Emergency Demo at 100 Clark Clears Tenants
[nggallery id=”21618″ template=galleryview] After years of neglect, the beautiful brick building at the corner Clark Street and Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights was partially torn down over the weekend due to conditions that were deemed “imminently perilous to life”; two floors of the 15-unit building were torn down following a 311 call that reported visible…
[nggallery id=”21618″ template=galleryview]
After years of neglect, the beautiful brick building at the corner Clark Street and Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights was partially torn down over the weekend due to conditions that were deemed “imminently perilous to life”; two floors of the 15-unit building were torn down following a 311 call that reported visible buckling. “It’s been a very, very badly neglected building,” Frank Folisi, landlord of the building next door, told The Post. “Everyone who has owned this building has taken money out of it and not put any money into it. I don’t walk on that side of the street anymore.
The theory over on the Brooklyn Heights Blog is that owner Penson Companies, which bought the building for $3,650,000 in 2006, had a strong financial incentive not to step in sooner to save the building. Why’s that? Because condemnation was the only way to get free and clear of the three remaining rent-stabilized tenants. The marketing document (excerpted on the jump) Penson has been using in recent months to try to sell the building (the price had started at $4.45 million but had recently gotten as low as $3.5 million) reveals that the tenants were paying monthly rents of $550, $617, and $575 and that approved plans had been approved by Landmarks for a rear extension that would have taken the size of the building from 8,000 square feet to 9,750 square feet. So we’re talking about the difference between the building being worth $3.5 million and $10 million. Sound like reason enough to look the other way? Now, many questions remain: What happens to the homeless tenants? Will the rest of the building be torn down? What will Landmarks require for rebuilding? Are there any criminal consequences for this type of neglect? Enquiring minds want to know.
Tenants Flee Buckling Heights Building [NY Post]
Penson to Brooklyn Heights: Drop Dead [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
‘Dereliction of Duty’ in Brooklyn Heights [Brownstoner]
Photos 1-9 by Ali Lovell; 10 by Chris in the Heights
very scary…
I once knew someone who lived on the 3rd floor here
aren’t there some nice gay restaurant blogs for biff and his friends to post in?
Thanks for the suggestions 5:03! I haven’t been as daring as I should be since I’m so happy with my regular orders. I’ll give the special rolls a try. A friend was asking me about whether or not a certain sushi restaurant on Montague was decent. I replied honestly that I hadn’t tried any other sushi places near me and didn’t see the need to as long as IC is there. I’ve eaten at tons of sushi places in Manhattan and think IC is right up there with the best of them.
Huge fan of IC, as well.
Go for the special rolls (on the menu), not the regular ones. They may be more expensive ($12 vs. $6), but they are well worth it.
Also, occassionally on the boards they will list other “special” rolls and they too are usually excellent.
I haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve had there. I also like the Triple Spicy Roll combination. I haven’t tried the House Love Boat, although, after drinking a good amount of sake last time I was there, did imagine seeing Charo and Mickey Rooney talking to Gavin MacLeod at the table next to mine!
Love Boat
3:13, given this thread may have run its course, speaking of courses, do you have any menu suggestions from the Iron Chef House? I usually rely on the triple spicy roll combo, which is delicious. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon last time but wondered if you had any faves you would recommend.
2:41 oh no! I also really like Iron Chef.
Maybe they have a cat?
I wonder what it would have taken to save that bldg after so many years of neglect. Our neighbors did a serious gut (tearing out the floors and the roof kind of gut), and that place only had about 30 or 40 years of neglect. Sounds like this place could have had twice that.