Prepping for Something Bigger at 39 Front Street?
After being the source of much friction between the Boymelgreen and Walentas camps, the Nova Clutch building at 39 Front Street in Dumbo was finally sold by the former to the latter in December for $8.75 million. The acquisition of the 1848 building, which was a pasta factory for the first hundred years of its…
After being the source of much friction between the Boymelgreen and Walentas camps, the Nova Clutch building at 39 Front Street in Dumbo was finally sold by the former to the latter in December for $8.75 million. The acquisition of the 1848 building, which was a pasta factory for the first hundred years of its life, gave Two Trees control over the half a block bounded by Water, Front and Dock Streets; this swath also includes 38 Water Street, the site of St. Ann’s Warehouse, where Two Trees tried to get approval for a 16-story tower back in 2004 before withdrawing the application in the face of public opposition. There were rumors a couple of weeks ago that the company was gearing up to try again to get city approval a tower on the site. There are work permits up at the Nova Clutch now, but just for a sidewalk shed while “remedial repairs” are done on the structure. Given that 39 Front and 38 Water connect with each other through the block (see map on the jump), is it possible that the rumored tower proposal will be for both properties? On a related note, the roof of the Nova Clutch building, as visible from the pedestrian path on the Brooklyn Bridge (photo on the jump), has been stripped down to its wooden base. It’s not as apparent from the photo, but it looks quite beautiful in person.
Dumbo Says Buh Bye to Nova Clutch? [BH Blog]
Nova Clutch building at 39 Front Street [Dumbo NYC] GMAP P*Shark DOB
website link:
http://www.zerega-genealogy.com/factory/index.html
According to Property Shark, 39 Front was built in 1927. On the Zerega website, there is a photo of the old 7 story factory which is referenced as 63 Front St. If it looks familiar, that’s because it is the same building now known as 57 Front, recently converted to Riverfront Condominium. This building dates to circa 1900 (many DOB records were destroyed by fire). There was probably a predecessor building at one of the sites that Zerega started operations in in 1848.
The facade is an add-on. The bricks on the side and back look more like the Empire store brick work.
Brownstoner, why not call and find out what the plans are?
Should that say 1948? Or is there something much older under the Nova facade?
wow. walentas officially has the biggest one in town. it’s pretty impressive that he got control of that building away from boymelgreen. remember when he was threatening to build a ‘sculpture’ of steel plates next to the windows of boymelgreen’s front street building?
Its about time you picked up on this Brownie..isn’t it in your work hood? If a tower goes up here its gonna muck up a lot of views (including looking like a tumor on the most famous bridge in thw world). Opposition awaits!
Why stop at building on those two lots when they own all of them?