The gray, institutional-looking building that until recently sat at
340 Court Street in Carroll Gardens used to house the once-powerful
International Longshoremen’s Association.
But if the Clarett
Group has its way, the aging building between Union and Sackett
streets, which has already been demolished, will be replaced by a
gleaming new 70-foot-high condo building with 30 to 40 new units.
The seven-story design
is a scaled-back plan from Clarett’s original vision. In many ways, the
story of 340 Court Street encapsulates the neighborhood’s real estate
market, as ambitious developers trim their plans in the face of
community opposition.
Even in a cooling
market, Clarett is not the only one gambling on Carroll Gardens, a
neighborhood that has managed to maintain some of its old-world Italian
flair despite the hordes of young professionals and hipsters that have
settled there.
Known for its limited
inventory and established brownstone blocks, the area is also full of
politically active neighborhood groups that closely watch empty lots
and building applications submitted to the city.
Abe Klein is developing
a 14-story condo at 100 Luquer Street. The Karl Fisher-designed tower
is going up deep in the neighborhood, overlooking the Brooklyn-Queens
Expressway. The building will have floor-to-ceiling glass on three
sides and will include 20 condos.
The units are expected
to go on the market this summer for between $755,000 and $850,000,
Klein said. He added that neighbors haven’t complained to his company,
noting the buyers will probably be Wall Streeters who want to be close
to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and BQE, and have easy access to work.
“I’m already getting calls,” he said. “I don’t think we will have a problem selling it, even in this market.”
Yet
on the Internet, the building’s reception has been less than warm. On
Curbed.com, the real estate site, the project has been dubbed the
“Carroll Gardens Monstrosity.” Readers have pointed out that even
though the project is in a remote part of the neighborhood, the
building is out of character with the four- to five-story buildings
nearby.
Residents also rallied
against a 49-unit project at 360 Smith Street, which is located near
the Carroll Street subway station and is now under way in full force.
The developer, William Stein, had originally tapped controversial
architect Robert Scarano to design the glass-and-brick structure. But
recently, Stein replaced Scarano with KSQ Architects and unveiled a
scaled-down plan. That may have been in response to community
activists, who seem to be effective at winning concessions.
But it’s not just the
building’s design that has activists fuming. They’re worried about
losing a portion of the neighboring Smith Street Plaza to the project.
For the Court Street
project, an online petition drive yielded nearly 1,100 signatures to
push city officials to a impose a 50-foot-height restriction on all new
construction in the neighborhood. In addition, neighbors registered 22
complaints with the Department of Buildings about construction at the
site.
Those same locals also
seem to have prompted the Clarett Group, which, according to city
records, took out a $15.5 million mortgage on its property in February,
to come forward with a proposal they hope will pass the community smell
test.
The developers and
architects faced about 200 mostly disgruntled residents at a public
meeting in early April when they revealed designs for the project.
While a few residents
thanked the developers for having the meeting, many walked away
disappointed, Paul Nelson, chief of staff for state Assemblywoman Joan
Millman said. Residents were particularly upset by the proposed condo’s
slate gray color, saying it would clash with the neighborhood’s
typically brown, earth-toned buildings.
“Many people were
stunned by how dark it was,” Nelson said. He added it was unclear
whether Clarett representatives would appear at another public hearing.
Clarett declined to comment or provide artist renderings when contacted by The Real Deal,
but officials there have said the project, designed by architect Rogers
Marvel, will be seven stories rather than the allowable 21.
“The developers could
have put up a 21-story building,” Nelson said. “And we’re very glad at
least that they’re not doing that. People feel very much under attack.”
Clarett is also planning
14 four-story, single-family townhouses on Sackett and Union streets
with relatively spacious front yards that fit in with the other homes
in the neighborhood, Nelson said.
The project will also
include ground-floor retail, which could reinvigorate the block. Nelson
– who noted that nobody has seen the Clarett Group’s renderings yet
–said he is hoping the space is rented to a grocery story or post
office.
Such big-time projects
aren’t the only ones drawing fire in Carroll Gardens. Angela Vita,
owner and broker at Vita Real Estate on Court Street, said many
residents are also angry about a seven-story brick condo at 11 2nd
Place between Clinton and Henry streets.
Despite such
neighborhood opposition, condo sales have been strong, suggesting that
there is a market for this type of development.
The 11 condos on 2nd
Place sold for between $600,000 for a one-bedroom unit and $1.3 million
for the penthouse, Vita said. Also, all but two of the 18 condos at the
recently completed Terraces on Court located at 529 Court Street have
sold, Vita said in April. The last two apartments, both two-bedroom
units in the five-story, beige-brick project, are on the market for
$659,000.
Meanwhile, Vita said
the owner of a parking lot at 260 Smith Street and Degraw Street plans
to turn his property into a 44-unit residential project. But, she said
he hasn’t decided whether to rent or sell units. But, given that
project’s location, the Carroll Gardens community groups will likely
weigh in on that decision, too.
“This is a very
politically active community,” Nelson said. “So if you’re doing
something wrong, you’re going to hear about it. They love their
neighborhood and just want to make sure everything has been done
right.”