330 Park Place: As Bad As Everyone Feared?

house
Remember last fall when we discussed the fears of some Prospect Heights residents about the fate of 330 Park Place? Well, four out of five stories are up and, while it's too early to tell on the finishes, their fears are starting to look founded. The only ray of hope is that the developer cared enough to preserve the ground floor facade and front porch. While this may have been purely out of self interest (along the lines of keeping one wall up to qualify for an alteration), maybe, just maybe, this guy is going to try to do something contextual (height issues aside). We're not optimistic but we'll try to keep the jury out on this one for a little longer. What's the mood on the block? (Check out the construction from another angle on the jump.)
Developer Non Grata: 330 Park Pl Destruction [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Bidding War in Prospect Heights [Brownstoner]
Photos by Josh Jackson

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Contextual? How would that happen at this point in construction? A brick veneer, a frilly wood cornice and a stoop? Gaslights? As if that's gonna happen--and As If this developer could execute fine construction. I'm actually more alarmed that this schmuck is ostensibly trying to preserve the porch than I would be to see him remove it. Is he really going to keep 100-year-old wood columns on the front of a 5-story concrete monolith? How could that possibly not look stupid? Finally, if I could just whinge a little more: Buildings like this don't even bother me that much-- in the right locations. But why does this guy have to blow $1.4 million to tear down a beautiful, viable brick house? What, you couldn't find an ugly, shitty teardown with 12 colors of vinyl siding in Crown Heights? Or perhaps a vacant lot? Sigh.

Posted by: anon at January 31, 2007 11:06 AM

amen!

Posted by: Anonymous at January 31, 2007 11:12 AM

The previous post is laughable!!
If the brownstone owners on this block wouldn't have become so greedy over the past years that kind of development would never have happened.
First of all there were several attempts to give this block landmark status, which was rejected by the majority of owners. Second, you should not be surprised that developers are coming to the neighborhood if you are now asking $ 2000 in rent for the garden apartments of your brownstones, that you have used several years ago mainly as storage places.
The reference to Crown Heights is just outrageous. If you suggest that such ugly developments should be dumped on our neighborhhod, you got it totally wrong. Northern Crown Heights is being landmarked soon and this designation preserves the unique ambiance in this neighborhood for this and future generations.
Good luck with your block.

Posted by: Anon at January 31, 2007 11:39 AM

Anon 11:39, I regretted that flippant Crown Heights reference the second I erroneously posted it--I wasn't even thinking of Crown Heights when I referred to crappy vinyl siding; CH is, indeed, a beautiful area that I would be lucky to live in, and my apologies for the slight. I only meant that it would be nice if developers would tear down ugly, dilapidated buildings--wherever they may be, and we have them in ALL of our neighborhoods--rather than pretty, viable buildings like this one. I also agree that the owners on this block have little to gripe about if they, themselves, opposed landmark status. Of course, it's not only the local property owners' feelings at stake, here--it's smart development of our city and appropriate preservation of historic, quality buildings. For all of us. And the next batch of us.

Posted by: anon at January 31, 2007 11:54 AM

I walked by this house recently and was actually impressed with what I saw. the windows are arched at the top and in general it looks like they are taking a much different approach to the construction than is done with most of the "crap" buildings out there.

The fact that they are using forms and pouring concrete walls while adding details liked arched windows tells me that these guys are not just looking to throw up something with the max FAR allowable. It's really difficult to judge a building mid-construction, I will wait to see what this ends up looking like but I am optimistic.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 31, 2007 12:29 PM

I was told the porch is going because the building is a multiple family dwelling and has to be handicap accessible. It will have some kind of ugly ramp I believe.
Also, the rejection of landmark status was in the late 70's and is being reconsidered currently.
They are throwing up something withthe max FAR allowable. They tore down the side wall to move it 1 foot over.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 31, 2007 2:07 PM

I understand that they left the porch so that the reno would be considered a renovation instead of a ground up development.... maybe the permits are easier? Not sure.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 31, 2007 7:16 PM

To 7:16, they left the side wall towards Underhill to fulfill that function, they tore down the wall towards Vanderbilt and moved it over a foot or so.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 31, 2007 7:50 PM

Travesty. Years ago this stretch of home owners used to claim they lived in the vicinity of Park Slope feeling smug abount not being to closely related to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Then those respective neighborhoods came up. Now they are plagued by the nearby yards and try to pass off this stuff on Crown Heights. They should have landmarked their block at the first opportunity. I live in the Prospect Heights vicintiy :) and I'm landmarked.

Posted by: anon at February 1, 2007 8:02 AM

The comments about landmarking demonstrate a complete and utter ignorance of the how the process actually works. I also find it very sad that some posters choose to attack the residents of this block as if they somehow called this horrible situation down upon themselves. I know MANY people on the block (I live nearby) and their block association has been active for some 50-60 years. The block is racially and economically very diverse and residents are united by their community spirit. Please focus your criticisms on the greedy developer, not the hapless neighbors.

Posted by: NeoGrec at February 5, 2007 6:32 PM

To: anon at January 31, 2007 11:06 AM -

Crown Heights does not have "shitty teardown with 12 colors of vinyl siding." It is about to be landmarked you idiot.

Posted by: Anonymous at April 4, 2007 11:47 AM

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January 31, 2007

330 Park Place: As Bad As Everyone Feared?

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