Sotheby's International Realty President Philip White, Warren Lewis President Aroza Sanjana and Warren Lewis' Park Slope office

Brooklyn-based Warren Lewis Realty has joined the Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate network, Sotheby’s announced today, and will operate as Warren Lewis Sotheby’s International Realty. The 25-year-old, previously independently owned firm has two offices: one at 123A Seventh Avenue in Park Slope and another it opened earlier this year at 299 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. [more]

The 6/15 Green garden in Park Slope

Park Slope, Brooklyn residents are upset that a new four-story condominium building planned to rise near the corner of Sixth Avenue and 15th Street will limit how much sun a popular community garden next door can get, the Wall Street Journal reported. The garden, called 6/15 Green, is filled with plants that require sunlight, residents say. [more]

470 Vanderbilt Avenue rendering

The Barclays Center has made some unlikely real estate into potentially very profitable space, the New York Times and Real Estate Weekly reported. The building, at 470 Vanderbilt at the corner of Atlantic Avenue, is shopping for a large retail tenant, Real Estate Weekly said, to take 21,500 square feet of space. GFI Development is looking for tenants looking to capitalize on what is almost certain to be an influx of pedestrian traffic when the Barclays Center arrives. [more]

A rendering of the residential tower and MaryAnne Gilmartin

Forest City Ratner believes modular construction will grow increasingly common in New York City high rise development and that’s one reason the firm has established a modular factory in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, GlobeSt.com reported. Speaking yesterday at a Real Estate Lenders Association conference, MaryAnne Gilmartin, an executive vice president at Forest City Ratner, said utilizing modular construction for the 34-story, 340,000-square-foot residential building set to rise in Atlantic Yards could cut the construction time of the project by one-third to just 12 months. Even as costs are reduced, the construction method won’t impact future tenants in the rental building, she said. [more]

Marty Markowitz and Haus 96

A small Prospect Heights development earned a nod from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz for its energy efficient design. Markowitz singled out the four-unit redevelopment project at 96 St. Marks Avenue, called Haus 96, that’s gunning to meet “Passive House” requirements.

To meet those criteria, developer Brendan Aguayo is outfitting the four-story brownstone with air-tight, densely packed insulation while maintaining continuous fresh air ventilation. As a result, the Ken Levenson-designed building will use 60 to 70 percent less energy and 90 percent less heat. [more]

From left: Mikhail Prokhorov and the Barclays Center

The Russian billionaire who owns the soon-to-be-Brooklyn Nets has big plans for the borough, but no intention of moving to it, the Brooklyn Paper reported. Mikhail Prokhorov, the 58th wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes Magazine, will not be buying a pad for himself to use when he visits for Nets games at the huge Prospect Heights-area stadium set to open this September. [more]

Islanders star John Tavares and a rendering of the Barclays Center

If flailing attendance and an aging facility don’t force the New York Islanders to the Barclays Center, an asbestos scare at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum might be the final impetus. The Brooklyn Paper reported that a state investigation found the arena has small amounts of the fiber, in seating areas, hallways and catwalks, that’s believed to cause cancer. [more]

A rendering of the Park Slope building

For once, Park Slope residents aren’t complaining about a high-tech, glass-enclosed residential building slated to rise in their neighborhood, the Brooklyn Paper reported, because it’s planned to be completely powered by sun and wind energy.

The four-story building will begin rising this summer at Fifth Avenue and Fifth Street. It’s slated to include six rental apartments, ranging from $1,600 to $2,600 in rent, above a ground-floor bar, lounge and restaurant. [more]

From left: J. Crew's Jenna Lyons, Vince Clarke and the interior of 178 Garfield Place

Jenna Lyons, the J. Crew creative director and president who famously made waves in the fashion industry when she filed for divorce from her husband last year after falling for another woman, has sold the impressive seven-bedroom townhouse in Park Slope she shared with her husband, according to public records filed with the city today. [more]

Diane Ramirez, president of Halstead

Halstead Property has purchased two smaller firms in Cobble Hill and Park Slope, where it is expanding its Brooklyn business, according to a statement from the company today.

With the purchase of Cobble Heights Realty and Heights Berkeley Realty, Halstead now has five storefront offices in the borough, bringing the total number of Halstead’s tri-state offices to 23. [more]