All stories about "Grand Street"

Despite some very loud last-minute opposition to a rezoning of 13 blocks of Williamsburg's Grand Street, the downzone was passed by the City Council yesterday. The measure covers Grand Street from Marcy Avenue (next to the BQE) to Berry Street and limits most new buildings to four-six stories. One of the things that helped speed action on the measure were planned 10 and 15-story Karl Fischer buildings at the corner of Grand Street and Driggs Avenue. Fast work has been going on at one of the sites with demolitions, excavation and a foundation being poured all at the same time, in the hope of slipping in under the old zoning, particularly if opponents had held up the downzoning. There were reports of one or two developers going door to door to rally opposition to the rezoning. Up to 20 possible planned projects might have to be redesigned to meet the new height restrictions. The rezoning also eliminates what opponents call a "much-abused" community facilities provision that allowed construction of bigger buildings in return for what they say was non-community space.
· Grand Street Rezoning Approved [WGPA]
· Building 'Cap' in W'Burg [NYP]
· Opponents: Downzone to Put Burg on 'Teetering Edge of Doom' [Curbed]

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The downzoning of Grand Street and some surround blocks in Williamsburg has moved with lightning speed, mostly in response to two planned Karl Fischer towers. This past weekend, however, some local property owners starting sending out email blasts bout their opposition to the rezoning--primarily that limiting buildings to 4-6 stories will hurt them. The mini-revolt makes this morning's Post, which puts the cost of the rezoning at $120 million. Meanwhile, an email from a new group called the Grand Home and Business Owner's Organization says it will "cost" $400 million, actually.They say the developer of the "Karl Fischer Monster Tower" is "prepared to immediately sign-off on an agreement" limiting the building to six stories without a downzoning. Interestingly, simultaneous demolition, excavation and construction are going on on the Fischer site, indicating that the developer could be involved in a serious game of Beat the Downzone. (Another email says the rezoning "will once again put Williamsburg on the teetering edge" of "neglect, rampant crime, and out and out lawlessness.") A City Council vote on the downzoning, which covers more than 250 properties, could come as early as this week. Stay tuned as to whether the Hot Karl at Grand and Driggs will go to 15 stories or be cut in half or whether doom occurs.
· W'burg Groaning Over Rezoning [NYP]
· Karl Fischer Playing Beat the Downzone on Grand Street? [Curbed]
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]

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Last week, after the City Planning Commission voted for a downzoning of Grand Street in Williamsburg that would give a 15-story Karl Fischer "Monster Tower" a serious shave, the ubiquitous architect was quoted in the Brooklyn Paper as saying that the building would be "substantially redesigned" as a result. The implication was that the building couldn't slide in under the old zoning. A tipster emailed to say that maybe it still can because while the old building on the site recently barely disappeared, work is progressing at a lightening pace. In fact, demolition, excavation and foundation work are all going on at the same time. It's significant because if a foundation is completed before the new zoning takes effect then the building can go to 15 stories under the old zoning. Will Hot Karl beat the downzone? Stay tuned.
· Grand Street Rezoning Moving, Karl Fischer Shrinking [Curbed]
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]

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It looks like that 15-story Karl Fischer building that would go at the corner of Driggs and Grand in the Burg will end up suffering major shrinkage due to the speed at which a city downzone is moving. The downzoning--which covers a 13-block area between Berry Street and the BQE and Metropolitan Avenue and South First Street--passed the City Planning Commission this week and could go the City Council by May. It will limit building height to 50-70 feet. Fischer told the Brooklyn Paper that his 15-story Driggs & Grand Karl may get a lot less hot and will be "sustantially redesigned" as a result of the downzone. No word on the ten-story Fischer across the street, but it would also be due for a serious buzz cut.
· Grand idea, too late [Brooklyn Paper]
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]
· Gandar's Getting Goosed by Big Karl Fischer [Curbed]

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There's enough sentiment in Williamsburg to downzone part of Grand Street and surrounding blocks before a couple of new 10 and 15 story buildings can get going that the local community board did back flips last night to vote on the city's downzoning proposal. Instead of postponing a vote until next month, a Community Board 1 committee held a meeting during the bigger board meeting to approve the downzoning. The vote by the full board for the plan was 23-2 in favor. Why the rush? Developers of the two Karl Fischer buildings at Driggs and Grand could still get them built if work is far enough along before the downzoning takes effect. "We trying to fast track it," one neighbor pushing for fast action says. "Every day that we wait gives these guys time to go." Residents are looking for a hearing at Borough Hall next week, but are afraid of slow going at City Planning. In the meantime, demolition is going on at one of the sites and a parcel across the street has been mysteriously cleaned up in the last week. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]

Sure, 2007 still has some life left, but an interesting Williamsburg fight is already shaping up for '08. A couple of days ago, the outlines of a rezoning of Grand Street were released by the City Planning Department. If it makes it through the process, new buildings in a 13-block area between Berry Street and the BQE and Metropolitan Avenue and South First Street could be limited to 50-70 feet in height by summer. (The area was left out the 2005 Williamsburg rezoning that limited tall buildings away from the waterfront.) What this means, in particular, is that two big Karl Fischer buildings that would rise across Driggs Avenue from each other on Grand Street could get seriously chopped in size. The Fischer tower on the left is 10 stories. The "Monster Tower" on the right is 15 stories. The height limit on Grand would be about five stories. This also means that a game of Beat the Downzone could ensue for at least one of the planned buildings. The rezoning could happen by summer if all agree to it.
· Grand Street Rezoning [nyc.gov]
· Grand Street Burg Downzoning in the Works [Gowanus Lounge]
· Burg Downzone in the Works [Brownstoner]

We last checked on the group of buildings coming down at Grand and Driggs in Williamsburg when the demolition started. The demolition almost went faster than planned this week, when part of one of the buildings going down started to take itself down. Brooklyn 11211 notes that the potential self-demolisher "was a three-story flat house, constructed in the mid-19th century. In all likelihood, the failure of this wall was related to vibrations caused by the ongoing demolition..." 11211 also notes that there's a Stop Work Order on the project for expired permits as well as, you know, work going on anyway that appears to have nothing to do with keeping the buildings from collapsing on themselves. The replacement here will be a "Monster Tower" designed by Karl Fischer.
· Oops [Brooklyn 11211]
· Gandar's Getting Goosed by Big Karl Fischer [Curbed]

Behold what we believe to be one of the latest creations from the workshop of the omnipresent Karl Fischer to be revealed. This building is destined to rise nine stories at 184 N. 1st Street (aka 207 Grand), which is the corner of Grand and Driggs. Why Bride of Frankenstein? Because Halloween is tomorrow and it will be directly across the street from this 15-story Karl Fischer that has been called the Monster Tower. That's why.
· Gandars Getting Goosed by Big Karl Fischer [Curbed]
· Fingered Again: 'Monster Tower' Approved at Driggs & Grand [Curbed]

Back in the spring of 2005, Entourage star Adrian Grenier purchased a Victorian home on Grand Avenue in Clinton Hill that the listing described as in need of "some cosmetic work." Indeed—more than two years later, construction plywood is still standing. Sure, Grenier's done plenty of renovating—he's changed the exterior from a pukey salmon color to sky blue, and insulated his walls with denim—but as yet there's no sign of Grenier himself (aside from one eye-witness sighting of him with "some hot chick" at the Academy diner in Fort Greene in the fall of 2005). We suspect he's waiting for the drug trade to clear out and/or the crack den next door to go condo. On recent reconnaissance we did, however, note that window shades have been installed. Progress?
· Listing: Grand Avenue (Sold) [Corcoran]
· Star of HBO's Entourage Buying in Clinton Hill [Brownstoner]