Comments on: Two Trees Seeking Approval for 15-20 Story Building Abutting Brooklyn Bridge

By: Dumbo NYC, Brooklyn » Archive » Nova Clutch building at 39 Front Street (DumboNYC.com)

Mon, 17 May 2010 16:34:37 +0000

[...] the discussion about the plot of land where the current Nova Clutch building stands and rumors about new [...]

By: jps

jps — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:53:31 +0000

They have illegally removed dangerous asbestos as well on the roof of the Nova Clutch building 4 weeks ago to prep for the “cheaper” demolition of the Nova Clutch building. Without informing the public, the airborne microscopic asbestos particles due to this inappropriate removal have unnecessarily exposed the local residents unknowingly.
If you go to the front of the building right now you could see danger chemical signs posted outside the building.
Neighbors, let us all act up!

By: Dumbo NYC, Brooklyn » Archive » Dock Street Dumbo Plans Revealed (DumboNYC.com)

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:14:41 +0000

[...] we first broke the news on the proposed Two Trees building in April on Front and Dock Streets, most comments opposed the scale of the project (15-20 stories). [...]

By: m

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 06:57:03 +0000

real estate acquisition 101:
never buy housing for the view – unless it’s absolutely impossible to build btw the unit and the view. (ie: waterfront, parkfront, state land, etc) if there’s a vacant lot, in time, something will surely be built on it.
(for example, trump towers along the west side highway, among many others)… if a person can afford to spend 1m, or so on an apartment, I should hope they’re intelligent enough to consider the possibilities of further development – or have enough money to hire a real estate attorney who can do it for them….

By: Gary VanderPutten

Gary VanderPutten — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:35:50 +0000

Regarding Nova/38 Water site – it will be back in play – JW said as much on that morning when TT lost the last proposal to the City Council, to wit, ‘Something will be built on that site, and it will probably be taller than the community would like”. I do not know what the protocol is for TT resubmitting the proposal (which one – Expect their earliest plan with the height further away from the bridge, but still 15+ tall), but let’s just assume that we’ve got to go the whole nine yards again. He was not supported by the locally elected officials, nor CB2. More importantly, TT was supported by Landmarks and City Planning, and defeated in the council (closer than you think) and was not overridden by the Mayor. This was a singular event for those of us who have been in these mostly losing battles, and this one had huge support from all the neighborhoods and many preservation organizations. A signinficant Architect organization supported it. We seemed to lose on the merits of zoning and landmarks and other rational thinking, but we won on universal sentiment about the bridge, and also on political will, especially applied to locals and the council. You cannot rely on being right.
Now, there is a new council and other new players. Are you all willing to go out there and do it all over again? Then start planning.

By: DOT

DOT — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:36:39 +0000

I had a feeling the JW’s would abandon their plan to build there. The neighborhood has changed so much since the initial proposal it just didn’t seem fitting. The JW’s were also under alot of pressure to contibute to neighbrhood improvements if they built there (i.e. helping to restore the York st station) but weren’t interested. So now what? Do they plan on selling the land or just keeping it as a parking lot?

By: KB

KB — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:03:08 +0000

The city of New York should buy this lot and turn it into parkland. optimistic I know..

By: dumbostreets

dumbostreets — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 13:16:59 +0000

I came across this link:
http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=28289

The link seems to indicate the Jehova Witness’ have abandonned their plans for 85 Jay St. This is a more logical spot for density than right next to the bridge, in my opinion.

Selling this lot to a responsible developer would be great, however unlikely… Does anybody know about the status of 85 Jay St. ? Walentas should put his towers there.

By: bunny

bunny — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 03:03:10 +0000

This Nova Clutch furtive asbestos removal is the same scenario as what happened and is still happening at 205 Water Street. (But that demolition has fewer people commenting as it lies on the other side of the Manhattan Bridge).
It is yet another example of profit maximizing developers running roughshod over the regulations in place to protect our health – rushing to demolish in a cheap and dangerous way.
Incidentally, the Nova Clutch building is NOT in the proposed historic district (proposed landmarked district) – so it’s facade would not need to be preserved. However, I think the height of any new buildings should be limited in order to maintain the historic integrity of the neighborhood.

By: none

none — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:52:47 +0000

MMT, then how do you explain his 2004 attempt to build a 16 story apartment tower on this site (per the NYT article) that neighborhood residents had to fight to block?

I recognize and appreciate his gifts to artists and care in selecting retailers. But please note these are charitable gifts on the order of hundreds of thousands. This is not the same thing as, not in the same league as forgoing the hundreds of millions a 15-20 story building would generate him.

If Walentas proposes a tasteful 3-4 story building on this site, I will eat big crow, and warmly shake his hand as a true friend and protector of DUMBO and all who bought in his buildings.

But are you willing to bet your million dollar view that he’ll take such an altruistic path? My bet is he’ll take the hundreds of millions of dollars path. He is a real estate developer.

By: MMT

MMT — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 19:47:52 +0000

I’ve known David for over 30 years. I moved here over 7 years ago at his suggestion, at a time when one had to walk up to the Heights to buy a quart of milk. I want to second, vigorously, what L.E. says, and to suggest to Travis and Abraham, in language that I hope doesn’t demean a gentleman of 70+ years, that the locale where the sun never shines is a fitting venue for their views. The Boymelgreens, J-Condo types etc are here to make money. David is, too – but only if it can be done within the context of a real neighborhood, which he alone of the developers active in these parts has worked hard to achieve, including putting his money where others mouths are. With regard to the displacement of artists, it is frequently those whose reputations and accomplishments are least who scream the most.

By: dumbonyc

dumbonyc — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:21:54 +0000

Let’s keep this about Dumbo and not hateful comments about any developers. If you don’t like something about Dumbo, write a letter to LPC, go to the meetings, write to the Dumbo Improvement District. Writing hateful comments on this blog probably won’t be heard. It’s only a blog that (probably) no developer is reading or taking seriously. btw, I am not an employee of Two Trees or any developer!

By: Abraham

Abraham — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:17:34 +0000

I.E., you wouldn’t be, by chance, an employee of Two Trees, would you, all cozy up there in Suite 602 beside Jed and Amish? Hang ’round long, enough, Isaac, and maybe Jed will sell you his Range Rover when he’s done with it, the way he did with lil’ Amish. Wow, you must think no one’s paying attention. Walentas used the artists to front the entire neighborhood. Slowly, then quickly, they were displaced. He’s done nothing out of charity. Not one damn thing. It’s all in the name of profit. Now if he could just sell that damn carousel that Jane made him buy.

By: dumbostreets

dumbostreets — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:45:50 +0000

I saw a team of workers with masks and blue coveralls doing work on the roof of Nova Clutch. I suspected it might be asbestoes removal. They left a pile of plastic black garbage bags on the roof for a while, hopefully that was not a pile of asbestoes free to blow over to Walentas’ own neighboring rental building.

Shaya Boymelgreen wanted to build a 3-4 floor market in the adjacent warehouses. This would be a great use for the area in question. As dumbo currently is, building heights descrease as you approach the bridge. Future planning should follow this pattern. It’s not either/or….

By: L.E.

L.E. — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:40:59 +0000

Travis,

I don’t normally like to take the bait from troll posts like yours and I’m probably making a big mistake with this one, but here goes anyway.

I don’t know where you get your info. from about Walentas, but you can’t possibly be serious. Walentas gives and has given for years free space to St. Ann’s, Smack Mellon, Dumbo Arts Center, Triangle Arts, and a huge host of others. He gives rent breaks (below market deals) to all of the art galleries at 111 Front St., he’s given very generous and below market deals to most of his retail tenants – esp. those that started in dumbo years ago when there weren’t a lot of residents (many like Jacques Torres had free rent for a couple of years) and even now he’s asking less per sf for his retail than the Guttman, Boymelgreen and the J. Condo. He’s turned down banks, real estate agencies and chain drug stores offering him more than his asking rent because he doesn’t think it would be good for the neighborhood, etc. etc. etc. He’s has a very large charitable program where he gives checks to lots of charities and for local programs and events and he throws a free party for the entire neighborhood with free booze, food, a live band. No one who knows him and how generous he is with his money can seriously think that about him.