The Landmark at Strong Place

From the March issue: The old church at 58 Strong Place in Brooklyn hasn’t hosted a mass in years — but lately, Sunday crowds are back.

Those flocking to the 160-year-old building aren’t worshippers, not in the usual sense. They’re there for open houses at the Landmark at Strong Place, the church’s new name as of December, when it opened for sales as Cobble Hill’s latest big condo building.

In a neighborhood where new construction is rare, sales have been strong, the project’s representatives at Brooklyn Bridge Realty say. Of its 23 units, Saul Retig, an associate broker at the firm, said 10 were in contract as of mid-February. [more]

A Brooklyn Heights building’s transformation from office to residential space has begun, according to Brownstoner. Although developers garnered approval to convert 75 Clinton Street, a one-time bankruptcy court location, into an apartment building in 2007, the plan stalled for unknown reasons. The conversion plans, as written in 2007, call for the addition of six floors to the top of the structure. No word yet on how many units it will contain or whether it will be rental or for-sale.

Tenants in Midtown are renewing leases or converting their subleases to direct leases. Law firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz renewed its 240,930-square-foot lease at 51 West 52nd Street for 10 years. Showtime Networks renewed a 15-year lease of 202,495 square feet at 1633 Broadway at 51st Street. The Real Deal reported in June that the company was also considering a move to 200 Fifth Avenue. Magazine publishing company Bonnier Corporation has converted its 100,750-square-foot sublease at 2 Park Avenue at 32nd Street to a direct lease. [more]