Wednesday, December 11, 2013

And It's Gone: Small Wooden House On Smith Street Bites The Dust

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Photos taken last week above.
And photos taken this afternoon.
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This won't come as a surprise to most, but the three-story mixed use building at 159 Smith Street, between Wycoff and Bergen Streets in Boerum Hill, has now totally been demolished, leaving a rather sad hole on that block.

Strange how a NYC's Department of Building's permit for a two story addition resulted in the total demo of this decrepit, but sweet little house. It was the only wood clad building on the block and was most certainly the original building on that site.

I first posted photos of 159 Smith Street last week, when it became clear that it was in the process of being taken down.

Some see this as progress. I see it as a bloody shame.

Click on the links below for more photos of the building.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the permit allows a 2 story add on, then I believe they have violated that permit by tearing it all down. What do you all think?

Katia said...

That's what I would think. At the very least, there should have been demo permits. And the workers should have been wearing protective gear and facial masks.

Anonymous said...

I really don't care what the workers wear or don't wear. Has anyone called 311 to say that the demo violates the DOB permit? Judging for what has been written on this blog, the answer is "No". It seems that it is easier to write an aricle or write a comment than to make a phone call to 311 and maybe get some action. It is too late save the building,but maybe, just maybe the developer/builder can be made to pay for his "work".

Katia said...

Anonymous,
Please feel free to call 311. I have found it an exercise in futility to spend half an hour on the phone talking to someone who has not the slightest idea of DoB rules, then waiting for an inspector to show up three months after the fact, just to dismiss the complaint.

I do find it much more efficient to record the demo and to publish the photos so that everyone can see them, in the hope that they find their way back to the DoB.

Anonymous said...

I have been out of town & just read your response which is a cop out. Its really easy to bitch and leave the "hard work" of calling 311 to others. This blog & you used to care about Carroll Gardens and the surrounding neighborhoods. I guess that was a passing phase

Katia said...

Still care about the community, that's why I spend hours upon hours documenting, photographing and writing about it.

What have you done for your neighborhood lately?