Oro's Big Friends Start to Rise on Flatbush Avenue
Friday, October 12, 2007, by Robert
Steel is already coming out of the ground at Flatbush and Myrtle Avenues on the fringe of Downtown Brooklyn, a block from the Oro Condo (the tall building on the left in the background), and it's about to get more friends as a number of 30-40 story buildings get underway in the Flatbush Condo Corridor. The building whose steel is showing will clock in at 34-stories with 240 units. The building is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which hasn't released any renderings. The developer wants it to be a "surprise" because it has "an amazing and beautiful facade." No surprises, though, in terms of the designs for the Son of Oro, a 35-story lookalike that will rise to its right or the so-called Alien Spawn of the Flatiron, the Ismael Leyva building that will go up further down Flatbush past the Oro.
· Alien Spaceship Offiicially Set for Liftoff on Flatbush Avenue [Curbed]
· Gold Rush! Oro Condos Hit the Market [Curbed]
No renderings available? I don't get it. How can this be? The proposal had to be approved by people and city agencies.
All of these "luxury" buildings are in a crummy location -- betwixt a major, congested truck route and housing projects. Can a building create its own context? I guess we'll find out.
I think the surprise "amazing and beautiful facade" is going to be glass and steel, just a hunch.
there is an audible constant hum of flatbush avenue traffic. no stores to speak of. violent projects that are not going anywhere. the civic planning was for cars and trains, not people. but, i would move there if the price was right to be able to live in a luxury condo, new with amenities.
you can live across the street in the jay street co-ops for half the price.
Yeah, this whole glass box thing is totally played out. How about sequins and fake fur? Now THAT would be amazing!
SO&M does nice work. Even if it's steel and glass, it will probably be above average.
#6, "SO&M" huh? You sound like a real insider.
Yeah, I figured the "&" would be an improvement over the pedestrian "SOM" in the Brooklyn Eagle article. You know - make me look more sophisticated than some 3rd rate neighborhood circular.
I'd say the '3rd rate neighborhood circular' is fairing a bit better than the 4th rate anonymous poster.
And the glass and steel facade would be an amazingly amazing innovation too. I really don't think we've ever seen that before. We are truly blessed that the peerless creative talents at SOM would deign to shower us from their pantheon with such an inspired breakthrough in the annals of architecture.
Actually the projects buildings might not be going awsy but its tenants are. Most are being sent to Staten Island and that entire complex is in the process of becoming midddle class housing.
"I'd say the '3rd rate neighborhood circular' is fairing a bit better than the 4th rate anonymous poster."
ZING!!! I just got pwned.
re: #10, anyone who believes the NYCHA projects are becoming middle class housing is smoking something.
SOM might design some decent buildings when viewed from the street, but the floor plans are piss poor. Increase the cement floor/ceilings thickness will ya.
Don't see how the condo prices in downtown Brooklyn can be maintained. A lot of inventory is already on the market and tons of new inventory on the way.
It is different near the water, but downtown Brooklyn is traffic congested noise zone. I lump Hanson, Livingston, Belltellofts and Oro buildings into downtown Brooklyn (all within short walking distance of the major subway lines that converge in downtown Brooklyn Jay, Boro Hall). I would love to see what the current resale value of the "Toy Factory" on Johnson street is worth now (across from Oro). The Toy factory was one of the first loft condos in the area and saw rapid price increases in the past.
Who cares about excess inventory unless you're a broker or a douche bandwaggon flipper who can't sell the crummy overpriced units. For people who just like to watch new buildings rise and cities transform (like myself) this is a terrific. Oh, and I would like to become a NYC housing owner someday myself, but find it impossible in this current market. All these eager developers are only serving to help a brother out.
15
Or a future buyer waiting for the prices to drop.
"For people who just like to watch new buildings rise and cities transform (like myself) this is a terrific."
Buy a pet or get a hobby, that just sad.
My thinking is similiar to #15. Only way to get a decent pad is to build more and that is better for me since I'm looking to buy. I don't really see a buyers market but the more supply the better to choose from.
15 seems conflicted, 1st "who cares about the excess inventory", and then complains about the current market and wanting to buy someday.
17 - I agree that prices won't plummet, but they should soften with all that extra inventory in non prime areas. I also think that the tightening of credit will also work to lower prices. The credit crunch should reduce the number of qualified purchasers.
In short more inventory less buyers equals lower prices.
Anyone have a link to a possible render of this building going up?
Thanks if you can provide link.
The only major gripe I have against these buildings are the very small living room area in their 2bd/2bth floor plans. Seriously, the "master bedroom" in a lot of these new construction luxury buildings are bigger than the living room.
That and the party walls (practically no sound insulation) separating adjacent units to yours.
These new buildings are too nice for the neighborhood. That is one stinky dirty lowclass area.
(These new buildings are too nice for the neighborhood. That is one stinky dirty lowclass area.)
Now most New Yorker don't think this way, especially with crime down. But rich snobs do, and these buildings are priced for rich snobs. I'm not sure about the first owner, as crazy as things are, but the second owner will have to be a more typical New Yorker, buying at a price they can afford.
#22, obviously you've never been to that neighborhood. It is a stinky dirty lowclass area. Bad traffic, public housing, no good shopping or restaurants.
You expect the people in the projects across the street to buy these high-rise luxury condos?
Take the subway out there and walk around and se for yourself.
The people who want to live in Manhattan but can't afford it will buy these units in droves. The project people are as always, quite irrelvant in the scheme of things, especially becuase they're on the other side of the BQE.
Forte Greene brownstone/townehouse/business owners who always wanted an apartment in the sky plus amenities will make up a smaller portion of buyers.
I really feel sorry for Brooklyn motorists, because it's gonna be gridlock hell. Nobody thinks about that nightmare when doing the planning for all the mega-development in an already-traffic-infested are. Atlantic Ave will be toast pretty soon!
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