A year ago, we took a photo of 53 Bridge Street, and heard from readers that there was a stop work order. We revisited this today and saw that there is a partial work stop order for any interior work (for overdue fines). So it looks like the exterior is being worked on, windows have been installed and the exterior on the addition of the top floor is being completed. 53 Bridge Street has other addresses since it spans three sides of a block. It is also known as:

• 63-71 Bridge Street (BIS Listing)
• 230-242 Water Street (BIS Listing)
• 217-223 Front Street (BIS Listing)
• 229 Front Street (BIS Listing)

{NYC.gov BIS: 53 Bridge St.}
{Property Shark, 53 Bridge Street}

An email tip received from a “Jimmy” about 77 Bridge Street where Los Papis Restaurant is located:

“Construction workers at 77 Bridge Street (the current location of Papi’s) have been “testing the soil for a new building” this week. New condo anyone?

Does anyone else have more details about this?

{Google Street View, 77 Bridge St, Brooklyn, NY}
{NYC.gov BIS: 77 Bridge St.}

NY Post looks at the Brooklyn landlord Joshua Guttman’s outstanding fines, “suspicious blazes”, and lawsuits. He owns several buildings in Dumbo, including 155 Water Street, 53 Bridge Street, and 50 Bridge Street (above photo). According to the NY Post article, Mr. Guttman owes the city at least $59,000 in unpaid Dept of Building fines and over $52,000 in outstanding property taxes. If a developer has outstanding fines, why is the city allowing the landlord to build? The article states:

Guttman especially has critics in DUMBO, where he owes close to $40,000 of his unpaid DOB fines and is being sued for $36 million by condo owners at 50 Bridge St. for allegedly shoddy construction. DUMBO residents with horror stories say Guttman:

• Built a garage off Pearl Street for his business vehicles – a garage that doesn’t exist on tax maps because the city doesn’t know it’s there.
• Regularly ignores stop-work orders – including at sites where complaints surfaced of unsafe asbestos removal and falling construction debris.

Am I naive to think that Guttman should just pay off his fines and work under the guidelines of the NYC building codes so critics won’t continue to give him negative publicity?

{Blaze-site Developer Unscarred By Penalties, 20Aug2007, NY Post}
{NYC.gov BIS: 53 Bridge St.}
{NYC.gov BIS: 155 Water St.}
Previously on DumboNYC:
{155 Water Street}
{53 Bridge Street}
{50 Bridge Street}

 
Blogger ltjbukem has an eye opening post (as they often do) on price increases at Bridgeview Tower of approx 20%. Excuse my skepticism, but what the heck kind of strategy is that at a time of real estate price ‘correction’? The building is new construction, but how will the developer (or is it the broker) sell at these prices when there are many other new construction buildings in better areas? They’ll need to do more than to categorize this building as part of Brooklyn Heights or hang a banner on the building that says “If you lived here, you’d be home by now”.

• $985,210 with $740/maint, $40 tax ($860/sq.ft) for a 1145 sq.ft. 2 bed, 2 bath
• $680,250 with $509/maint, $29 tax ($858/sq.ft) for a 793 sq.ft. 2 bed, 2 bath
• $631,480 with $474/maint, $25 tax ($862/sq.ft) for a 733 sq.ft. 1 bed, 1.5 bath
• $618,770 with $449/maint, $24 tax ($889/sq.ft) for a 696 sq.ft. 0 bed, 1 bath

{New strategy @ Bridgeview Tower at 189 Bridge St., set speed aka onehansonplace.com}
{Bridgeview Tower Development Update (10/25/06), DumboNYC}

Not quite in Dumbo (but billed as “Near the heart of Dumbo” on the website), the Bridgeview Tower development is scheduled for occupancy in the Spring of 2007 (it’s approaching fast!). The building is at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge and will have 58 units on 18 floors. The walk from the F train at the York Street station to Bridgeview took about 8 minutes via Gold Street (perhaps quicker if you walk fast past the Farragut apartment complex).

The design seems to be of Floridian descent with the lined facade design, curbed balcony slabs, and oval naval style windows. I could be wrong, but based on the prefab wall thickness (see 2nd photo below), the windows might not have enough thickness for the soundproofing that this area needs from the cars entering Manhattan Bridge.

  view from the front of the building

Brdigeview Tower
189 Bridge Street (between Concord and Nassau Streets)
Brooklyn, NY

{www.bridgeviewtower.com}
{ BridgeView Tower Condos in DUMBO, set speed}
{A Bridge So Near, Newyorkmetro}
{Bridge View Tower Kicks Off Flatbush Avenue Extension Renewal, Brooklyn Eagle, 6/30/05 (subscription required)}

 53 Bridge Street, 9/2006

In a NY Daily News story yesterday, the owners of 58 units at 50 Bridge Street want $36 million in damages from developer Joshua Guttman for “hundreds of structural construction defects” and code violations.

Owners paid up to $1 million for apartments with 15-foot ceilings and to-die-for views of the Manhattan skyline starting in 2004. But the condo residents say the building is unstable and plagued by leaks, and has poor ventilation, paper-thin walls and low water pressure.

I asked the door person about availability, and they told me that there are two empty floors. Anyone have info on pricing or sales?

From The Developers Group description:

“Fifty-eight true loft condominiums located in D.U.M.B.O, Brooklyn. Conversion of a warehouse into spacious open loft units, complete with 10″-16″ ceiling heights with Brooklyn and NYC skyline views. All apartments have been left open with no demising walls ensuring the feeling of large open spaces flooded with natural sunlight.”