"Court Street Tavern" : New Owners Of Former P.J. Hanley's On Court Street Hit With Stop Work Order For Doing Construction Without Proper Permits

Stop Work Order from NYC DoB

Just days after the Body Elite Gym building collapsed at 348 Court Street at the corner of Union Street in carroll Gardens , PMFA received an email from a reader in regards to the building at 449-451 Court Street that housed the former Irish Tavern P.J. Hanley, one of Brooklyn's oldest.

The reader reported:
"I’m not sure of who the new owners of Hanley’s are and I do not need to make any enemies, that being said we all saw the Body by Elite building collapse. The new owners of Hanleys just had a Stop Work Order issued because they did not get permits for their demolition and alteration work. One of the items was failure to file permits for work to reinforce the main girder structural beam in the cellar supporting the first floor Itself. The work may have been done properly but by not filing a permit a city inspector would never review the work, this is dangerous. Hanleys has been vacant too long. I can’t wait for it to reopen. I wish the new owners had done things by the book. They will now be delayed. Their liquor license has yet to be granted, this will not help. "

Sure enough! The New York City Department Of Buildings did indeed issue a Stop Work order after an Emergency Response Team visited  the address and discovered that recent  structural, electric and plumbing work on the ground floor retail space and the basement had been done without permits. In addition, a support beam may have been compromised.

The commercial space has been empty since 2014, so the community was excited when it became known this past fall that a new business had taken over.
In November, representatives of the new venture came in front of Community Board 6's Permits and Licenses Committee to ask for an "on-premise" liquor license,  Thee Committee voted to recommend approval to the NYS Liquor Authority.

Matthew Shendell of the Paige Hospitality Group, which also owns The Ainsworth, a small chain of restaurants in Manhattan, seemed to be behind the business.

The new family friendly restaurant was first supposed to be named Flora, but according to new signs in the windows, it has been renamed "Court Street Tavern." 

Construction work at this address has been going on for a while, including during the City's Covid-19 lockdown, as another reader reported and which we witnessed ourselves on May 3rd, when all construction was stopped in the city.

Photos showing work at the site during the City's shutdown on May 3rd, 2020

As much as we would like to see a thriving new tavern at this location, we are concerned that the  business failed to secure the necessary building's permits and that the place could have easily opened to patrons while structurally unsound. It does not speak well of the operators.

This corner location of Carroll Gardens has had its fair share of problems in the past.

Many in the neighborhood may remember  McGown, the previous commercial tenant of 449-451 Court Street.

McGown, known as 'the bankruptcy baron' for the trail of failed businesses and real estate investments he left in New York City, took over Hanley's in 2005. By February 2013, he filed for Chapter 11 for the bar. Months before, he had done the same for his South Brooklyn Pizza chain that occupied the retail space next door at 451 Court Street.

Rather than vacate the premises to return it to the Hanley family, he remodeled the space (without permits) and renamed the bar Goldenrod.

The matter ended in court when the Hanley family accused McGown of having "breached his lease by making substantial alterations without getting consent from the building owner or the Department of Buildings" and for paying rent only sporadically. The Hanleys began eviction proceedings and City Marshals finally seized the property in November 2014.

The place has been empty since then. 

The entire building was up for sale in 2019 for $6,750,000. It was being marketed by Meridian Capital Group. We could not determine if it sold yet.

courtesy of Meridian Capital Group

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Empty For Years, The Former P.J. Hanley's Soon To Become Flora, A Family Friendly Restaurant

The former Irish tavern P.J. Hanley at 449 Court Street on the corner of Third Street has stood empty. since 2014. In the past few years, the bar, one of Brooklyn's oldest, was tangled in a messy bankruptcy proceeding between the Hanley family, who owns the building, and the last tenant of the commercial space, James McGown.
(Many may better remember McGown as the owner of 320 Court Street, which housed Buschenschank for a number of years.)

McGown, known as 'the bankruptcy baron' for the trail of failed businesses and real estate investments he left in New York City, took over Hanley's in 2005. By February 2013, he filed for Chapter 11 for the bar. Months before, he had done the same for his South Brooklyn Pizza chain that occupied the retail space next door at 451 Court Street.

Rather than vacate the premises to return it to the Hanley family, he remodeled the space (without permits) and renamed the bar Goldenrod.

The matter ended in court when the Hanley family accused McGown of having "breached his lease by making substantial alterations without getting consent from the building owner or the Department of Buildings" and for paying rent only sporadically. The Hanleys began eviction proceedings and City Marshals finally seized the property in November 2014.
The place has been empty since then.

That may soon change. Last night, representatives of a new venture at this location gave members of Community Board 6's Permits and Licenses Committee a presentation for an on-premise liquor license. (The Committee voted to recommend approval to the NYS Liquor Authority.

The new family friendly restaurant is to be named FLORA. It is a new venture by Matthew Shendell of the Paige Hospitality Group, which also owns The Ainsworth, a small chain of restaurants in Manhattan.

Flora's menu will mostly offer standard American cuisine and will offer a raw bar, big salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes and steaks. The restaurant will be serving lunch and dinner, brunch on week-ends. 

The side yard will allow for outdoor seating.  Flora will also occupy the former South Brooklyn Pizza space at 251 Court Street, so it will be a rather large venue for Carroll Gardens standarts.

Interestingly enough, the entire building is currently for sale for $6,750,000.  It is being marketed by Meridian Capital Group.

courtesy of Meridian Capital Group

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Picture Of The Day: Limbo

Weeds growing over the wood benches in P.J. Hanley's side yard on Court Street at 4th Place

The gastro-pub has been closed for well over two years now.

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The 2013 'Girls Write Now' Oscars Party To Be Held At PJ Hanley's

Reader Elaine reached out to let me know of a charity event for Girls Write Now, which will be held right here in Carroll Gardens.   Founded in 1998, the organization "pairs professional women writers with at-risk and under-served NYC teenage girls for a writing and mentoring relationship."

Its a worthwhile organization and a fun event, so please consider attending and/or donation.

More details below:

The 2013 Girls Write Now Oscars Party

Please join us for light food, drinks, great raffle prizes,

and the Academy Awards on multiple TV screens.

Sunday, February 24, 7 PM

From red carpet coverage until the show ends!

PJ Hanley's

449 Court Street at 4th Place, Brooklyn, NY 11231

F train to Carroll Street, walk one block to Court Street and make a left

Tickets

$25 in advance, $30 at the door

includes light food and one drink

RSVP on Facebook

Buy tickets in advance here: http://oscars2013gwn.eventbrite.com/

All proceeds from the event will support Girls Write Now,

celebrating fifteen years of mentoring the next generation of women writers.

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Community Board 6 Votes To Deny Sidewalk Café License For Buschenschank

(Buschenschank owners in front of CB6 Permit and License Committee last night)

Members of Community Board 6 's Permits and Licenses Committee voted to deny a sidewalk café license for Buschenschank, the pseudo-Tyrolian beer pub at 320 Court Street at a meeting held at the Prospect Park YMCA last night. The establishment had requested a permit for an additional 18 tables and 48 chairs for the outside area. 

Several members of the community had taken the time to show up at the meeting to tell the Committee that Buschenschank was a terribly noisy neighbor and that, on warm days, the eatery actually removes all of its windows, allowing loud music to escape from the establishment. One resident pointed out that the establishment was operating like an open-air beer garden. Another resident suggested that, with the windows wide open, Buschenschank already had a sidewalk café of sorts.

Noise complaints were not the only problem. It was pointed out that there are currently quite a few open NYC Building's Department violations noted for the building housing the bar. In addition,  when asked, the owners confirmed that they do not have a Place Of Assembly Permit, though they clearly have more than 75 people (including staff) in their establishment on a busy night. (The owner denied that they exceed that capacity.)

Glenn Kelly, one of the Committee member pointed out to the owners of Buschenschank that, according to NYC Department Of Environmental Protection's rules, a restaurant or bar's doors and windows are to be kept closed at all times to prevent noise from escaping onto the sidewalk. Asked if they would keep those windows closed from now on, the owners seemed defiant and said "no". "If that was a rule, how come we never got a violation from DEP at Buschenschank or at our other place, P.J. Hanley's?"

Committee member Lou Sones asked if the owners intended to close the windows during the summer, when the air conditioner would be running. The owners again said "No." Sones informed them that that was a violation as well, which did not seem to impress the owners much.

Their cavalier attitude and their arrogance did not sit well with members of the Board. "You seem to be willing to make getting tickets part of your business strategy at the expense of the community," Committee member Joe Porcelli told them.

In related new, the Commmittee approved a sidewalk café license for both Café Bruno on Henry Street as well as for Marco Polo on Court Street.

The Committee also voted to renew a sidewalk café license for Abelene, but, since the Community Board had received several complaints about the bar, the owner was asked to follow DEP rules and keep its large windows closed.

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P.J. Hanley's Sanitation Inspection Grade Not Quite So Pending

One of my readers recently pointed out to me that P.J. Hanley's at 449 Court Street at the corner of 4th Street, has been displaying a sign in its window indicating that its Sanitation Inspection Grade from the New York City Department Of Health was 'pending'.  
The sign, according to the reader has been there for quite some time, although the Health Department has issued the bar/restaurant a C grade in August 2011, when Hanley's earned 33 violation points during an inspection.  A re-inspection on January 4, 2012 did not improve matters.  It was still issued 32 violation points for, amongst other things, adulterated, contaminated raw and cooked meat, as well as evidence of mice and filth flies.
Just a few days ago, someone else sent me a photo taken of a make-shift open fire pit, which had been assembled on the sidewalk last week-end right in front of Hanley's.  (When I walked by two days ago, it was disassembled and stored in the side courtyard.)  
Besides pointing out the obvious health and fire hazard, the reader wrote: "I can't for the life of me understand why this community puts up with their flagrant abuse of the law."

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P.J. Hanley's Neighbors In For Rough St. Patty's Night As Tavern Expands Its Tented Real Estate

For most, Saint Patrick's Day means wearing green, having fun and going out to drink. That goes without saying. Even here in Carroll Gardens, a neighborhood that was home to a large Irish population before it became predominantly Italian, many will celebrate the night away. That's cool.

P.J. Hanley's at 449 Court Street, is certainly expecting a huge crowd tonight. To accommodate everyone for St. Patrick's Day, they have erected a huge tent over their already tented courtyard, and it extends all the way onto the sidewalk. (Are they allowed to do that? Just asking...)

The tavern, founded in 1875, has been using its side courtyard as outdoor seating for a couple of years now. A few summer seasons ago, the owners covered part of the yard with a big semi-permanent tent, so that they could extend the season and increase seating in their establishment, even when the weather was not co-operating.

As the saying goes, one man's pleasure is another man's pain. One has to feel bad for Hanley's neighbors. It's bound to be a very, very loud and sleepless night for them.

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