Remember the Beacon Tower garden post on here 5 months ago? Well, the construction crew have poured the foundation and is busy finishing up the lobby and entrance to the garden area. It’s still a noisy area, but the noise could be calming for New Yorkers who are used to car and subway noise around them. Your own little urban oasis. Just bring your noise cancelling headphones.

{Beacon Tower Garden Update I, DumboNYC}
{Get Your Feng Shui On in the Beacon Tower Garden, Curbed}

I’ve received a few emails from readers recently who have been asking for an update on The Vista on Vinegar Hill. It’s been 2 and a half months since the last update, so here’s an new update. Judging from the photos I snapped on Sunday, the building looks close to being finished. The construction fence in the front has been taken down, exposing the lobby door (what’s with the blue door?). According to Corcoran, the real estate firm selling the units, there are only 2 left (of 31 units):

• Unit 1C, 1173 sqft, 2 bedroooms, 2 baths, $756 maint/cc, $44/mo tax, $724,914
• Unit PHB, 1120 sqft, 2 bedroooms, 2 baths, $1068 maint/cc, $82/mo tax, $1,024,800

The Vista looks like a relative of 84 Front Street (aka The Nexus) with the similar tan brick color and matchinig matte steel window frames. Does anyone know if they’re designed by the same architect?

In any case, the closing date looks to be at the end of March or beginning of April. Any owners of The Vista have an update on this? Below are a couple of photos of 84 Front Street for comparison.

The Vista on Vinegar Hill, 206 Front Street, Vinegar Hill Brooklyn

 Rear view of The Nexus, 84 Front Street, Brooklyn

 Front view of The Nexus, 84 Front Street, Brooklyn

Previous Vista posts:
{Vista on Vinegar Hill Progress Report (11/13/06), DumboNYC}
{Vista on Vinegar Hill Progress Report (9/19/06), DumboNYC}

While it seemed like construction was slow all summer at 85 Adams, this past weekend, workers were busy installing the last of the dual glazed windows with special sound-absorbing liner. The external construction elevator was also taken down and the entrance to the lobby area was being worked on. The interior lights were installed and operational. While I’ve heard a lot from J Condo owners who are for the most part satisfied with the developers, I haven’t heard from any Beacon Tower owners. Do any readers own any units and have updates on move-in dates?

{85 Adams Street Condo Progress (9/12/06), DumboNYC.com, 9/12/06}
{Beacon Tower Garden Update, 9/6/06}
{Beacon Tower website}

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.”

Image from NY Times

{Tulips and Two-By-Fours, NY Times}