Ft. Greene Getting Its Avalon On
Friday, April 20, 2007, by Joey
At right, the Lower East Side's famed Avalon Chrystie, the luxury rental building home to the new Whole Foods. Do you love it, Fort Greene? Don't you want one of your very own? Oh, it's coming, and it's gigantic. Surprising no one, AvalonBay has announced that its $70 million Brooklyn land purchase of an area bounded by Myrtle Avenue, Gold and Prince Streets will become a massive development with 600 market-rate rentals and ground-floor retail.
As the Brooklyn Paper helpfully points out, that's "more than three times the number of units in the iconic Williamsburgh Savings Bank building, the tallest building in Brooklyn." There's no renderings yet, but a spokesman for Avalon Bay said it will be similar to Avalon Chrystie, except at 42 floors. Good lord that's huge. Construction is expected to be completed in March 2009. AvalonBay is also hard at work on their Long Island City project in Queens, meaning the Bronx and Staten Island better watch out. They're coming.
· Tall tower, high rents [Brooklyn Paper]
So... far away from transportation and immediately next door to the projects? Where do I sign up?!!
Damn, 42 stories in Ft. Greene?! It would be cool if we had some kind of department of city planning to review zoning laws.
Ft. Greene?
Isn't this Downtown Brooklyn?
Agreed that this is too close the the PJ's (for my comfort level, anyway) but the Dekalb (B,M,Q,R) and Hoyt (2,3) stations aren't too terribly far away. Probably 6-8 minutes walking.
I'd definitely call it downtown.
Funny - on Brownstoner yesterday, everyone (including one resident of the building) was calling Toy Factory Lofts "far" from the subways - and it's basically on the same block as this will be.
I suppose it depends on your perspective.
I think 8 minutes is a pretty long walk to the subway (especially when you have to do it day in and day out), but I imagine the Red Hook crowd would give their first-born for a subway stop that's "only" 8 minutes away.
Calling this "Fort Greene" is just scare-mongering. It's across Flatbush from Metro-Tech. Can't someone be happy that it will cast a shadow on a Ratner property?
I love it!
I am a resident of the area and if AVALON brings one updated, clean supermarket to this area it will be great.
So sorry all you nimbys, Welcome Avalon and don't bother to flame this post I ain't listening.
three blocks away from the Jay street station ain't bad and it will ease the overcrowded pathmark in atlantic center plus juniors down the block, cheese cake for all!!
According to gmaps, it's .4 miles to the Jay St. station. That's about an 8 minute walk.
This is going to be a whole different neighborhood in two years.
I'm a devoted nimby and I'm loving it. I say bring it on. If any area is a candidate for 'blight' it's that area of downtown brooklyn.
It ain't gonna be that different. Still gonna have thousands of people living next to you in the projects, with 50% to 70% of them unemployed.
How about the tagline: "AvalonBay. If Whole Foods doesn't take your paycheck, the muggers will."
Does anyone know how many square feet this building will be?
Chuck, this is NYC. There are projects everywhere, even in "ritzy" areas like Chelsea.
Move elsewhere if that bothers you.
Yeah, God forbid you should live withing 1/4 mile of poor people.
I'm a little shocked that this is the first we're hearing of this, at 42 stories, and breaking ground in six months . . . but this type of building is appropriate for the area.
Good for them.
"50% to 70% unemployment"
One more reason to build in this area. More residence more amenities more stores more activity = more jobs.
whats' your solution chucky?? Isolate them, keep them poor? Build a wall around them? Only if we integrate maybe down the line projects won't be what they are right now and maybe they will be habitated by the same people that have pulled themself into the working class. We need 10 more avalones around the projects!!!
$2500 for a studio????? More buildings for the people who need it least. These developers will pay for the overzealous building of "luxury" housing. There are no shortages of $2500 studios in Brooklyn.
17-
I think those are the prices of the Avalon in Manhattan.
So with 42 floors of market rate apartments in that neighborhood, so you think it would bring some downward pressure on the prices for other market rate apartments within a mile of it?
there's a simple solution to improving people's lives inside the projects: eliminate the high-rises. high-rise projects concentrate poverty and crime in one area. replace them with the same low-rise apartment buildings they replaced. integrate market-rate, mid-level, and affordable housing within the same block, instead of segregating everyone.
but here's another reason to love the Avalon Fort Greene:
http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/brooklyn/2007/04/19/2007-04-19_911_reasons_for_concern_.html
The drop-in center for homeless men soon-to-be located within a building for drug-addicted women.
It's only two blocks from the back exit of the DeKalb stop. Also 5 minutes from Nevins on the 4/5, 6 from Jay... As someone who lives in University Towers, the co-op basically between the subway and this spot, I've known about this building coming for years and, while a little concerned about construction messes, am also looking forward to a nice supermarket and everything else this will bring.
Have they suggested that there is going to be a supermarket in this building? Just because Chrystie Avalon has Whole Foods I wouldn't count on the same here.
I would also be very interested to see how pricey this will be.
#22 you are right! w/ subway station and there is jay station walking distance 2 min. back of exit in front of the marriot hotel and you hv walking distance within max 10minutes every trains!!
this is upcoming great investment area!!
#22 you are right! w/ subway station and there is jay station walking distance 2 min. back of exit in front of the marriot hotel and you hv walking distance within max 10minutes every trains!!
this is upcoming great investment area!!
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