Dumbo NYC

Our friends at both Brownstoner and Gowanus Lounge have great summaries of The Department of City Planning’s preliminary proposal for the rezoning of Dumbo. According to a Brooklyn Daily Eagle article, in attendance were representatives of Councilman David Yassky, representatives of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Community Board 2, the Dumbo Neighborhood Association, the Dumbo Business Improvement District and property owners. City planning presented proposed boundaries to allow buildings to be built up to 12 stories tall along Jay Street, with street level fronts rising to 6-8 stories. Buildings along Bridge Street could rise to 8 stories, with 4-6 stories at street level. [Google Maps] The land use review process should begin in the fall and will have a plan ready for approval by Spring or Summer of 2009.

This could mean that some of the two/three story buildings along the east side of Jay Street between Front and John Street could be built up to 12 stories tall (provided that the Landmark Commission approves the designs). It’s not as likely that the west side of Jay Street will be rebuilt higher anytime soon since those buildings already rise over 7 stories. The west side of Jay Street include:

• 68 Jay at 10 stories,
• 42-44 Jay at 7 stories (Phoenix House),
• 20 Jay at 11 stories, and
• 10 Jay Street at 9 stories (plus a possible 5.)

{Brooklyn Planning Director Explains Dumbo Rezoning, 04Mar2008, Gowanus Lounge}
{Planning Reveals More Deets About Dumbo Rezoning Plan, 04Mar2008, Brownstoner}
{City Pushing Dumbo Rezone for 2009, 04Mar2008, Curbed}

In a follow up article from The Architect’s Newspaper, reporter Matt Chaban attended the Dumbo Neighborhood Association’s press conference yesterday.

The city has not released details about its plan, but a Department of City Planning spokesperson told AN that the area under consideration is much smaller, only making up 12 of the 20 blocks that comprise the Dumbo historic district. Both Gallo and Graziano said they hope to encourage the city to do more.

Like many of the rezonings that have taken place during the Michael R. Bloomberg administration, both the community and city plans seek to update a zoning map largely dating to 1961. A major feature of the older zoning that concerns Graziano and the community is the lack of building height limits in the area’s residential and manufacturing lots, which has led to spindly towers such as Two Trees, where the bulk is stacked up on only a corner of the lot.

As a result, Graziano has proposed a mix of R6, R7, and R8 contextual zones tied to neighboring buildings. This would cap buildings heights between 50 and 120 feet but still allow for high densities, which would simply be spread across the site while eliminating the potential for setback towers. “Because the area has historically been zoned for manufacturing, that allowed for greater densities than were probably appropriate,” Graziano said. “Now that we’re shifting to a residential focus, we can address that.”

According to the Save the Brooklyn Bridge group, the press conference was successful in conveying the plan to the neighborhood:

“The plan is a neighborhood-wide zoning plan that proposes a consistent, context-based, respectful updating of the old 1961 industrial zoning of sensitive parcels community wide including Dock Street and the York Street parking lot next to 70 Washington.

Dock Street Site:
Currently - M1-2 zoning with an industrial FAR of 2.0 and no height limit
Developer Proposal - R8 zoning with a residential FAR of 6.02 and no height limit (currently the 18 story building)
Our Proposal - R7B zoning with a residential FAR of 3.0 and a height limit of 75 feet (just below the height of the Brooklyn Bridge roadway)

York Street Parking Lot:
Currently - R7-1 zoning with a residential FAR of 3.44 and no height limit
Developer Proposal - TBD
Our Proposal - R7B zoning with a residential FAR of 3.0 and a height limit of 75 feet”

Shortly after the designation of the Dumbo Historic District, the LPC posted the Dumbo Designation Report (warning: large 7.5MB pdf file). The report is full of historic information on the 91 historically significant buildings that make up the Dumbo Historic District. The report includes essays and building profiles:

The DUMBO Historic District, consisting of approximately 91 historically significant buildings,contains one of the finest collections of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century industrial architecture in New York City. These buildings illustrate the history of industrial design beginning with pre-Civil War brick counting houses, extending through the second half of the nineteenth century and first years of the twentieth century, when most factories were built of slow-burning mill construction, with massive wooden columns and beams and brick facades, into the early twentieth century, when new technologies, including the use of steel and, most prominently, reinforced concrete, became popular for factory construction.

The 239 page report describes each of the 91 buildings with photos of many of them at towards the end of the report. It’s dense with information, but an interesting read if you’re looking for a historical perspective of a particular building in Dumbo.

{PDF map of Dumbo Historic District boundary}

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has granted landmark status to the Dumbo Historic District.

The Commission voted unanimously 8-0 this afternoon to protect the blocks and 91 historic buildings in Dumbo. The new historic district is bound by John Street to the north, York Street to the south, Main Street to the west and Bridge Street to the east. According to the LPC, the Dumbo area was “essential to Brooklyn’s rise as a major American industrial center and was the home of some of the most important industrial firms in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century America including Arbuckle Brothers (coffee and sugar), J. W. Masury & Son (paint), Robert Gair (paper boxes), E. W. Bliss (machinery), and Brillo (steel wool). The buildings in the district reflect the extraordinary diversity of Brooklyn’s industrial development, with manufactured and processed goods including coffee, tea, sugar, machinery, paint, varnish, paper boxes, shoes, soap, ale, and steel wool. By the early twentieth century, Brooklyn was the fourth largest manufacturing center in the entire country and a significant portion of this manufacturing was done in DUMBO.”

The Dumbo Historic District also protects its dramatic streetscapes. The Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge soar over the Belgian Block streets, some with remnants of the old Jay Street Connecting Railroad along Plymouth Street, to connect the former warehouses. In 1959, the Jay Street Connecting Railroad ceased to operate. Commission Chairman Robert B. Tierney states:

“DUMBO’s distinctively designed buildings and sublime vistas survive to this day, and still define its character, even as it has evolved into a largely residential neighborhood. This designation will ensure that this still-evolving neighborhood retains its unique historic character.”

Now the City Council needs to sign off on the designation. City Councilman David Yassky has publicly supported Dumbo landmarking and testified at the LDC that Dumbo is worthy of preservation.

LPC Press Release: Landmarks Preservation Commission Designates Dumbo As New York City’s 90th Historic District (pdf)

Previously:
{Dumbo Historic District Landmark Moving Forward, 31Oct07}
{LPC Public Hearing for Dumbo Historic District Tomorrow, 29Oct07}
{Dumbo Landmarking Calendared for 30Oct2007, 01Oct07}
{LPC Voted 8-0 to Consider Dumbo a Historic District, 26July07}
{Dumbo Historic District to Be Calendared Today, 24July07}
{NY Times Highlights Dumbo Neighborhood Association, 4June2007 }
{Any Feedback from the LPC Meeting?, 19April2007}
{Dumbo Landmarking Meeting on Thursday at 10am, 17April2007}

BKLYN DESIGNS 2007, NY’s hippest design show, will return to Dumbo, Brooklyn, May 11 - 13, 2007. The annual three-day exhibition will feature the borough’s top established and emerging designers of contemporary indoor and outdoor furniture, rugs, lighting and accessories. A record-breaking BKLYN DESIGNS line-up of 64 exhibitors, including 30 newcomers and 35 show veterans will launch their 2007 spring collections. This year will have several exhibitors with sustainable products and green solutions.

St. Ann’s Warehouse will serve as the show hub but as we’ve seen in the past, the entire Dumbo neighborhood will be alive with events, gallery openings and parties. This show kicks off the many summer events and festivals that occur in the neighborhood. Bklyn Designs exhibitors are selected by a jury, which includes prominent designers as well as editors from leading design and shelter magazines. The show gives attendees a chance to be among the first in the world to see the new design trends as they are being set. Many of the trends show up in more mainstream furniture retail stores a year later. A must for art, design, and architecture lovers!

DATE/TIME: Friday, May 11, 10am - 8pm; Saturday, May 12, 10am - 7pm; and Sunday, May 13, 11am - 6pm
PLACE: 3 DUMBO Brooklyn Locations - St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street; Smack Mellon Gallery, 92 Plymouth Street & the BD Annex, 81 Front Street
ON EXHIBIT:

• Largest- ever BKLYN DESIGNS line-up of 64 jury-selected exhibitors
• 29 Debuts featuring up-and-coming designers exhibiting for their first time
• 20 Green Designers to show a host of clever green solutions/products for home/office
• BKLYN DESIGNS+ - a brand new cash-and-carry market of fashion and home accessories
• A look at the next generation Pratt Institute student exhibit + design competition

For the listing of all the exhibitors, go to www.brooklyndesigns.net/exhibitors.html.

With the discussion about the plot of land where the current Nova Clutch building stands and rumors about new development there, I decided to do a quick search on the net to find out more about the building. The Zerega building, now known as Nova Clutch building was built in 1848. From a brooklynbridgepark.org ‘fun-facts’, Antoine Zerega built the first American pasta factory in 1848 on Front Street in Dumbo which remained in operation until the 1950s when Antoine’s grandson moved it to New Jersey. According to the Zerega website, they “trace our roots back to Brooklyn, NY, where Antoine Zerega founded the American pasta industry in 1848. ”

The three story building has since been occupied by Nova Clutch Inc, which imports and manufactures motor vehicle clutches and mechanical power transmission equipment. The name “ZEREGA” is still etched in the stone below the second floor windows.

 Photo by DumboNYC (Click for larger version)

Nova Clutch Inc
39 Front St # 2
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 858-8282

 (Click for larger version)

Although an email tip received yesterday did not cite any specific sources, they mentioned that it came from ‘a credible source’. Thus, it is rumored that:

“David Walentas of Two Trees is renewing his efforts to get city approval for a 15-20 story building next to the Brooklyn Bridge on the current site of St. Ann’s Warehouse and Nova Clutch. The proposed plan calls for a rental building of 400 Studio and 1BD units with 450 parking spaces and 14,000sf of retail space.

His prior attempt to build a tall building on this site in 2004 failed due to opposition from community residents.

This proposed prominent building would obscure the panoramic Brooklyn Bridge views from 70 Washington, 30 Main, and 1 Main, for which residents paid millions in premium prices to Walentas.”

Neighborhood residents concerned about this and other neighborhood development can attend a public informational meeting with the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission tomorrow regarding the proposed landmarking of DUMBO. From the NY Times article on the 38 Water Street site, Councilman David Yassky agreed that instead of a 15 story building, an “eight-story building that would not rise above the Brooklyn Bridge would be a terrific use of that site”. Would you agree?

 American Cancer Society, Brooklyn Region Office, 31 Washington Street, 4/2007 (Photo by DumboNYC)

  Sweeney Building, 30 Main Street, Dumbo Brooklyn, Photo courtesy of Linus Gelber
  (Click for larger version)

[DumboNYC.com is on vacation for Thanksgiving. In the meantime, take a look at some of the best photos of Dumbo. Have a great weekend!]

  Photo from New York Daily Photo

New York Daily Photo, always entertaining and interesting, takes a great shot of Eagle Warehouse. He does his research on the building:

The Eagle Warehouse stands at 28 Old Fulton Street in the Fulton Ferry Landing area of Brooklyn (between Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO). The photo shows the Romanesque Revival arched entrance. This massive medieval structure was built in 1893 (as the Eagle Warehouse and Storage Company) by architect Frank Freeman on the site of the old Brooklyn Eagle building (in its construction, the old three-story Brooklyn Eagle pressroom building was kept.)
…
The Eagle Warehouse was converted to condominium lofts in 1980. There is a large clock at the top of the building - its glass face is the window of one of the lofts.

{Eagle Warehouse, newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com, 11/16/06}