Spiffy Brochure, 360 Degree Views And Steep Rental Prices At 360 Smith Street

Brochure images and renderings via 360 Smith Street

360 Smith Street +70 feet= 360 degree views. Get it?

Someone forwarded me the entire rental brochure for 360 Smith Street, the almost completed, quite controversial 70 foot building at the corner of 2nd Place and Smith Street.

According to an agent, there are no rental fees, the first month is free and utilities, except for electricity, are free as well.

Sounds good, but the rental fees are rather steep.

*Apartment G, a1,092 sf two bedroom, two bath apartment facing Smith Street goes for about $3,800 on the second floor to about $4,150 on the fourth floor.

*Apartment type A, also two-bedroom, 2-bath, is slightly bigger at 1,105 sf. It faces Second Place and costs $3,995 for the 2 second floor and $4,200 for the third floor.

*The J line penthouse at 1613 sf facing 2nd Place will rent from$5, 750 on the second floor to $6,050 on the third floor.

The rest of the brochure offers some photos of the area, some exaggerated renderings of the front of the building and of the rooftop, as well as some platitudes about our neighborhood, including this gem:"A close-knit community of long-time Carroll Gardens residents who warmly greet you from their 19th century garden brownstones."
One neighborhood friend chuckled when I read this last part of the brochure out loud. "Yeah!" she said "We have a special greeting here in the neighborhood. But it takes two hands..." (It's also called the Italian salute)

And one more thing....An eagle-eyed reader spotted someone who looked suspiciously like Bill Stein, the original developer of 360 Smith Street, standing in front of the site. It had been rumored that Stein was out of this deal, but he may still be involved.

Stein once told the Carroll Gardens community that he would occupy the penthouse apartment of 360 Smith Street because his wife "loved" the neighborhood.

Well, if that is still the case and he is moving in, lets all remember to greet him warmly (not) from our brownstones. Remember! Use two hands...

Is this Bill Stein (gray hair) standing in front of 360 Smith Street?

******UPDATE*****

Just got some additional plans and details for 360 Smith Street from a PMFA reader.

He writes:

Here are the renderings for the penthouses. They are all priced north of $7m per month.
The apartments are nice but not too well thought out. The bedrooms are on the smallish size (with the last bedrrom begin tiny) and there is an oversize a/c unit that takes up a lot of space. I did not think they were nice enough for the rents that they are asking. It will be very interesting to see if the Carroll Gardens residents will be willing to pony up these kind of $’s.

There are storage units on each floor. They are ridiculously priced @ $200 per month
There is indoor parking available, which is a pretty awesome feature

The roof deck has stellar view. Literally 360 views that take your breath away. However, the idea of a playground up there is probably not too well thought out.

Brochure images and renderings via 360 Smith Street

°°°°°°°°°°

Read more

200 Smith Street Gets Served With Complete Stop Work Order

 200 Smith Street In October 2010

Gone by November 14th  2010

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Local residents were more than a bit surprised back in mid-November, when the three-story  structure at 200 Smith Street/325 Baltic Street that once housed Jessie's Brooklyn Kitchen was entirely demolished.  From start to finish, the demolition only took a few days, especially since construction crews worked late into the evening and threw the debris right into a waiting dump truck that carted everything away immediately.   

No wonder crews worked so quickly: it turns out that the demolition of the building was illegal.

The NYC Department Of Buildings had only issued permits for a "proposed horizontal enlargement of the 3rd floor", not a complete demo. After several 311 calls were made by local residents, the agency issued a complete stop-work order on December 6th.  The violation reads:

"Existing three-story building approx. 23'x30' has been demolished to grade level without required permit. Stop work order issued pursuant to 28-2072 and posted at site."

Of course, the former building at the site, with its vinyl windows and red siding, had lost its dignity long ago.  However, one can only imagine what will be built in its place. Stay tuned.

Related Reading:

#200 Smith Street: Now You See It, Now You Don't

Read more

Rats Overrun Site Of Illegal Demo On Smith

200 Smith Street in Fall of 2010

Back in December 2010, permits for a horizontal enlargement at the 3rd floor were issued by the NYC Department of Buildings at 200 Smith Street, a non-descript old house that had endured its fair share of remuddling over the last few decades. However, instead of building an addition, the entire house was taken down in a matter of days. The debris was carted away in dumpsters at night and by the time the D.o.B responded to several 311 calls, the lot was vacant. D.o.B. immediately issued a Stop Work Order. That, however, was fully rescinded on April 18th, though there are several Environmental Control Board (ECB) violation still open on this property, including one for the demo.

Since the demolition, local residents have had to deal with a rather nasty problems: rats. And lots of them. Since the empty lot sits right over the F/G subway line, the critters have crawled out of the subway tunnel en masse. It sure doesn't help that the building site has not fully been cleaned. Tons of debris was left behind.

Even more disturbing is the giant hole in the former building's foundation. One can look right into its basement. No wonder rats have taken over.

One area resident wrote into Pardon Me to tell me that the rodents "come out mostly on garbage nights and quickly scurry back under the scaffolding whenever someone walks by. But they are always there, and in numbers. The other night one ran over my girlfriends foot!" That is truly disgusting.

One wonders a) why the owner of the site has not had to secure it fully, and b) why he has not had to bait properly. Apparently, the city has not yet responded to several 311 calls made by nearby residents.

Related posts:

200 Smith Street Gets Served With Complete Stop Work Order

#200 Smith Street: Now You See It, Now You Don't

°°°°°°°°°

Read more

#200 Smith Street: Now You See It, Now You Don't

Number 200 Smith Street In October 2010

A view of the building from Baltic Street in August 2009

And now...gone

Since when does a NYC Department Of Buildings permit for "proposed horizontal enlargement of 3rd floor" mean that you can take the entire structure down?  Yet that is exactly what happened to number 200 Smith Street at the corner of Baltic Street in Boerum Hill.  As first reported by Brownstoner,  demolition of the three-story structure began last week on Wednesday.  By Friday evening, most of the building was gone, dumped into a huge truck parked in front, ready to drive the debris evidence away.  


Now, I don't claim to understand the nuances of a Building Department permit, but the one posted on the construction fence sure doesn't state anything about a full demolition, does it?  


ShareThis Read more

Anne Et Valentin: French Eyewear Store Coming To Smith Street Soon

In recent months, quite a few new and mostly expensive eyewear stores have been popping up in and around the neighborhood. The trend seems to have started with Moscot on Court Street.
Smith Street in particular has attracted some new eyewear stores.  Just a few months ago, See opened at 160 Smith Street, though James Leonard Opticians and Oculus are each just one block away.

Obviously, saturation point has not been reached, because Anne et Valentin, a French eyewear design duo, will be opening a store at 200 Smith Street in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.
They began their company thirty years ago in Toulouse.  Today, they have stores in Toulouse, Paris and one on Prince Street in Manhattan and  their designs are distributed worldwide.

From  Anne et Valentin's website:
From day one, rather than trying to adapt the customer to a frame,  Anne and Valentin opt for a deeper comprehension of who their customers are - how they move, live and think - in order to find, for each, the perfect frame,  dedicated to the customer’s unique personality and particularities.

So far all these new eyewear places seem to survive in the neighborhood. Obviously there seems to be growing market for more expensive glasses.

Where have you been shopping for yours lately?

Read more

You Bet, Carroll Gardens Is "A Very Politically Active Community"

100 Luquer Street, developer: Abe Klein

340 Court Street, Developer: Clarett Group

360 Smith Street/ 131 2nd Place, Developer: William Stein

Ms. Pardon Me For Asking's Easy Check List For Developers Who Are Currently Building Or Are Thinking About Building In Carroll Gardens:

* Respect The Carroll Gardens Neighborhood

*Respect The Residents

*Respect Their Residences

*Make My Buildings Fit Contextually Into This Brownstone Neighborhood

* Communicate With Residents

*Carroll Gardeners Are Smart, Treat Them Accordingly

* Don't Lie To Them

*Don't Forget That Carroll Gardeners Will Speak Out In Order To Protect Their Historical Brownstone Neighborhood

Below is an interesting article on the subject. It just appeared in The Real Deal.

In Carroll Gardens, neighborhood watch is for developers

Community activists reshape projects in Carroll Gardens

By Amy Miller

The gray, institutional-looking building that until recently sat at 340 Court Street in Carroll Gardens used to house the once-powerful International Longshoremen's Association.

But if the Clarett Group has its way, the aging building between Union and Sackett streets, which has already been demolished, will be replaced by a gleaming new 70-foot-high condo building with 30 to 40 new units.

The seven-story design is a scaled-back plan from Clarett's original vision. In many ways, the story of 340 Court Street encapsulates the neighborhood's real estate market, as ambitious developers trim their plans in the face of community opposition.

Even in a cooling market, Clarett is not the only one gambling on Carroll Gardens, a neighborhood that has managed to maintain some of its old-world Italian flair despite the hordes of young professionals and hipsters that have settled there.

Known for its limited inventory and established brownstone blocks, the area is also full of politically active neighborhood groups that closely watch empty lots and building applications submitted to the city.

Abe Klein is developing a 14-story condo at 100 Luquer Street. The Karl Fisher-designed tower is going up deep in the neighborhood, overlooking the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The building will have floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides and will include 20 condos.

The units are expected to go on the market this summer for between $755,000 and $850,000, Klein said. He added that neighbors haven't complained to his company, noting the buyers will probably be Wall Streeters who want to be close to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and BQE, and have easy access to work.

"I'm already getting calls," he said. "I don't think we will have a problem selling it, even in this market."

Yet on the Internet, the building's reception has been less than warm. On Curbed.com, the real estate site, the project has been dubbed the "Carroll Gardens Monstrosity." Readers have pointed out that even though the project is in a remote part of the neighborhood, the building is out of character with the four- to five-story buildings nearby.

Residents also rallied against a 49-unit project at 360 Smith Street, which is located near the Carroll Street subway station and is now under way in full force. The developer, William Stein, had originally tapped controversial architect Robert Scarano to design the glass-and-brick structure. But recently, Stein replaced Scarano with KSQ Architects and unveiled a scaled-down plan. That may have been in response to community activists, who seem to be effective at winning concessions.

But it's not just the building's design that has activists fuming. They're worried about losing a portion of the neighboring Smith Street Plaza to the project.

For the Court Street project, an online petition drive yielded nearly 1,100 signatures to push city officials to a impose a 50-foot-height restriction on all new construction in the neighborhood. In addition, neighbors registered 22 complaints with the Department of Buildings about construction at the site.

Those same locals also seem to have prompted the Clarett Group, which, according to city records, took out a $15.5 million mortgage on its property in February, to come forward with a proposal they hope will pass the community smell test.

The developers and architects faced about 200 mostly disgruntled residents at a public meeting in early April when they revealed designs for the project.

While a few residents thanked the developers for having the meeting, many walked away disappointed, Paul Nelson, chief of staff for state Assemblywoman Joan Millman said. Residents were particularly upset by the proposed condo's slate gray color, saying it would clash with the neighborhood's typically brown, earth-toned buildings.

"Many people were stunned by how dark it was," Nelson said. He added it was unclear whether Clarett representatives would appear at another public hearing.

Clarett declined to comment or provide artist renderings when contacted by The Real Deal, but officials there have said the project, designed by architect Rogers Marvel, will be seven stories rather than the allowable 21.

"The developers could have put up a 21-story building," Nelson said. "And we're very glad at least that they're not doing that. People feel very much under attack."

Clarett is also planning 14 four-story, single-family townhouses on Sackett and Union streets with relatively spacious front yards that fit in with the other homes in the neighborhood, Nelson said.

The project will also include ground-floor retail, which could reinvigorate the block. Nelson – who noted that nobody has seen the Clarett Group's renderings yet –said he is hoping the space is rented to a grocery story or post office.

Such big-time projects aren't the only ones drawing fire in Carroll Gardens. Angela Vita, owner and broker at Vita Real Estate on Court Street, said many residents are also angry about a seven-story brick condo at 11 2nd Place between Clinton and Henry streets.

Despite such neighborhood opposition, condo sales have been strong, suggesting that there is a market for this type of development.

The 11 condos on 2nd Place sold for between $600,000 for a one-bedroom unit and $1.3 million for the penthouse, Vita said. Also, all but two of the 18 condos at the recently completed Terraces on Court located at 529 Court Street have sold, Vita said in April. The last two apartments, both two-bedroom units in the five-story, beige-brick project, are on the market for $659,000.

Meanwhile, Vita said the owner of a parking lot at 260 Smith Street and Degraw Street plans to turn his property into a 44-unit residential project. But, she said he hasn't decided whether to rent or sell units. But, given that project's location, the Carroll Gardens community groups will likely weigh in on that decision, too.

"This is a very politically active community," Nelson said. "So if you're doing something wrong, you're going to hear about it. They love their neighborhood and just want to make sure everything has been done right."

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking Read more

Court Street Festival This Sunday

Whatever your plans for this week-end, don't miss the Court Street Festival on Sunday, May 4th. Court Street will be closed from Union Street to 9th Street to make room for about 200 vendors. There will be children's rides and music and lots of food. It starts at 12 and will go till 6 Pm.
See you there?

Sunday is also the day for the Five Borough Bike tour, so getting around the neighborhood will be a bit difficult. The 76th Precinct has issued the following traffic alert for Sunday, May 4, 2014:

Please be advised that traffic in our area will be affected by following two separate events this weekend, both on Sunday, May 4, 2014:

1. Five Borough Bike Tour - Cyclists will be travelling throughout all five boroughs causing Street and Highway closures. In our area, Atlantic Avenue, between the BQE Eastbound Entrance ramps and the dead end at the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Columbia Street, between Atlantic Avenue and Congress Street will be closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic from approximately 8:00 am, through 3:30 pm.

2. Court Street Festival - Court Street, between Union Street and W. 9th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for the street fair from approximately 8:00 am, through 8:00 pm, to accommodate set-up and clean-up. Additionally, all side streets leading into the festival route on Court Street, from Smith Street and from Clinton Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic. The B57 Bus that runs southbound on Court Street will be re-routed via a left turn off Court Street onto Union Street, a right turn onto 3rd Avenue, a right turn onto W. 9th Street, a left turn back onto Court Street and then will continue onto it's regular route. It will make all the corresponding stops along 3rd Avenue.

Please plan ahead accordingly and allow extra time if you intend on driving this Sunday in the affected areas.




Read more

New Building Rising At Site Of Illegal Tear-Down On Smith Street, But Not Without Problems.

200 Smith sStreet in early 2010

The site in Ovtober 2010 after the building was demolished illegally 

September 2012. The site with new steel frame going up

Many of you may remember the three-story, aluminum-clad house that once stood at number 200 Smith Street, at the corner of Baltic Street. It's ground floor retail space was home to a string of restaurants, the most recent being Jennie's Brooklyn Kitchen.

In 2009, architect Shiming Tam filed permits for a horizontal enlargement of the three-story building with NYC Department Of Buildings and scaffolding went up shortly afterwards.

But instead of adding to the third floor, the entire building was demolished overnight and the debris was carted away before anyone knew what had happened.

The DOB issued a complete stop work order for demolition without required permits in December 2010. The agency accepted a certificate of correction in May 2011.

New plans for a three story, two dwelling apartment house were by new architect Jon K Yung of MY-Architect in August, but they were disapproved.

However, just in the few weeks, construction at the site has started again. A steel frame has been errected and brick work has commenced on the first story.

Promptly, the DOB issued a partial stop work order for expired scaffolding on September 20th, 2012.

At this rate, it will be a while before a new building is completed.

Read more