Month: April 2007

The Finger Building Gets Dressed

After years of (rightfully) fighting against the context-busting Finger Building, it will be interesting to see what the (chopped off) finished product looks like. Soon, perhaps – the building is getting its skin on. And that skin is a terra-cotta rain screen, from the looks of it, though its not clear what happens between the panels.

And here’s the big question – will the building look like a chopped down tower, or did the architect revise the design to account for the lower height? (Or, will the owner just leave a bunch of I-beams poking through the roof, taunting the neighborhood with the possibilities of future growth…)

LPC to Calendar Cluster of Greenpoint Buildings

A good start.

One of the beautiful things about this designation – if it happens – is that provides a balance to the neighboring Greenpoint Historic District. The Eberhard Factory factory, along with the dozens of other factories, shipyards, refineries, etc. throughout Greenpoint provided the capital that paid the salaries of the managers who lived in what is now the Greenpoint Historic District.

Workers’ housing is woefully underrepresented when it comes to Landmarks designations – but in Greenpoint we have the Astral Apartments, an apartment building constructed by Charles Pratt as worker housing, and an individual Landmark.

Waterlogged

GowanusLounge has some interesting maps up, showing the vulnerable areas of Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Not surprisingly, an understanding of historical geography helps to make sense of it all. Obviously, the coastal blocks are all inundated in a Cat1 storm or higher. But upland, the effects are different block by block. The area immediately around the Bushwick Inlet, as far inland as Berry, would also be flooded in a Cat1 storm. Further inland, a Cat2 storm out past McCarren Park to Withers Street, and south along Union to Grand. Its not coincidental that that pattern corresponds exactly to the footprint of the old Bushwick Inlet that we noted earlier.

Elsewhere, much of Greenpoint would be underwater in a Cat2 storm, but most of Williamsburg to either side of Grand Street would not be effected until Cat4 or Cat5, if at all. This makes sense if you know that Williamsburg once had a bluff running along the line of what is today Bedford Avenue, and that Greenpoint was mostly uninhabitable (and inaccessible) swampland until developer Neziah Bliss came along.

Quadriad: Still waiting

04/12/2007 | 2 Comments

quadriad.jpg
Quadriad controls the vacant lot in the foreground, but not the skeleton beyond.
(Photo: rsguskind)

Quadriad was back at Community Board #1 last night, but that’s about the only news.

When Henry Wollman of Quadriad met with CB1’s Land Use committee in early March, he promised to bring a full presentation to the Board. Last night, Wollman brought a lot of words but very few details.

What we do know from the Land Use meeting in March is this:

Quadriad now only proposes to develop the half block site on North 3rd between Bedford and Berry. Despite past claims that they “controlled” the north half of the block (fronting on North 4th), Quadriad is only developing the south half of the block (“for now”).

Quadriad’s project is now simply an effort to generate affordable housing. Prior community enticements, such as charter schools, fire houses, public “open space” and so on are off the table.

As before, Quadriad proposes to eschew all government subsidies, tax breaks, etc. In other words, they will use the profits from market-rate housing to generate affordable housing. And they will use this project as a model for future projects throughout the city.

Quadriad is proposing to build more or less to the as-of-right envelope on Bedford Avenue (5 to 7 stories), and to develop “townhouses” along North 3rd. At the corner of Berry and North 3rd, Quadriad is proposing a 20-story tower (the not as-of-right part of the project that would require a rezoning).

The numbers – roughly – are 250 units total, with 90 of those set aside for affordable housing (both rental and condo). (A strictly as-of-right project would yield 80 market-rate units, so in order to generate 90 units of affordable housing, they need to more than triple the number of housing units in the project.)

Again with the numbers – as of right, the site would allow an FAR of about 2.4 – Quadriad proposes something on the order of 7.0 FAR. Again, in order to generate 90 units of affordable housing, Quadriad needs to almost triple the density.

So what did we learn last night? Few new details and no plans, despite their promise to give a “full” presentation to the Board. Instead, Quadriad will send board members a glossy-covered book of details “next week”.

Wollman did provide the following new information:

Quadriad has formally partnered with the People’s Firehouse as their local development partner. PF’s members have voiced their support for the project in the past, so this is not entirely a surprise.

Quadriad also relayed a vague statement from Churches United, asking the board to “keep an open mind”.

Quadriad will break ground on an as-of-right project on August 8.

In “late July”, Quadriad will formally apply to the City Planning Commission to rezone their half block on North 3rd. Quadriad was very clear that the rezoning is only for this one parcel – they are not trying to rezone the entire block, nor are they looking to rezone other sites in the neighborhood.

Beyond that, though, we all just have to wait and see.

More background:

Fear of Heights [Village Voice]

Two Sides… [Greenpoint Star]



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Giving away the firehouse

The City Planning Commission voted yesterday to allow the City to sell a number of firehouses – including our own Engine 212 – with no strings attached. The Community Board, Councilmember Yassky and local activists have pushed hard to keep these buildings be preserved and remain a part of the community – either as firehouses, community centers, affordable housing, etc. What we object to the most is the idea that these firehouses would be sold to the highest bidder, which invariably will mean luxurycondos, and no benefit to the community.

In the case of 212, the building has a highly significant social history as the focal point of community activism in the 1970s. And, its a handsome building.

The light at the end of the tunnel here is that both HPD and EDC have put “holds” on the disposition of the firehouses. A task force of community, council and administration reps has been established to help figure out the best use for these buildings. But through its action yesterday, CPC has cleared the way for a no-strings attached disposition if the task force process should fall through.

Out of Plumb on Metropolitan

04/07/2007 |

MetroPlumb.JPG

349 Metropolitan Avenue.

I don’t particularly want to get into the habit of outing questionable construction practices (that’s been keeping plenty of other people busy of late), but couldn’t pass up this little gem. Over at 349 Metropolitan Avenue (between Roebling & Havemeyer), things are looking a little out of plumb. That steel post to the left of the street light is about two-stories tall, and is only attached by two plates at its base. From the looks of it, someone forgot to tighten the bolts before they knocked off work yesterday.

And, yes, this is the same building site that had a crane collapse during a steel delivery a couple of months back.

This type of stuff shouldn’t happen anywhere, but its particularly disturbing on a major thoroughfare like Metropolitan Avenue.

citiMap



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