According to a Real Deal article last week, Toll Brothers is setting up a construction and sales office at 215 Water Street (at $30 per square foot). The adjacent 10 story condo Toll Brothers is planning to build at 205 Water Street, approved in April. Construction is set to begin by the end of the year.

Previously:
{Proposed 205 Water St Building Approved, 21Apr2010}
{More 205 Water St Renderings, 05Apr2010}
{205 Water Street Plans Revealed, 18Mar2010}
{Toll Brothers to Build Condos at 205 Water St, 07Jan2010}
{Demolition at 205 Water Street, 24Jan2007}
{In the Press: Demolishing 205 Water Street, 27Jan2007}
{Stop Work Order Violation Issued at 205 Water Street, 14Feb2007}

Josh Derr also snapped a few shots:

There are reports of an explosion/fire on Water Street between Adams and Washington Streets in Dumbo due to a transformer malfunction, approximately 20 minutes ago at 3pm. FDNY are at the scene to control the situation.

(Photos courtesy of dontstaylong, kylemac, and cranburry)

[UPDATE 3:39pm: Power seems to be online at 45 Main, 55 Wash, 133 Water, and 84 Front despite transformer explosions. ConEd/FDNY on scene. Reported four explosions that shook nearby buildings.]

[UPDATE 8:10pm: Con Edison Emergency Response truck still on the scene making repairs. Photo below]

Filming dates: May 3-5, 2010 6am-12am

Water Street between Gold and Jay Streets
Front Street between Bridge and Hudson Ave

Anyone know what this filming of “Durago 95″ is? Or is it a misspelling of Durango 95?

[UPDATE: Other signs say "Durango 95". Also, thanks to Mediagoon, it's a commercial: "durago 45 looks like a commercial to me...on the permit the C before the number means commercial. TV is tv, MV music vid. FF-film"]

The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the Toll Brothers proposed design of 205 Water Street yesterday (via Curbed). The 10-story residential building will have 67 units and 86 parking spaces underground. Toll Brothers did not apply for the full 12 stories that the current zoning allows. Mr. Von Spreckelsen, a Sr. vice president at Toll told Crain’s that it planned to begin construction by the end of the year and sales could start as soon as Spring 2011.

Previously:
{More 205 Water St Renderings, 05Apr2010}
{205 Water Street Plans Revealed, 18Mar2010}
{Toll Brothers to Build Condos at 205 Water St, 07Jan2010}
{Demolition at 205 Water Street, 24Jan2007}
{In the Press: Demolishing 205 Water Street, 27Jan2007}
{Stop Work Order Violation Issued at 205 Water Street, 14Feb2007}

As noted on Monday, there’s no parking on Dock Street and is a temporary two way street while the Water Street construction is being done. Brownstoner noted that the Belgian blocks on Dock Street got spray painted with a double yellow line today. Both Dock Street and Water Street between Old Fulton Street and Dock Street are temporarily two way streets. We contacted Paul Kidder, the DCC Community Construction Liaison who told us that:

Water street will not be closed at Old Fulton Street and Dock Street. The contractors plan is to work from the bend on Water Street to Dock Street, May through July and there will be an emergency lane maintained for traffic on Water Street. Water Street will remain a one way street as it is today. A special note: Dock Street as of this past Tuesday is now a two way Street. The project is still fairly close to schedule at this time. As far as I know Water Street from Old Fulton to the bend on Water Street will remain a two way street as it always was. The contractor is in the process of cleaning up Old Fulton Street and Furman Street for the annual Bike Tour on May 2nd.

Photo from Josh Derr’s blog, Brooklyn Complex.

Previously:
{Notice: Cars Parked on Dock Street, 12Apr2010}
{Water Street Reconstruction Update (Mar/Apr 2010), 10Mar2010}
{Water/Washington St Reconstruction Project Update, 03Dec2009}
{Belgian Block Reconstruction to Begin, 04May2009}

A community advisory notice from the NYC Department of Design + Construction (DDC) has posted a note for people who park their cars on Dock Street, between Front and Water Streets, are advised to move all cars on Dock Street by Tuesday, April 13, at 8am. Per their notice:

On Tuesday morning all cars on Dock Street will be ticketed and towed at owners expense. Under the two way operations there will be no parking on either side of the street due to limited street width. When the construction is complete the street will return to one-way operation.

This is to allow continued Water Street reconstruction. To view the notice, view the PDF file.

Previously:
{Water Street Reconstruction Update (Mar/Apr 2010), 10Mar2010}
{Water/Washington St Reconstruction Project Update, 03Dec2009}
{Belgian Block Reconstruction to Begin, 04May2009}

(Water Street looking North)

Curbed posted more proposed renderings of the Toll Brothers’ 205 Water Street building.

To us, the design seems to be consistent with the area (but what do we know?), but what is that protruding top part in the photo below? It looks unfinished, but perhaps that’s the look they’re going for.

(Plymouth Street looking South)

The Landmarks Preservation Commission had scheduled a review of the plans for April 6, but has been “Laid over”, for a future date. What do you think of the design?

(Water Street looking North)

Photos from Curbed.

Previously:
{205 Water Street Plans Revealed, 18Mar2010}
{Toll Brothers to Build Condos at 205 Water St, 07Jan2010}
{Demolition at 205 Water Street, 24Jan2007}
{In the Press: Demolishing 205 Water Street, 27Jan2007}
{Stop Work Order Violation Issued at 205 Water Street, 14Feb2007}

Crooklyn by Moruf from Adam Saewitz on Vimeo.

Some Friday video fun from 100bestrapsongs.com/moruf-crooklyn-video

The Community Board 2 committee approved Toll Brothers’ building design for the vacant land on 205 Water Street on Wednesday night. The Brooklyn Paper reports that the CB2 committee felt the design “fit the DUMBO context, committee members also said they appreciated that the developers did not shoot for the full 12 stories that the current zoning allows. Instead, the housing will remain at seven stories, except for one luxury condo unit that will extend to nine stories on one side.”

The project will contain 67 market-rate units and 86 parking spaces in an underground garage. The current zoning in the landmark district of DUMBO doesn’t require 20-percent of the units to be below-market-rate housing at each residential complex — but the landmark zoning of 2007 requires that the project be voted on by the Landmarks Commission. After the project reaches the full community board, it heads to the commission for an April 6 vote.

“We loved the gritty nature of this industrial area, and that was our inspiration,” said Navid Maqami of GreenbergFarrow, the project’s architects. “The rust colors, steel and concrete — these are what you find in DUMBO.” In a Crain’s article, David Von Spreckelsen, a senior vice president at Toll says “Besides Brooklyn Heights, this is the only desirable place in Brooklyn where we would want to do a project now,” He mentioned how little inventory there is in Dumbo and that “recent resales of existing condos in the neighborhood have been between $800 and $1,200 per square foot.”

Toll bought the vacant lot at 205 Water St. for $100 per square foot in December.

{CB2: This project takes no ‘Toll’ on DUMBO, 18Mar2010, Brooklyn Paper}
{205 Water Street Plans Revealed at Community Board, 18Mar2010, Brownstoner}

Previously:
{Toll Brothers to Build Condos at 205 Water St, 07Jan2010}
{Demolition at 205 Water Street, 24Jan2007}
{In the Press: Demolishing 205 Water Street, 27Jan2007}
{Stop Work Order Violation Issued at 205 Water Street, 14Feb2007}

Remember the issue we posted on the potential carbon monixide issue last year for 133 Water Street? According to Curbed, the building next to it (18 Adams Street (photo) extended the chimney by 5 stories so the noxious fumes are not entering the apartments next door.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the Certificates of Appropriateness for 201 Water Street and 9 Old Fulton Street, according to a story in the NY Post. Writer Stephen Witt states, that for 201 Water Street, the LPC approved a new storefront and opening on the ground floor of the site, which is owned by Peter Forman.

For 9 Old Fulton Street, “The LPC approved a four-story building with a one-story penthouse for the site…Architect Van de Bout said the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals must also sign off on the project as the site is zoned for manufacturing and it’s going to be residential. “There’s still a few substantial hurdles to get over before construction begins,” he said.

Previously:
{LPC Public Hearing on 201 Water and 9 Old Fulton Streets, 08Feb2010}

There is a Landmarks Preservation Commission public hearing meeting tomorrow, 09 February 2010. On the agenda are two items for Certificate of Appropriateness at 9 Old Fulton Street (previously heard) and 201 Water Street. 9 Old Fulton Street is a vacant lot within the Fulton Ferry Historic District and has a job/filing application to construct a four story building with one story penthouse. (Zoned M2-1). The 201 Water Street (aka “Jay Street Arts Building”) application is an amendment for a previous approval to alter ground floor openings and install storefront infill. 201 Water is a “Daylight Factory style factory building designed by Frank H. Quinby and built in 1913; and a vernacular style factory building built c. 1900.” Will an approval begin construction of storefronts on the ground level of this building bring more foot traffic down Jay Street?

{NYC.gov BIS for 201 Water St}
{NYC.gov BIS for 9 Old Fulton St}
{LPC on 192 Water and 9 Old Fulton Streets}

There’s a new furniture gallery in Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn. Shibui brings with it the largest collection of antique Japanese cabinetry on the East Coast as well as a large selection of Japanese Folk art items, ceramics, textiles and other original antiques. Items range in price from $2 – $20,000 and up. Proprietor Dane Owen, and restoration specialist David Jackson are co-authors of the book “Japanese Cabinetry – the art and craft of Tansu” (Gibbs Smith Publisher-available on Amazon) the first new book on the subject of Tansu in over 20 years. Dane Owen comes from Santa Fe, New Mexico is also looking to open a retail store in Manhattan and chatted with him about Dumbo and his relocation.

Why did you choose Dumbo/VH area for your business after 14 years in NM?
My decision to move to NY in general based on several factors: We had a large customer base in the NY area. No one else was doing Japanese Antiques like ours in NY. Wood shrinks less at sea level than at 7400 feet (Santa Fe) so our restoration would be less intense. When the credit market dried up so did our ability to finance the business in a seasonal tourist town despite being profitable for 14 years.

As for the DUMBO/ VH area, I looked at a lot of warehouse space in Brooklyn/Queens before picking this space. Much of what I saw was less expensive, but it did not look like our customers were in any of those neighborhoods. I have customers from Santa Fe who lived in DUMBO and more who live in Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill. It is only one stop from NYC. I liked the neighborhood from the first time I saw it. I felt comfortable here.

What do you like about being here?
I love food and although I did not know about Vinegar Hill House when I signed the lease, I am very glad it is right around the corner. I like the character of the neighborhood, it has patina like our pieces. The neighbors have been great. I like that Admiral Perry’s house is around the corner also.

Does the showroom have regular hours or is it by appointment?
We have been open 7 days a week from 11 am -6 pm and we will try to stay with those hours until we open the Manhattan Store, after which we will be open in Vinegar Hill 5 days a week and by appointment, because some staff will move onto the store.

When will the Manhattan store open?
When we find a lease and landlord we can work with. We negotiated with a landlord for 1.5 months on a SOHO space. We gave up when he would not insert the word “reasonable” into the sublet clause. I am hoping that in the spring when all the pop up stores are gone we will have a better chance at finding a reasonable landlord.

Thank you Dane and welcome to Vinegar Hill and Dumbo!

Shibui joins other furniture makers in Dumbo, including: Baxter & Liebchen (33 Jay St), BoConcept (79 Front St), West Elm (75 Front St), Prague Kolektiv (68 Jay St, Suite 415), City Joinery (20 Jay St, 2nd fl), Journey Home (72 Front St), Jay East (67 Jay St), From the Source (65 Jay St), and others (please email or list them in the comments if I missed you.)

SHIBUI (SHIBUI.com)
306 Water St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-875-1119
Also
{Asian Antiques That Outgrew Santa Fe, 06Jan2010, NYTimes}

Brownstoner reported that Toll Brothers purchased the vacant lot at the 205 Water Street address in Dumbo and plans to build a 70 unit condo building there.

This address is part of the Dumbo Historic District, a landmarked area that requires approval by LPC and the Community Board 2 before anything is built there. The lot is also part of the rezoning that was passed in July 2009.

We saw the original 19th Century foundry/warehouse demolished in 2007 before it was suggested by some in the community that it could be a site for a new middle school instead of at the controversial Dock Street Dumbo site.

According to a Brooklyn Eagle article about the 205 Water St sale:

“This was confirmed to the Eagle by Toll Brothers Senior Vice President David Von Spreckelsen, who said he hopes to begin construction within the year. “The main thing is it’s in a landmarked district, so we will be going before community groups, Community Board 2 and Landmarks,” he said, adding that this process will determine how large a project it can be. This process will begin within the next month, he added.”

“Yes, we’ve been looking — obviously for something in a market that’s still strong. And DUMBO’s still strong,” he said. The firm acquired the property in late December for $8.6 million from its previous owners, the HK Organization, which abandoned plans for a residential development on the site.

A Wall Street Journal posting also cites David Von Spreckelsen, “There’s no new developments there, but if you look at the resales that are happening, they’re all at strong numbers. It’s a great site in the heart of Dumbo.” It’s not exactly in the heart of Dumbo, but it can sell well provided that the development is solid and is consistent with Dumbo’s loft style condos.

They don’t say how many stories this is, but roughly speaking, if there are 5 units per floor, that’s 14 stories or 154 feet (making some assumptions on ceiling height (see some building comparisons here). In comparison 30 Main Street is 160 feet tall (11 stories) and the proposed Dock Street Dumbo building is proposed to be 183 feet (18 stories). We’re curious to hear residents’ thoughts about how a larger development there will impact the area.

{EXCLUSIVE: Toll Brothers Planning Large Dumbo Project, Brownstoner}
{Toll Brothers To Build in DUMBO, Brooklyn Daily Eagle}
{Brooklyn, Fuhgeddaboudit? Not Toll Brothers, WSJ}

Previously:
{Demolition at 205 Water Street, 24Jan2007}
{In the Press: Demolishing 205 Water Street, 27Jan2007}
{Stop Work Order Violation Issued at 205 Water Street, 14Feb2007}