New Building To Rise From Ashes in Prospect Heights

Here’s a sad story that seems like it could turn into a happy one for Prospect Heights: The owners of an apartment building on the corner of Washington Avenue and St. Johns Place that burned down last summer and was subsequently completely demolished intend to start building a new property in the fall. Larry Hirschfield, the president of ELH Mgmt, which owns the property, notes that the six tenants in the building had been relocated before the fire because it was undergoing renovations and that all will be offered apartments in the new building, which is expected to be completed in about 15 months after shovels hit the ground. Hirschfield says “we’re trying to be contextual with the design,” but it has yet to be finalized. The developer notes that it will have a red brick exterior and try to mimic the shape of the old building. The five-story building will have eight units and ground-floor retail; the few apartments that aren’t inhabited by former tenants will be offered to renters via a lottery under the auspices of HPD’s third-party transfer program, which ensures rents that are below market rate and involves income limits for prospective renters.
Bulldozers for Fire-Damaged Building on Washington Ave. [Brownstoner] GMAP
Four-Alarm Fire Destroys Washington Ave Building [Brownstoner]