TD Bank Branch Will Open In New Union Sackett Building At 340 Court Street This Saturday

The windows of the ground floor commercial space at 340 Court Street in the new Union/ Sackett building have been plastered with TD Bank posters announcing a new branch opening for quite a few months now.
Apparently, the branch will officially open its doors this coming Saturday, October 25th.  TDBank is sending out invitations to local residents for the grand celebration with a promise of gifts for the first 100 customers.
Forget the gifts.  Most of us are probably more interested in finding out if this branch has a free coin counting machine.

By the way, what is your experience with our neighborhood banks? Does one stand out for customer service?
And here is another question for you: Why don't most banks with branches in Carroll Gardens offer mortgages or home equity loans for three family homes in a neighborhood full of such buildings?



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TD Bank Coming Soon to Court Street

A while back, it was announced that TD Bank will be occupying part of the commercial ground floor space in the new Union Sackett development. The bank's new Court Street branch will be opening soon. This accord to posters that were just plastered on the storefront's windows yesterday afternoon. The space inside still looks rather unfinished, so it may still take some weeks before the grand opening.
In the meantime, the two other commercial spaces are now occupied by medical offices and an urgent care clinic.

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Sackett Union Condo Building: Nice Landscaping, But...

Late this summer, before the first owners moved into Sackett Union, Carroll Gardens' newest  luxury development, the outside of the main building was nicely landscaped.  Rather than restoring the original tree pits along Court Street,  a continuous border that runs the length of the building has been installed along the sidewalk.  Liriope has been planted between the trees and the whole border has been mulched.
The effect is quite nice, but there is a bit of a problem with the landscaping.
Here is an email from a PMFA reader who explains:

"While I think that the new building on Court btwn Sackett and Union meant well with their landscaping, it is adjacent to the curb for almost the whole block. It makes it impossible to get out of the passenger side of a car without trampling it, and will be more so once it snows. Is this even allowed per NYC sidewalk regulations?Wondering if anyone else has noticed this."

Yes, others have noticed as well. A few other people in the neighborhood have brought it to our attention in the last few weeks.
As for the legality, I am not quite sure if it violates NYC sidewalk regulations.  It may be part of New York City's Green Infrastructure Plan, a storm water management plan that aims to keep storm water out of our sewer system.
Large planting beds or tree pits on sidewalks certainly help absorb rainwater. That's a good thing. But obviously, the solution to one problem creates another.

Does anyone have an answer?



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'Union Sackett' Condo Development In Carroll Gardens Getting A Brownstone Treatment

Artist rendering of 'Union Sackett' Condo Building. Image credit courtesy of Alchemy Properties

view from Court Street at the corner of Union Street

Union Street side

from Court Street and Sackett Street

Work on  Union Sackett, the 32 unit condominium development on Court Street between Union and Sackett Streets has steadily progressed all through winter and finally, the 7-story building is getting its façade.   Whereas the top floors of this Rogers Marvel-designed building are clad in glass, the lower floors are getting  a 'brownstone' treatment.   Large dark brown panels are currently being installed on the Union Street side as well as on the Sackett Street side.  Just yesterday, the first such panels have gone up on the side facing Court Street.

The treatment is infinitely better than the dark, unappealing façade originally proposed in 2008 by Roger Marvel and The Clarett Group, the first developer of the site.

When Alchemy Properties, the firm which took over the stalled project after Clarett pulled out, members of the community met with Alchemy's President Kenneth Horn to address some concerns, notably to ask that his firm consider an alternate treatment.
At the meeting in June 2011, Horn had agreed that the façade needed to be improved. "The building will not be black" he stated. "It will be significantly lighter."

Though the height of the building certainly is still out of character with the rest of Carroll Gardens, the 'brownstone' treatment is an obvious attempt to make it blend into the surrounding brownstone neighborhood a bit better

The project also includes 11 one to two-family townhouses on both Sackett and Union Street. Below is a rendering of what they will look like when completed.

It has been announced that T.D. Bank will take over the building's ground floor.

Artist rendering of 'Union Sackett' townhouses on Union Street.

Image credit courtesy of Alchemy Properties

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