Friday, December 23, 2016

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Architectural Voyeurism: What lies beneath the wrappings.

Coming Down.  During the process of demolition these 4th Avenue houses have been stripped bare of their aluminum overcoats revealing their century old stick-built facades.

Shadows

Required green painted plywood construction fence protects pedestrians from debris.  Patched fenestration exposed.


Windsor Terrace home its facade exposed waiting restoration and revival

Cornice exposed. 


Monday, December 12, 2016

FUCK, YOU, 2016...


The Kubler-Ross Model:
Stage 1 Denial
Stage 2 Anger
Stage 3 Bargaining  
Stage 4 Depression
Stage 5 Acceptance







337 11th Street STAGE 4




A PLASTIC BAG SNAGGED IN THE BRANCHES OF A LEAFLESS STREET TREE










IMBY BRANDS ARCHIVAL LINK:

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

Big Fines for 346 13th Street Project








346 13TH STREET PARK SLOPE SOUTH SINGLE FAMILY HOMES RISE UP.  BUILDING INSPECTORS ISSUED 5 VIOLATIONS EARLY ON FOR THE SUM OF $13,600.




ZONED AS ONE LOT, THE THREE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON 13TH STREET WILL HAVE OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES IN THE 331-333 14TH STREET UNDERGROUND PARKING FACILITY.  A QUICK GLANCE AT THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY DOCUMENTS INDICATE 44 ACCESSORY RESIDENTIAL USE SPACES FOR USE SOLELY BY THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING AND NOT FOR RENT OR HIRE...WINK, WINK!


IF YOU SEE SOMETHING< SAY SOMETHING
Numerous 311 complaints from neighboring medical office building include claims the demolition and excavation caused water damage and cracks to form in walls. IMBY TIP: If you find yourself in a similar situation where adjacent construction has become imminently perilous to your personal health and property, making building complaint calls to 311 can act as a diary or timeline to help you to log any damages that may occur especially during foundation work.  NYC DOB BIS... Live it, be it. 






ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD VIOLATIONS TOTALING $13,600

1)  $2,400 fine paid by BN RESTORATION INC for failure to provide/maintain adequate housekeeping.   12/18/15

2)  $1600 fine paid by BN RESTORATION INC for violating NYC FIRE CODE for operating a torch without proper certificate of fitness.  12/18/15

3)  $1600 fine paid by BN RESTORATION INC for violating NYC FIRE CODE for failure to provide fire guard while operating torch.  12/18/15

4)  $4000 fine (unpaid DEFAULT) ASAP BUILDERS INC for failure to monitor movement in adjacent buildings during excavation.  5/31/16

5)  $4000 fine (unpaid DEFAULT) ASAP BUILDERS INC for failure to provide guardrails around foundation excavation 5/31/16

IMBY LINKS:
TarLan Design-Build, LLC Big Lot Big Developments for South Slope




Monday, October 31, 2016

South Slope Trick or Treat

  • Happy Halloween 2016!  Trick or treatin after school...Parade starts at 6:30pm on 14th Street.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

325 16th Street: Spot the Stop Work Order





Can you spot the DOB  SWO on this Sixteenth Street construction fence?  It's there, keep looking.









This be it right smack in the middle.









Wow, that one's gonna hurt.  Devil may care construction... Failure to provide sheeting and shoring to protect the workers digging the trench and failure to underpin surrounding building as per plans.  











Interesting lot with three existing buildings. Plans call for a enlargement of adjascent building>

Monday, September 26, 2016

Developer to Topple Three Wood Frames on 14th Street

Preparing for the Fall



The obligatory green plywood construction shrouds are up signaling the imminent demolition of three attached row houses located at 225, 227, and 229 Fourteenth Street in our Park Slope South neighborhood to make way for new multifamily residential construction.  

The developer/architect/entrepreneur/cgi enthusiast/ wave rider, Harel Edrey,  aka  e.d.g. Development aka 225 14th St. L.L.C. acquired all three, 100 foot deep properties with a now cumulative 60 feet of street front curb appeal for a little over $4.5 million.
The first property located at 225 14th St. was purchased for $1,375,000 on the 27th of January 2016.
The second 229 14th St. he acquired for $1,410,000 on the 26th of February and finally,
it cost him just $1,725,000 for the third property, 227 14th St., closing on the 22nd of June.  Land acquisition costs (read tear down) have certainly skyrocketed in the past ten years.

New building plans have been filed but not yet approved by the DOB.  Submitted by the architect of record, Issac and Stern Architects, PC. the building plans for 225 14th St. describe a 50 foot tall three family building.  Pretty much cookie cutter for what is allowed by the R6B zoning rules and regulations.  Not sure how these plans will be affected by the acquisition of 227 and 229...Perhaps three separate new buildings or maybe the lots will be combined to make a more massive structure.

Wondering how one buys three neighboring properties anyway?  Is there a domino effect?  When your neighbor sells do you sell before it's too late? Are they abandoning ship after learning new construction was planned? Did the neighbors team up to discuss a selling strategy?  Were they aware they were all selling to the same entity?  
It's interesting to see that the web history of these properties indicate that they were listed by brokers and 229 even had an open house date. 227 was sold with filed and approved building plans for a horizontal and vertical extension of some 676 square feet.

Domino Theory:  225 14th Street pictured center, 227 14th is on far right.

I have posted some interior photos to show you the condition at the time of sale.  They seem to be in reasonably good shape.  In this case all the pre-offering work that went into prepping the houses for sale was for nought as any last minute improvements are headed for the landfill.

I have a close friend who recently sold their long time family home to a "nice young couple just starting out" who then immediately flipped it to a developer to make a profit. The developer demolished the entire structure straight away.  Their practical 1950's starter house was cursed with a million dollar McMansion view...The writing was always on the wall.  

229 14th Street

Before Demolition




Friday, May 06, 2016

16th Street Loses

NYC came and chopped down this very mature street tree on the block. Not sure why it had to happen as it looked healthy enough.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Glassy Palace to Replace House of Sticks.

Land speculators with deep pockets continue to reap the vast supplies of bonus F.A.R. sacrificed by the families of the South Slope during the panic-stricken Prophylactic Down Zoning of 2005.  This redistribution of square footage to a small number of properties along Fourth Avenue felt necessary at the time to fend off multiple attacks against diminutive two story row houses by sun blotting Bricolaged Monsters.  In the end at least we would know our charitable donations were going to be used to provide affordable housing for working families. LIKE THIS!  

 The Great Wall of Fourth Avenue grows up eleven unaffordable shoddy stories into our light and airspace.  Let the demolition begin on 15th Street.





What's that brick turd lurking in the background?


What's that brick turd lurking in the shadows ?   Mighty Purdy Palace Renderings by ROART


With its glassy pink backside to the Slope, entitled terraced  balconies offer unobstructed views to the west and another spectacular Brooklyn sunset.

Monday, March 21, 2016

TarLan Design-Build, LLC Big Lot Big Developments for South Slope

333 14th Street/ 346 13th Street  

South Slope New Construction: The architect of record, Saverio Tarantino of TarLan Design-Build LLC has approved plans for a four story multifamily for 14th Street and three, three-story single family homes planned for 13th Street.
Big Lot, Big Developments.  Demolition complete.  This lot is 50 feet by 200 feet. View from 14th Street looking towards 13th Street





This is the "before" 13th Street side of the lot where three single family homes are planned.  Not sure how the developer decided on which side of the lot to put the single family homes and which side gets the multifamily but the 13th Street medical office building next door has got to be the ugliest building in all of the South Slope.  14th Street is by far the more handsome street if you have to choose.
The "before" photo of the now demolished day care center.  333 14th Street will be developed as a multifamily with off street parking for some 44 automobiles. 
The beautiful brick building on the right belongs to Verizon.  I think it's part of their network grid. The roof is covered in cell phone tower equipment.
Robotic Parking Facilities to be located in the cellar under the 14th Street multifamily.
IMBY always provides Plenty of Plan Porn for you are faithful readers. 
Neighborhood map. Site in Pink