Carroll Gardens Considers a Scarano-less 360 Smith
Last night developer William Stein presented revamped plans for 360 Smith Street, a project that’s played a big role in prompting activists to call for a 50-foot building height in all of Carroll Gardens. Although Stein still intends to build a 70-foot building, he announced that he’d parted ways with architect Robert Scarano and replaced…
Last night developer William Stein presented revamped plans for 360 Smith Street, a project that’s played a big role in prompting activists to call for a 50-foot building height in all of Carroll Gardens. Although Stein still intends to build a 70-foot building, he announced that he’d parted ways with architect Robert Scarano and replaced him with Armand Quadrini of KSQ Architects (the Scarano separation was amicable, according to Stein). Stein said he believes the new plans achieve a balance that truly reflects what all of us want. Then came the renderings. The 49-unit condo is now being dubbed The Oliver House (after Stein’s late father), and Quadrini, who was in attendance and explained how they tried to come up with a contextual design, said it’s supposed to look like three buildings put together. As rendered above and on the jump, two of those buildings are brownstone-esque, and the third is tall and glassy, with no setbacks. While there seemed to be general consensus among the 70-some-odd attendees that the new design was loads better than prior attempts (some called the last plans a bit South Beach), many community members dissed the glass section slated for the corner of the building. This piece of glass just looks like sort of medical building, one person remarked. Stein repeatedly said that he wasn’t deaf to the criticisms about the glass section, and Quadrini emphasized that the designs for the building weren’t final. No word on when construction will actually begin.
The New 360 Smith Street: Better, Except For That Glass Tower! [PMFA]
Scarano Booted From Heavy Metal Job [GL]
Scarano Booted from Smith Street ‘Heavy Metal’ Job [Curbed]
Heavy Metal Architect Axed [NY Post]
360 Smith Developer Tries to Appease Carroll Gardens [Brownstoner]
Calls for Reining in Development at Carroll Gardens Meeting [Brownstoner] GMAP
360 Smith: Update and Review of New Plans [Brownstoner]
but first we must “maximize” our transit system.
The system is not “operating at capacity” but I agree that improvements and investment are necessary – but that is irrelevant for development – unless you are going to put a moratorium on building – the reality is that building denser on/near mass transit will always maximize mass transit use (whatever the capacity of the system is) and further whatever is built now will likely stand for decades if not centuries (assuming society lasts that long) and by building denser along the subway routes – you maximize the benefit for further increases in capacity (that will come from improvements like better signaling, automated trains, etc…)
“…we must maximize the land around our mass transit in order to preserve the pedestrian friendly, urban living we all love as well as to protect the environment and discourage automobile use into the future.” That’s very noble, but first we must “maximize” our transit system. The system is pretty much operating at capacity, and there’s nothing on the horizon to improve that. If anything, the opposite is happening. Witness the significant and pathetic failure of the Fulton St project in lower Manhattan, and the possible suspension of numerous capital improvement projects throughout the system.
11:20 – above a subway station on Atlantic Avenue shouldn’t have any height restriction at all.
Look Brooklyn Heights (with narrow streets) is filled with 12 story buildings (not on top of subways) and it still maintains its character. 12 stories is not a “skyscraper” – we must maximize the land around our mass transit in order to preserve the pedestrian friendly, urban living we all love as well as to protect the environment and discourage automobile use into the future.
This is not bad in my opinion it looks good, but for this nabe i wish they would just stop it already and landmark the entire area with downzoning of course
“not crazy about this building, particularly don’t like the way it stands proud to the adjacent brownstones”
that’s a pretty revealing comment. it’s about “pride,” eh? god forbid that the brownstones should feel inadequate compared to a slightly taller neighbor down the street.
this scheme is actually quite handsome. out of scale, of course, but definitely better. so glad scarano got the boot. it’s a big step.
I would agree if the streets that intersect were truly wide, like Atlantic Avenue. But 2nd and Smith are not wide.
I agree 70′ is totally inappropriate on a corner lot on top of a subway station – 120′ (12 stories) is what is appropriate and “contextual”.
If there were not so many unethical cretinous developers in Brooklyn then they would not have so many epithets thrown at them. Show some moral fiber like Stein is at least attempting to do and perhaps the epithets would wane.
I not crazy about this building, particularly don’t like the way it stands proud to the adjacent brownstones, or am I not seeing the rendering properly. No problem with the glass though. Still looks completely out of place at 70ft.