Dumbo NYC

According to a story in the Architect’s Newspaper, the City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden announced at yesterday’s commission meeting that the Department of City Planning was undertaking a rezoning of Dumbo. They will be presenting its first official version of the rezoning to Community Board 2, elected officials, local preservationists, and other concerned parties during a closed-door meeting on Thursday.

“Everyone’s been taken aback by how fast this has taken place after the landmarking,” Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, told AN. The Department of City Planning did not return calls for comment, but Bankoff and another source said they have heard talk of rezoning the area R8A.

Such a contextual zoning that would create bulky 10-12 story buildings, which would conform with some of the areas taller lofts but tower over others. The area is currently a patchwork of lots zoned for manufacturing or residential [.pdf]. “It’s looking like they want a high-density residential neighborhood,” Bankoff said. “What will happen to the remaining factories and illegal lofts, we don’t yet know.”

That mix—new condos, converted lofts, and factories, both active and derelict—captures the neighborhood’s meteoric rise over the last decade from industrial hub to artists’ colony to haute ‘hood. As with previous rezonings, this one should update the area’s outmoded regulations while trying to both encourage and control development. The question remaining for those in the neighborhood is what is appropriate development.

According to the Department of City Planning spokesperson Jennifer Torres, the “proposed rezoning aims to preserve the mixed-use character of the neighborhood, allow for residential conversion of existing loft buildings, promote new construction at densities consistent with the built character of the area, and provide incentives and opportunities for affordable housing development in DUMBO.”

The Dumbo Neighborhood Association is holding a one-hour press conference with Councilman David Yassky at 10:30am today (Wed, Feb. 27) at the PowerHouse Arena (37 Main Street) on protecting the community against inappropriate development.

{DNA Press Conference info (pdf)}

Just listed is this 1 Main Street condo in Dumbo at a whopping $4,300,000. It’s currently the 4th most expensive condo listing in Brooklyn (after the penthouse units at 1 Main at $7.8 million, the 1 Grand Army Plaza listing at $6 million, and the 1 Hanson Place listing for $4.775 million). The condo has 2592 sq ft ($1659/sqft) with a great view of the waterfront from its 16 windows. There are 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Awesome location and views, but will they get the full asking?

Floorplan after the jump.
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Today we look at three 900 sqft condos recently put on the market in Dumbo. Each unit is holding an open house on Sunday. Let’s take a look:

1) 57 Front Street, Apt 603

• $795,000
• tax: $390/month; cc: $654/month
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath
• 970 sq.ft. ($819/sq.ft)

This condo unit at 57 Front Street was listed last week, has a huge living and dining area. “The spacious 970 square feet easily allow for a 2 bedroom configuration or the current more open one bedroom layout. The great room is a 30 ft by 17 ft space with spectacular light, views and a charming Juliet balcony that spans 4 windows.” But will the monthly maintenance and taxes affect the final sale price? It is listed by Corcoran and there is an open house on Sunday from noon to 1:30pm.

2) 70 Washington Street, Apt 9T

• $845,000
• tax: $15/month; cc: $300/month
• Studio (home office) and 1 full bath
• 915 sq.ft. ($923/sq.ft)

This condo unit at 70 Washington Street was listed 7 days ago. The studio condo has a home office that can be used as the bedroom has nice views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The monthlies are low and is on a high floor. It is listed by Prudential Douglas Elliman and there is an open house on Sunday from 1 to 3pm.

2) 100 Jay Street, Apt 29J

• $915,000
• tax: $16/month; cc: $631/month
• 1 bedroom and 1 full bath
• 909 sq.ft. ($1006/sq.ft)

This condo unit at 100 Jay Street has been on the market for 14 days. It was originally priced at $929,000, but reduced by $14,000 a few days ago. This high-floor condo has floor to ceiling windows and a great view of the bridges and Manhattan. The living room/kitchen area is long, and ends with the view. It is listed by Corcoran and there is an open house on Sunday from noon to 2pm.

So which one will it be?

An email tip came in with the above photo of the parking lot at 85 Jay Street owned by the Watchtower Society in Dumbo. The email says:

“Mysterious doings this morning on the northwest corner of the huge lot bordered by Jay, Front, Bridge, and York, said to be the largest undeveloped city lot in all five boroughs. Are the JW’s prepping to build? Survey? Sell?”

Past Curbed posts indicate that this 3 acre plot of land is the largest plot of undeveloped land in the city. There are no jobs/filings for 85 Jay on the NYC Department of Buildings website. Does anyone have any information on this “mysterious activity”?

 85 Jay Street block

Previously:
{No Truth to Rumor that Witnesses Will Not Develop 85 Jay, 03May2007, Brooklyn Daily Eagle}
{Jehovah’s Abandon Dumbo, 24Apr2007, Curbed}
{85 Jay Watchtower Complex, skyscraperpage.com}
{Jehovah’s Witnesses On Track to Colonize Dumbo, 04Dec2004, Curbed}

Looks like someone just built a nice glass enclosed solarium on top of the 1 Main Street building.

Am I right? Is that for the penthouse?

This is old news, but as a commenter pointed out from yesterday’s post on 10 Jay Street, the floor extensions have been in the works for a while. A Wired NY thread from 2004 shows two proposed 10 Jay Street building renderings. The top photo was proposed by EE&K Architects. The bottom one by Karl Fischer Architect. I don’t have information on the approved extension design, but if you do, please email us.

According to the NYC DOB records, a stop work order has been placed on 10 Jay Street on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 for “failure to safe guard/no protection at glass window in penthouse / area has glass windows below.” There was a job filing, and a subsequent permit issued on January 14, 2008 for a five story addition to the 9 story building, but there was a complaint of “falling debris” from the roof. The building is currently an office building with studio/work space and a rumored conversion to residential property as long as the manufacturing zoning is changed to allow for residential use. Previously, Brownstoner reported that cabanas may be built on top of 10 Jay Street, but according to recent filings, the developer was preparing for the floor extensions.

The 1897 landmarked building was built on landfill and was originally an Arbuckle Brothers coffee building and later became a sugar refinery factory. Between 2001 and 2004, Lunatarium held parties and raves on the top floor of this warehouse venue in the 18,000 sq ft space with 30 ft. high ceilings. (Photo below).

 (Photo from Lunatarium Party photos by Kirk Peterkin)

Because the land surrounding 10 Jay is so close to the water, the area surrounding the building is prone to flooding.

(Thanks to Fred for this photo from his studio at 10 Jay - Jan 11, 2008). Anyone know what the top floor space is used for now?

{NYC BIS: 10 Jay Street}
{Wikipedia: Lunatarium}

Today we look at two high-end luxury condos currently on the market. The first one is at 1 Main Street, which has been on the market for 8 days, and the second at 57 Front Street, which has been on the market for 13 days.

1) 1 Main Street 2L

• $1,599,000
• tax: $163/month; cc: $835/month
• 1 bedroom + home office and 2 full baths
• 1655 sq.ft. ($966/sq.ft)

This condo unit at 1 Main Street has a 2nd level loft, which serves as a 2nd bedroom with a 2nd full bath. “Located in Dumbo’s premiere Clocktower Condominium. This landmark luxury loft building is just steps from the Brooklyn Bridge waterfront park.” I wonder if the model of the Brooklyn Bridge above the kitchen is included in the sale. It is listed by Sotheby’s.

2) 57 Front Street

• $1,795,000
• tax: $1/month; cc: $803/month
• 1 bedroom and 1 full bath
• 1100 sq.ft. ($1617/sq.ft)

This condo unit at 57 Front Street is priced at a premium, but includes an 800 sq.ft. private outdoor patio and (looks like) custom-everything. It has a modern Phillipe Starck interior and clean looking space, but will it sell for this premium price? For some, the private outdoor space will be a key selling point. It is listed by Prudential Douglas Elliman.

The real estate website, IntoTheBox.tv featured an unhappy 110 Livingston buyer back in November and has posted a followup today on the confusion over square footage in some apartments. There is no standard way to measure square footage as some developers measure the area of the apartment starting from the interior wall to the opposite interior wall, while others measure the exterior wall to the opposite exterior wall, which may reduce the living space. Here’s the video:

Many real estate brokerage sites have the disclaimer stating that “For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer.” Does anyone know how common this is?

Previously: {110 Livingston Street Building News, 29Nov2007}

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}