Brooklyn Housing Court is struggling to find a new location after its 10-year lease at 141 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn expires at the end of next month.
The city spends an annual $3.3 million for a lease at the 16-story building, owned by Clipper Equity’s David Bistricer. Courthouse officials said the space is overcrowded, elevators often break and the air conditioner fails them in the summer months. Bistricer has said he would invest in an extensive renovation if the lease with the city were to be renewed. Tenant groups have been pushing for the court to relocate since 2011, while requesting negotiations for a short-term renewal or early termination clause. Under such a clause, the court could escape the lease if a new location was found. Brooklyn Housing Court Is The Second Busiest Housing Court in the city, behind the Bronx, the New York Times reported.
“The trick is finding the building that would work for this particular need and that is accessible,” Ronald Younkins of the New York State Office of Court Administration told the New York Times. “It has to be located in a place that’s convenient to the court users, who overwhelmingly come by public transportation.” [NYT] — Mark Maurer