Category: Linked

AG Sues Developer of 57 Maspeth

Shoddy construction from circa 2006, the real boom times in Williamsburg condo construction. Based on the number of condos that went up between 2004 and 2008, the fast pace of construction and low level of oversight, this is probably not an outlier.

Schneiderman is seeking $1.3 million in payback for unit owners – to cover the alleged damage and $75,000 in legal and professional fees – as well as an $85,000 penalty that would go to the state, and an order that would effectively permanently ban Schwartz from selling condos in New York State.

[via Brownstoner]

Lingerie on Bedford

Northside Gourmet Deli – which replaced an old-line bodega only a couple of years ago – is gone, and in its place is a second outlet for Brooklyn Fox Lingerie.

Music Workshop on North 6th

Matt Chaban tells us what’s going on at the old sawdust factory at the corner of North 6th and Wythe (hint: it’s not another luxury condo).

War on Brunch: First Blood

As ridiculous as the law (and it’s enforcement) is, one has to ask – who is eating brunch at 9:35 on a wet and windy Sunday morning?

The War on Brunch

It seems that many local restaurants are flouting laws prohibiting brunch operation of sidewalk cafes before noon on Sunday, and that has some people in the community calling for a crackdown.

This is bulls—, it’s not good,” said Lokal owner Gino Kutluca

What he said.

Pfizer Sells, But Not to Local Groups

Pfizer has sent a letter notifying Community Board 1 that they have reached an agreement to sell the last remaining large parcels of land from the drug giant’s ancestral home. The agreement is with a group called 306 Rutledge Street II LLC, a “company acting on behalf of investors who have deep roots in the local community”. The LLC, which has a mailing address of 173 Wallabout Street, appears to have formed within the past week or so.

I have been told that these investors are not the coalition of community groups who had offered Pfizer $10 million for the properties, with plans to develop the sites as affordable housing. Although Pfizer’s letter offered few details, they specifically did not mention housing, affordable or otherwise.

338 Berry Tenants to be Evicted?

The residents of 338 Berry Street (the old Tung Fa Noodle building) bought themselves some time in 2004, but as a result, may be missing out the loft-law protections that were enacted in 2010:

Seeing the writing on the wall, the residents of the building’s work-live lofts signed agreements with the previous landlord allowing them to stay until 2011.

But in 2010 the state revised the Loft Law — to put such artist-occupied spaces under rent stabilization.

The Berry Street tenants claim the legislation supersedes their agreement. But Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Bert Bunyan two weeks ago sided with the current landlord, Mona Gora-Friedman, who wants to show them the door…

The 2010 Loft Law revision qualified the Berry Street lofts for rent-stabilization protection – but it was too late. Bunyan determined the new law didn’t contain language allowing for it to override the tenants’ 2004 agreement.

[Via Brownstoner]