen, co-working lounge, virtual gaming room, dog park and spa, and a 24-hour doorman.

Move-ins are expected to begin sometime in 2020.

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All images courtesy of Studio Gang

Rendering courtesy of Williams New York/Extell

The tallest residential building in Brooklyn was crowned this week with the highest infinity pool in the Western Hemisphere. A video released by Extell shows a 27-foot-long pool being hoisted 680 feet in the air, taking its place atop Brooklyn Point. The 68-story tower, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, topped out in April and sits as part of the Downtown Brooklyn development City Point.

Video courtesy of Noise

The infinity pool faces the Manhattan skyline, offering unobstructed, 360-degree views from the rooftop. When the building opens, residents will be able to enjoy the heated pool from spring through the fall season.

138 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn Point, City Point, NYC highest rooftop pool, Extell
Rendering courtesy of Williams New York/Extell

Described as a perk of “resort living” on the building’s website, the area, which was designed by Matthews Nielsen Landscape Architects, includes spots for sunbathing, al fresco dining, outdoor movie screenings, and an observatory for stargazing.

Brooklyn Point contains 458 units, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms and starting at $850,000. As 6sqft reported last October, the highest apartment in Brooklyn can be found at the tower, listed for $3.9 million. The 68th-floor penthouse includes three bedrooms, three baths, and incredible views.

Rendering courtesy of Williams New York/Extell

In addition to the incredible rooftop pool, amenities include a health and wellness facility, an indoor saltwater pool, 35-foot rock climbing wall, squash and basketball court, and a sauna.

At the Park Lounge, residents can enjoy a bar, fireplace, co-working space, chef’s demonstration kitchen, game lounge, children’s playroom and more. The building also sits above City Point, home to Trader Joe’s, Target, Alamo Drafthouse, and DeKalb Market Hall.

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Via Flickr

A rental tower in Brooklyn’s long-plagued Pacific Park development is currently accepting applications for its affordable housing waitlist. The 363-unit building at 461 Dean Street opened in 2016, with its affordable housing lottery launching that same year. Three years later, the building’s lottery waitlist has opened, inviting New Yorkers earning 160 percent of the area median income to apply for the not-so-affordable $2,025/month studios and $2,541/month one-bedrooms.

Single households earning between $71,829 and $119,520 per year can apply for the $2,025 studio apartments. Households with two people earning between $89,692 and $136,640 can apply for the one-bedrooms.

At 461 Dean, residents can enjoy a 24-hour attended lobby, on-site manager, in-unit washer and dryer, a fitness center, private dining room, lounge, children’s playroom, game room, and art studio.

Pacific Park, formerly called Atlantic Yards, consists of 22 acres of mixed-use development, including the Barclays Center. The project, in the works for more than a decade, calls for 15 buildings with roughly 6,400 residential units, 2,250 of them affordable. So far, just four residential towers and Barclays have been completed.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 140 Essex Street until the waitlist is replenished. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

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New York City Economic Development Corporation, Downtown Brooklyn, Partnership, Willoughby Square, Willoughby Square Park

Images courtesy of EDC

As plans for a permanent park at Willoughby Square go forward, a temporary green space at the same site has opened to the public. The 15,000-square-foot “pop-up park” will provide a green escape for the local community until the end of the summer in 2020, at which point construction will commence on the permanent, 1.15-acre park scheduled for completion by 2022.

New York City Economic Development Corporation, Downtown Brooklyn, Partnership, Willoughby Square, Willoughby Square Park

As 6sqft reported in May, the city’s Economic Development Corporation announced it would be reviving the Willoughby Square Park project that first came up 15 years ago during Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration as part of a 2004 rezoning to attract development in Downtown Brooklyn. Through this zoning change, the city used eminent domain to take over a group of tenement buildings and properties that were thought to have been stops on the Underground Railroad, evicting many rent-stabilized residents in the process.

In January, the project was abandoned due to the developer’s inability to secure funding. A few months later, the EDC’s capital division announced it would be taking on the construction itself and proceeding with a plan that cut the estimated $80 million project to just $15 million. The new budget scrapped a “financially unfeasible” parking and added a memorial to honor the area’s ties to the Underground Railroad. The developer, American Development Group, disputed EDC’s claims when their name was taken off the project and is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with the agency.

“When NYCEDC developed our new plan for Willoughby Square, we worked to ensure there was green space available for residents to enjoy this summer,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “We are excited to open this space and look forward to the continued development of the full site, which will be an important addition to Downtown Brooklyn.”

The park features a synthetic turf lawn with beach chairs, and giant chess and checker boards. A walkway and planters separate the grassy area from a graveled plaza with colorful tables, chairs, and umbrellas. As Curbed noted, the park doesn’t allow dogs, which is a major pain point for local residents who have to schlep over to Fort Greene Park or Hill Side Park in Brooklyn Heights. That should only be a temporary inconvenience, as the EDC’s plans for the permanent park include a dedicated space for four-legged companions.

The design of Willoughby Park is being led by landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Jones. It’s not yet clear how the ongoing lawsuit with ADG—which includes a provision preventing EDC from doing anything more than surface work at the site—will impact the project’s timeline.

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Images courtesy of EDC

Image via Google Maps

Just across the street from Willoughby Park, where the city is planning a memorial to commemorate the abolitionist history of Downtown Brooklyn, the townhouse at 227 Duffield Place—once the home of prominent abolitionists Thomas and Harriet Truesdell and believed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad—is facing an uncertain future. As Brownstoner reported, demolition plans were filed with the city’s Department of Buildings on June 5 and an eviction notice has been posted at the site.

The house narrowly escaped being seized by eminent domain during the Downtown Brooklyn Redevelopment Plan in 2004 when protests from preservationists and a lawsuit filed by South Brooklyn Legal Services on behalf of the owner at the time, Joy Chatel, who passed away in 2014, forced the city to agree to a settlement. In September 2007, Duffield Street between Willoughby and Fulton Streets was renamed Abolitionist Place.

This time around, it’s the current owner and developer Samiel Hanasab who is pursuing the demolition, though he has yet to reveal what his plans for the site entail. As Brownstoner reported, Hanasab has a history of problematic real estate dealings and is behind the demolition of a notable Italianate villa on Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill.

Brooklyn-based criminal justice nonprofit Circle for Justice Innovations started a Change.org petition last week, which has already gathered 1,037 signatures. “With a lack of African American historical sites in Brooklyn, we cannot stop at the installation of statues recognizing historical figures. We must also work to preserve the physical movements of our ancestors,” the petition reads. “The property embodies the role Brooklyn and New York City played in the Abolitionist movement at a time when the Fugitive Slave Act was the law of the land. We cannot allow such an invaluable piece of our history to be erased.”

The petition is directed in part to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, who refused to support the preservation of the building in 2004-07. Then chair Robert Tierney said the property would be “better served by the program of memorialization.” But now the LPC is reviewing the matter, as an LPC spokesperson confirmed to Brownstoner. Council Member Stephen Levin, Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez have all confirmed their support for landmarking.

[Via Brownstoner]

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80 Flatbush, 80 Flatbush Avenue, brooklyn

Rendering via Alloy Development and Luxigon.

Nearly a year after the New York City Council voted to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development in Downtown Brooklyn, a group of Boerum Hill residents has mounted a court battle to halt the rise of tall buildings on the site and roll back the rezoning that allows them. As the Brooklyn Eagle reports, the 400 & 500 State Street Block Association, comprised mainly of residents who live in the neighborhood’s sprinkling of low-rise brownstones, have filed a lawsuit seeking the annulment of the 2018 zoning changes that gave the green light to an 840-foot skyscraper, a 510-foot tower, 670 market-rate apartments and 200 affordable units, two public schools and office and retail space on the property, which is bounded by State Street, Third Avenue, Schermerhorn Street and Flatbush Avenue.

80 Flatbush, 80 Flatbush Avenue, brooklyn

Rendering via Alloy Development and Luxigon.

The petitioners who filed the lawsuit have named the City Council, the City Planning Commission, the New York City Educational Construction Fund and Alloy Development, the developer leading the project. Like many similar lawsuits in protest of developments that have already obtained the necessary City Council votes and passed the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), the residents’ group argues that “The destruction of this buffer for profit constituted unlawful and constitutionally impermissible spot zoning,” according to a memorandum by residents’ attorney Walter Jennings, who argues that this amounts to “illegal contract zoning” that was “arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion” that will lead to “drastic environmental and land-use impacts” in a residential neighborhood.

Alloy Development has responded by emphasizing that the company is well within the law. A spokesperson said the company “believe[s] the record will show that the process was lawfully observed and that the decisions reached were well-grounded in the law.”

In the case upholding the rezoning decision, the respondents’ lawyers say the new project will bring “public benefits to support the general welfare of the community” worth $220 million. In addition to a $110 million school, there will be a new home for Khalil Gibran International Academy, a new 350-seat elementary school and 200 units of affordable housing worth an estimated $120 million.

The respondents also cite a Court of Appeals ruling that rebuts the opposition’s challenge to the constitutionality of the rezoning. The ruling states that “Because zoning is a legislative act, zoning ordinances and amendments enjoy a strong presumption of constitutionality and the burden rests on the party attacking them to overcome that presumption beyond a reasonable doubt.”

[Via Brooklyn Eagle]

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Image via Google Maps

Despite a series of last-minute preservation attempts after demolition plans for 227 Duffield Street were filed with the city’s Department of Buildings in June, the 19th-century Downtown Brooklyn house with abolitionist ties remains endangered. Gothamist reported that the owner, Samiel Hansab, has filed an application with the Department of Buildings to erect a 13-story mixed-use building in its place. The application is still under review and no permits have been issued, but as Gothamist noted, the best chance of saving the building would be an intervention by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The plans name Architecture + Design Studio as the firm of record and plan for a 125-foot-tall, 25,000 square-foot structure with offices on the ground floor, 21 apartments (one or two per floor), and parking for nearly 100 cars.

As 6sqft previously reported, the house was once home to prominent abolitionists Thomas and Harriet Truesdell and believed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. It narrowly escaped being seized by eminent domain during the Downtown Brooklyn Redevelopment Plan in 2004.

In September 2007, Duffield Street between Willoughby and Fulton Streets was renamed Abolitionist Place. Plans for the much-anticipated Willoughby Square Park across the street include a memorial to honor the area’s abolitionist history.

Last month, 20 local elected officials signed a letter urging the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider granting the building landmark status and more than 3,000 people signed a Change.org petition in support of landmarking.

“With a lack of African American historical sites in Brooklyn, we cannot stop at the installation of statues recognizing historical figures,” the petition read. “We must also work to preserve the physical movements of our ancestors.” The LPC says the request is still under review.

“Like all of America, New York City’s relationship to human slavery is more complicated than commonly taught, but the rise of abolition sentiment and activities in the first half of the 19th century was very important to the eventual demise of slavery in our country,” Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, said to Atlas Obscura. “As a singular reminder of this courageous act of defiance, the Truesdell House at 227 Duffield Street should be protected and preserved so that future generations of New Yorkers can learn the enduring importance of political activism.”

[Via Gothamist]

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willoughby square park, downtown brooklyn, willoughby park

Rendering by Hargreaves Jones, courtesy of NYCEDC

The city unveiled on Monday an updated design for its Willoughby Square Park project, which has been 15 years in the making. The city’s Economic Development Corporation and Hargreaves Jones Landscape Architecture presented revised plans to Brooklyn’s Community Board, which include lawn space, promenade, and seating near City Point’s Dekalb Market, as Bklyner reported.

willoughby square park, downtown brooklyn, willoughby park
Rendering by Hargreaves Jones, courtesy of NYCEDC

The city first pledged to bring green space to the area during former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s tenure in exchange for the 2004 upzoning of Downtown Brooklyn.

Previous plans called for a new park on top of a high-tech parking facility on Willoughby Street. But after the developer failed to secure funding, the city in January abandoned the project. A few months later, the EDC announced the agency’s capital division would take on the work without a private partner and said it would also ditch the underground parking proposal.

“It’s not big,” Mary Margaret Jones of Hargreaves Jones said during Monday’s meeting, according to Bklyner. “But what we’ve done is set it up in such a way that it will feel like a series of different spaces so it will seem bigger than it is.”

Additional revisions to the plan for the 1.15 acres include a dog park, seating areas, and a children’s playground. While there will be both water fountains and places to sit throughout the park, there will not be a restroom.

The new park will also include a public artwork display to honor the area’s ties to the Underground Railroad. The city will select an artist by the end of the year to design a memorial honoring the abolitionist movement in the borough, building on In Pursuit of Freedom, an initiative created by the Brooklyn Historical Society, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Irondale Ensemble Project.

The new park is scheduled to open in 2022. Before then, residents can enjoy a temporary pop-up park at the same site that opened last month. The 15,000-square-foot space will be open until the end of summer 2020, after which construction is expected to begin.

[Via Bklyner]

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Renderings by Hargreaves Jones, courtesy of NYCEDC

All renderings via Extell; Photo of Kevin Dinwiddie via Eric Drost on Wiki Commons

Not only will Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie have some of the most insane views in New York City, but he’ll be just a 15-minute walk from the team’s court at the Barclay’s Center. The New York Post reports that Dinwiddie is in contract to buy the penthouse unit at Brooklyn Point, the 720-foot-tall tower that is the borough’s current tallest residential building and boasts the highest rooftop infinity pool in the western hemisphere. The 68th-floor apartment was last asking $3.9 million.

Dinwiddie joined the Nets in 2016, and in 2018, he signed a three-year contract. This year, he’ll be joined by big-name players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, an addition that is sure to increase both ticket prices and local interest in the team.

Brooklyn Point topped out this past April and is on track to be completed by 2020. Developed by Extell and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, it will contain 458 luxury apartments, ranging from $850,000 studios to the $3.9 million penthouse. In addition to the rooftop heated pool and lounge area, Durant will have access to 40,000 square feet of amenities, including an indoor saltwater pool, 35-foot rock climbing wall, sauna, wine room, pet spa, game lounge, and, most importantly, a basketball court.

The corner penthouse sits 640 feet in the sky and measures 1,445 square feet. As 6sqft previously reported, it has a split-bedroom floorplan, three bathrooms, white oak floors, and an eat-in kitchen with quartz slab counters, a wine fridge, and Miele appliances. Of course, the oversized windows afford incredible views, which some say reach as far as the Rockaways and northern Manhattan, according to the Post.

Closings are expected to begin in early 2020. It’s worth noting that Brooklyn Point has one of the last remaining 25-year tax abatements in the city.

[Via NYP]

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All renderings courtesy of Extell

Rendering courtesy of Extell

Earlier this Spring construction of Brooklyn’s tallest residential tower, Brooklyn Point, topped out at 720 feet. Now, the 68-story skyscraper has reached another construction milestone and is fully enclosed. A new video released by Extell compresses two years of work on the facade into mere seconds, as the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed building nears completion.

Brooklyn Point, Fully Enclosed from Joe Laresca on Vimeo; Credit: Noise

As the only residential tower within Downtown Brooklyn’s City Point, the facade was designed in purposeful contrast to the other buildings in the development. The facade features a checkered pattern of full-height windows and custom-textured white panels “that create sculptural relief accented by an interplay of light and shadow,” per the architect’s website. The tower rises without setbacks from a four-story retail base. The angled roof will be home to the highest residential outdoor infinity pool in the Western Hemisphere, which was hoisted 680 feet above grade in June.

Closings at Brooklyn Point are slated for 2020. There will be 458 residences designed by Katherine Newman, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments and starting at $850,000. In addition to the infinity pool, residents will also enjoy an additional 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities. The building has a 25-year tax abatement in exchange for which the developer has committed to creating 200 “affordable” housing units nearby.

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Images by Mike Lawrence; courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets

The Nets have revealed a new primary court design just in time for the 2019-20 season. It’s the first full redesign of the court since the Nets moved to Barclays Center in 2012 and it’s very much inspired by the team’s roots. The new floors retained their trademark herringbone pattern but got updated with a fresh gray hue—an unusual, but symbolic, choice.

“The colors of the floor, weathered wood and concrete gray, represent the numerous playground courts found throughout the borough, the brownstone-lined streets and Brooklyn’s industrial foundation,” the team said in a statement. “The palette engrains the grit and determination of the borough into the team’s playing surface.”

A simplified and enlarged version of the Nets’ iconic logo takes up center court while the baselines display the team’s name in a subway-inspired typeface, and a subway-tile motif fills in the rest of the perimeter.

The Nets will inaugurate the court with their preseason matchup against SESI/Franca Basketball Club of Brazil on Friday, October 4.

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Images by Mike Lawrence; courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets

Renderings by Hargreaves Jones, courtesy of NYCEDC

During a Brooklyn Community Board 2 meeting on Wednesday, the group’s Youth, Education, and Cultural Affairs Committee voted to rename Downtown Brooklyn’s proposed Willoughby Square Park, as Curbed NY first reported. Jacob Morris, a historian and the head of the Harlem Historical Society and the New York City Freedom Trail, initially brought forward a resolution to co-name the square Abolitionist Place Park. By the end of the meeting, the board decided to recommend a full renaming to the city’s Economic Development Corporation. The resolution will be voted on by CB2’s full board on Oct. 7.

“Why not simply call it [Abolitionist Place Park]? Particularly since there’s so much abolitionist history on that particular block,” Eric Spruiell, a cultural affairs committee member, said during the meeting, according to Curbed.

Spruiell cited the ongoing controversy at nearby 227 Duffield Street, the former home of prominent abolitionists Thomas and Harriet Truesdell. The building’s current owner, Samiel Hanasab, applied for a demolition permit earlier this summer to make way for a 21-unit residential building.

In response to criticism from preservationists and locals, Hanasab said he plans to build an African American museum in the basement of the property. “I have a high respect for African Americans,” he told Gothamist. “This project will be in the basement.”

Willoughby Square Park is already 15 years in the making. Last month, the city revealed an updated design proposal for the park which would include a $700,000 memorial in honor of the area’s rich abolitionist history. The city plans to select an artist by the end of the year to design the memorial, which would build on In Pursuit of Freedom, an initiative created by the Brooklyn Historical Society, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Irondale Ensemble Project.

Many argue that this memorial falls short of what was promised when the project was first put forward in 2007. Earlier this month the community board voted to delay its approval of the park’s new design for 30 days “until stakeholder input can be considered and historians can be consulted,” as the Brooklyn Eagle reported.

This sentiment was echoed by Todd Fine, who serves as the president of the Washington Street Advocacy Group and attended Wednesday’s meeting. “A worthy memorial park to honor the abolitionist movement in Downtown Brooklyn is a complex matter that needs input from historians and experts,” Fine told 6sqft in an email. “This renaming of the park will hopefully encourage the City to modify its design plans.”

Meanwhile, the Landmarks Preservation Committee has remained quiet on the matter of preserving 227 Duffield. Michael Higgins of the Families United for Racial and Economic Equality and a leader in the effort to preserve the historic building told Gothamist that he and other supporters are staging a rally in front of the LPC’s offices at 1 Centre Street on Friday, Sept. 28.

[Via Curbed]

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Rendering of 22 Chapel Street courtesy of CetraRuddy

After breaking ground last month, the mixed-use development at 22 Chapel Street near the Manhattan Bridge now has more details to share. Designed by CetraRuddy, the 20-story tower will bring 180 rental units to Downtown Brooklyn, 45 of which will be affordable. Among other amenities, it will have a rooftop pool and terrace, along with ground-floor retail space and a new headquarters for the START organization. Completion is expected in 2021.

The 166,976-square-foot project is being developed by Delshah Capital, OTL Enterprises, and START Treatment & Recovery Centers. It’s being built in a federal Opportunity Zone, a program that encourages private development in low-income areas. According to a press release, the 135 market-rate apartments will be “targeting rents affordable for working families.” There are currently no details on those specifics, nor what the area median income requirements will be for the affordable units.

Amenities include the aforementioned rooftop pool and terrace, a children’s playroom, fitness center, bike room, and 88 underground parking spots. According to the architects, “the Chapel Street side of the building features a system of translucent fiberglass wall panels, creating a lantern effect to illuminate the street at night.” The entire facade has a “unique faceted form and distinctive white cladding” in order to optimize sunlight and views and create an interesting street presence. CetraRuddy founding principal John Cetra said, “Our goal was to capitalize on this highly visible location on Flatbush Avenue with an iconic form that brings fresh energy to the Brooklyn skyline, while offering dramatic views over McLaughlin Park next door, and long vistas to the Dumbo neighborhood and Lower Manhattan.”

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Rendering by DBOX

Brooklyn just keeps getting bigger. In April, the borough’s tallest tower, the condo tower Brooklyn Point, topped out at 720 feet. Now, Brooklyn’s tallest office tower has also reached its full 495-foot height. One Willoughby Square (or 1WSQ as it’s now being called) is expected to open at the end of 2020, at which time its architect, FXCollaborative, will also become the anchor tenant. The 34-story building will contain 500,000 square feet of office space; all of the floor plans are column-free and many floors have private outdoor terraces.

Rendering by DBOX

Tenants so far include FXCollaborative, who will lease the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors, as well as a school in partnership with the New York School Construction Authority. The floorplates are an impressive 14,500 square feet and have 14-foot ceilings. Those occupying multi-level, connected spaces will have 28-foot clearances.

Those with terraces will look down on the adjacent Willoughby Square Park, a 15-years-in-the-making park that will open in 2022 and feature a dog park, seating areas, and a children’s playground. The park will also include a monument or possible co-naming to honor the area’s abolitionist ties.

Rendering by DBOX

“1 Willoughby Square is specifically conceived for the Brooklyn ethos. Its design promotes social interaction and natural connectivity throughout, from the amenity spaces and numerous exterior terraces to its wide‐open, light-filled work environments,” said Dan Kaplan, Senior Partner of FXCollaborative. In a previous interview with 6sqft, Kaplan explained:

We were hired because the developer, [JEMB Realty], had been searching for a realization of the vision of the building. They wanted something that would attract the creative class and was more bespoke to attract these tenants to downtown Brooklyn. We started designing it as “What do creatives want?” but I was also thinking about, “What would I want for our space?” because we’re the tenant.

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Renderings courtesy of FXCollaborative

The Brooklyn Music School has just announced plans for a new 20,000 square-foot facility as part of a 167,000 square-foot mixed-use development in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. In addition to expanding the school’s existing facilities to meet growing demand, the FXCollaborative-designed project will also create 120 new residential units with 36 of those reserved for moderate-income households earning 70 to 100 percent of the area median income.

Gotham Organization has tapped FXCollaborative to design a 24-story building to occupy a currently empty lot at 130 St. Felix Street which has been used as a loading area for the neighboring Brooklyn Academy of Music. With New-Romanesque influences, the design intends to “create a transition” between the adjacent Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church and the iconic former Williamsburg Savings Bank tower.

The facade will be defined by a pattern of vertical windows and a palette of light-colored brick and limestone. As NY1 reported, the proposed design will require a city rezoning and Landmarks Preservation Commission approval to move forward.

The Brooklyn Music School is currently housed in four separate townhouses along St. Felix Street. As part of the expansion, it will take over two stories in the proposed building at 130 St. Felix. It doesn’t sound like a lot of additional space but the new facility will more than double the school’s instructional space, allowing for the creation of more programming with a focus on underserved communities.

The school currently serves over 8,000 students at its Fort Greene location and across 24 schools, community centers, and senior centers throughout NYC. More than 80 percent of those students receive lessons for free or at a reduced cost. Goals for the new facility include creating a digital music lab and expanding the range of programming catered to seniors and disabled community members.

The developers plan to break ground in 2021 and will create a construction schedule that allows BMS to remain open. NY1 reported that $7 million of the school’s anticipated $15 million cost will come from selling air rights over its townhouses to Gotham Organization. A recent press release notes that BMS will retain complete ownership of the expanded facility.

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A plan to improve the streets and public space of Downtown Brooklyn was unveiled on Thursday, as officials look to accommodate the area’s booming population. Created in collaboration with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Bjarke Ingels Group, and WXY architecture + urban design, the “Public Realm Action Plan” calls for fewer cars, more bike lanes, a bus-only lane, and more parks and plazas. As first reported by CityLab, the proposal takes ideas from already-implemented street redesigns, like the new 14th Street busway.

“Downtown Brooklyn has transformed into a true mixed-use community over the last 15 years, and with its population set to double in the next decade, now is the moment for a bold public realm vision that’s far more welcoming to pedestrians–from its streets to its plazas and parks,” Regina Myer, the president of DBP, said in a press release.

“We want to go further than any business district in the city by reorienting streets away from cars and toward pedestrian, cyclist, and mass transit use. We want to breathe new life into our public spaces. And we want to create an identity worthy of Brooklyn’s Downtown.”

Since its rezoning in 2004, Downtown Brooklyn’s unprecedented economic and population growth put a new strain on the area’s sidewalks, streets, and public infrastructure. The new vision for the area, which contains 240 acres bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Tillary Place, Court Street, and Ashland Place, aims to address congestion, gaps in the bike network, the lack of green space, and overall “disorienting street grid connections.”

DBP tapped BIG and WXY in February to study the area and create the implementation plan. “Downtown Brooklyn is the ultimate mixed-use district–and this action plan offers a design framework for its shared streets, parks, and public spaces today and tomorrow,” Claire Weisz, the principal of WXY, said.

Recommendations from the vision include reducing car access at the core of Downtown Brooklyn, making pedestrian crossings safer at high traffic intersections, adding bike lanes (on Flatbush Avenue, Fulton, Schermerhorn Street, and Adams Street), and creating a one-way bus lane on Fulton Street.

The proposal also calls for developing green space and improving existing spaces like Columbus Park at Borough Hall and University Place at LIU Brooklyn. And sustainable elements would be added, including plantings, bioswales, and 900 new trees.

“Working closely with DBP, WXY and the wider local community, we look forward to creating a greener, safer and bolder Downtown – our proposal paints the already lively character of the neighborhood with a distinct color palette and new public furniture collections,” BIG’s Bjarke Ingels said in a statement.

“Brooklynites can enjoy a cohesive streetscape experience, one with improved walkability, pedestrian and cyclist safety, double the greenery and new art beacons.”

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All renderings and images courtesy of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

Lexington Avenue, between 105th and 106th Streets, Manhattan, 1913. Photograph by Pierre P. Pullis, Lundin Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

A new photo exhibit at the New York Transit Museum provides a unique look at the construction of the city’s subway system, as well as its enduring impact. Opening Thursday, Streetscapes & Subways: Photographs by Pierre P. and Granville W. Pullis shows what it was like before and after the subway system was constructed, as well as the architectural and cultural changes occurring simultaneously above ground.

4th Avenue & 10th Street, Manhattan, 1900. Photograph by Pierre P. Pullis, Subway Construction Photograph Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

7th Avenue and 42nd Street, Manhattan, 1914. Photograph by Granville W. Pullis, Lundin Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

At the turn of the century, the city hired brothers Pierre and Granville Pullis to take survey photographs of certain areas before and after construction as part of its planning process. Originally meant to document conditions at worksites, the brothers’ photos ultimately captured the transformation of New York into a modern city.

East River Tunnel construction, 1907. Photograph by Granville W. Pullis, Subway Construction Photograph Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

Ashland Place & Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, 1911. Photograph by Granville W. Pullis, Subway Construction Photograph Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

The photographs were made with an 8 X 10 camera and glass plates, which were considered a more stable alternative to then commonly used sheet film. Pullis’ made the contact prints by laying the negative onto a piece of photographic paper. Because glass negatives were typically cleared and reused, it’s unusual that so many glass negative prints that were created before 1925 survived, according to the museum.

9th Street subway entrance, Brooklyn, 1910. Photograph by Granville W. Pullis, Lundin Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

Willets Point Station, Queens, 1927. Photograph by Pierre P. Pullis, Lundin Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

Workers in pump chamber, The Bronx, 1916. Photograph by Granville W. Pullis, Subway Construction Photographs Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

Workers in the Greenpoint Tube, 1929. Photograph by Pierre P. Pullis, Eugene Casey Tunneling Collection, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

“The Transit Museum is incredibly proud to be the stewards of the Pullis collection, which is recognized as one of, if not the, most comprehensive repositories of images related to original subway construction in existence,” Concetta Bencivenga, director of the New York Transit Museum said.

“For more than thirty years, these brothers documented the ‘before, during, and after’ of subway construction, and by extension bore witness to the incredible transformative power mass transit had on New York City. This show is, in a word, remarkable.”

Starting Feb. 13, the exhibit will run through Jan. 17 of next year at the museum, located at 99 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn. General admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for museum members. Learn more about the collection here.

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Photographs: Streetscapes & Subways: Photographs by Pierre P. and Granville W. Pullis, courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

Photo of 1 Flatbush Avenue courtesy of Alexander Severin

Applications are now being accepted for 20 mixed-income apartments at a new Brooklyn high rise. The 19-story tower located at 1 Flatbush Avenue sits between Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene, conveniently located near a dozen subway lines, major shopping thoroughfares, and entertainment venues like the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. New Yorkers earning 40 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $690/month studio to a $3,063/month two-bedroom.

Designed by Hill West Architects and developed by Slate Property Group, 1 Flatbush contains 183 total units, a double-height lobby, and three levels of retail at its base. The first round of affordable housing at the building kicked off two years ago, offering units for those earning 60 percent of the area median income.

All apartments boast oversized windows, stainless steel ad Bosch appliances, beautiful hardwood flooring, and an in-unit washer-dryer. Other perks are found within an impressive package of amenities, which includes a well-equipped fitness center, billiards room, co-working space and lounge, furnished terrace, and a landscaped roof deck.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable units at 1 Flatbush Avenue until August 4, 2020. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Preference for 50 percent of the units will be given to residents of Brooklyn Community Board 1. Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

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Photo credit: Russ Ross, courtesy The Corcoran Group

Downtown Brooklyn‘s Belltel Lofts are housed in a landmarked Art Deco tower at 365 Bridge Street that just happens to be the borough’s very first skyscraper. Built in 1929 as the headquarters for the New York Telephone Company, the 27-story building was designed by “architect of the century” Ralph Walker. In 2008, it was converted to condos by Beyer Blinder Belle and now has 217 apartments. This sunny unit, listed for $1,395,000, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a private terrace that overlooks Downtown Brooklyn and sits against the building’s gorgeous brickwork.

The apartment is spacious at 1,200 square feet, but the floorplan will not be for everyone, as there’s no actual living space. The kitchen is the only “open” room, and it has enough space for a table and small chair/seating area.

The kitchen underwent a gut renovation in 2017 that was then profiled in Architectural Digest. The island has enough room for three bar stools, as well as a custom-milled black walnut counter and six 36-inch-wide drawers. There’s more storage space in a built-in desk and bookshelf area, along with a floor-to-ceiling pantry. Other features include Caesarstone counters, hand-forged wrought-iron shelf brackets, a white subway tile backsplash, and stainless steel appliances.

The kitchen opens to the terrace. Though it’s a bit narrow, the unique views are certainly worth it.

The apartment is long and narrow; the entrance is on the opposite end of the kitchen/terrace, so off a long hallway is where you’ll find all three bedrooms, one of which has been set up as a living room/den. If the new owner wanted to use it as a third bedroom, it can fit a queen-sized bed.

The second bedroom has a huge, built-in, floor-to-ceiling closet.

The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom. There’s another full bathroom in the hall, as well as an additional closet and a laundry closet. Do note that all three bedrooms are windowless; the listing says, “The number of bedrooms listed above is not a legal conclusion. Consult with your attorney to make a determination as to the number of rooms in the unit that may be legally used as a bedroom.”

Amenities in the building include a 24-hour doorman, two roof terraces, a media lounge, yoga room, full gym, kids playroom, business center, bike room, and indoor parking and self-storage.

[Listing details: 365 Bridge Street, 10F at CityRealty]

[At Corcoran by Michael Tannen, Talia Magen, and Kirra Caruso]

Photo credit: Russ Ross, courtesy The Corcoran Group

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar a property in Downtown Brooklyn that was home to abolitionists in a move that could potentially save the historic home from demolition. Harriet and Thomas Truesdell, known members of the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War, lived at the Greek-Revival row house at 227 Duffield Street from 1851 to 1863. Last year, preservationists and local officials called on the LPC to designate the building after a developer filed permits to raze the three-story structure and replace it with a much taller mixed-use building.

While some verbal accounts of the house list it as a stop on the Underground Railroad, the commission’s research staff could not confirm this. But the staff did recognize the danger and secrecy of housing fugitive enslaved people during this time, making Underground Railroad activity difficult to confirm.

The house remained in the Truesdell family until 1921, a time period of roughly 70 years. Although there were alterations to the property, including a two-story commercial extension, the facade, window surrounds, and cornice all remain original. As a rare surviving home of known abolitionists, and as a representation of the abolitionist movement in Brooklyn before the Civil War, 227 Duffield should be considered for designation as an individual landmark, according to LPC staff.

Last summer, Samiel Hanasab filed an application with the Department of Buildings to raze the current property to make way for a 13-story tower that would feature office space, 21 apartments, and parking for nearly 100 cars. No permits have yet been accepted by the DOB and approval remains pending, according to filings.

Hanasab told Gothamist last August that if his project was approved he would build an African American museum in the basement of the new building.”I have a high respect for African Americans,” Hanasab told the website last year. “This project will be in the basement.”

As 6sqft previously reported, the house was almost seized by eminent domain during the 2004 Downtown Brooklyn Redevelopment Plan, after a lawsuit filed by South Brooklyn Legal Services on behalf of former owner Joy Chatel, who passed away in 2014, forced the city to agree to a settlement. In September 2007, Duffield Street between Willoughby and Fulton Streets was renamed Abolitionist Place.

Although preservationists and historians have long called on the city to recognize the significance of the building, Hanasab’s plan to build an apartment tower accelerated their effort. A Change.org petition that launched last year has since garnered nearly 13,000 signatures.

On Tuesday, Carroll said the consideration of the property aligns with the commission’s goal of recognizing more buildings that are connected to Black history and culture in the city, especially in this current moment of national reckoning.

“We continue to strive to tell the full story of the African American experience in New York City,” LPC Chair Sarah Carroll said during Tuesday’s meeting. “In addition, we have been increasingly seeking to address difficult histories in our designations, documenting when there has been institutional racism and racist government policies. And one aspect of our research has been the people and the institutions engaged with the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War, whether through political and religious activism or by housing freedom seekers.”

A public hearing on the designation of 227 Duffield as an individual landmark will be scheduled for a later date.

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