Downtown Brooklyn

In some not-terrible Supreme Court news, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could be getting a Brooklyn Building named after her. Borough President Eric Adams launched a campaign on Thursday calling on City Hall to rename the Brooklyn Municipal Building after Ginsburg, a native of Flatbush. This past August marked Ginsburg's 25th year as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, as only the second woman to sit on the court.
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Uncategorized

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering of the 986-foot tower (left) and revised 840-foot tower (right) via Alloy Development and Luxigon

September 27, 2018

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development planned for Downtown Brooklyn, Curbed NY reported. The approval comes after negotiations last week between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents the area, which led to a shorter, less-dense complex. After the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 feet to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet, the Council's subcommittee on zoning voted in favor of the project.
More on the project

Real Estate Trends

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

A new rendering of B4, the development’s tallest tower planned

September 26, 2018

New details for Brooklyn’s Pacific Park and a first look at its tallest tower

The development of Pacific Park, a 22-acre mixed-use complex near the Barclays Center, has entered its next phase Greenland Forest City Partners announced Wednesday. The developer is bringing on TF Cornerstone and the Brodsky Organization as development partners for the project. The duo will develop three parcels at the site, which include three rental buildings, a new public school, and new open space. Greenland also announced construction is set to begin in the spring for the park's tallest tower, a more than 500-foot tall tower designed by Perkins Eastman.
More details here

September 26, 2018

First look at interiors and private park at Jeanne Gang’s Downtown Brooklyn condo

To coincide with the sales launch at Downtown Brooklyn's 57-story tower at 11 Hoyt Street, Tishman Speyer has released a slew of new renderings of the Jeanne Gang-designed condo. Previous views have shown how Gang's signature metallic rippling effect will be applied to the facade, but the new batch gives us a better look at the nearly 27,000-square-foot private park and the first glimpse of the interiors and amenity spaces.
All the renderings and details this way

NYC Council committee approves 80 Flatbush project in Downtown Brooklyn after height chop

Rendering of the 986-foot tower (left) and revised 840-foot tower (right) via Alloy Development and Luxigon

September 20, 2018

NYC Council committee approves 80 Flatbush project in Downtown Brooklyn after height chop

The New York City Council's subcommittee on zoning voted unanimously Thursday to approve the rezoning application that allows for the construction of 80 Flatbush, a five-building complex planned for Downtown Brooklyn. Following negotiations between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet (h/t Brooklyn Paper). New renderings reveal not only smaller buildings but an updated design as well. With this key approval, the project will most likely get support from the full City Council followed by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
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Policy

June 13, 2018

17-foot stacked, bronze rhino sculpture finds new home in Downtown Brooklyn

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Photo via Goodbye Rhinos project The iconic stacked rhino sculpture is switching boroughs. Designed by artists, Gillie and Marc Schattner, The Last Three is a 17-foot-tall, bronze sculpture depicting the last three Northern White Rhinos Najin, Fatu and Sudan, and represents a protest of rhino horn sales. The artists announced on Tuesday that the sculpture will move from its current home at Astor Place and be permanently installed at Forest City New York’s MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. The first public viewing will start Wednesday at 6 pm.
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Events & Things To Do

May 22, 2018

Downtown Brooklyn gets another high-rise headed for 511 feet tall

The new hotspot for tall towers, Downtown Brooklyn, will be getting another contender, CityRealty reports. Revised permits show that a 43-story, 511-foot tower set to rise at 540 Fulton Street will contain 327 residential units along with retail and office space. The building's height is only about a foot shy of the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower–now condos–which held the title of Brooklyn's tallest high-rise from 1929 to 2009. The new tower will join Brooklyn's future tallest towers: 720-foot 138 Willoughby Avenue (Brooklyn Point),986-foot 80 Flatbush, and 1,000+ foot 9 Dekalb.
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New Developments

Apply for 37 affordable units right near the Barclay’s Center and Fort Greene Park, from $867/month

Renderings courtesy of Hill West

May 10, 2018

Apply for 37 affordable units right near the Barclay’s Center and Fort Greene Park, from $867/month

If you don't mind being in the center of all the action, this affordable housing opportunity is for you. The lottery is open for 37 apartments at Hill West Architects' brand new Downtown Brooklyn rental 1 Flatbush Avenue. Not only does the 19-story building offer amenities such as a landscaped roof terrace with BBQs and a gym with a yoga studio, but its location at the intersection of booming Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street means it's just a few blocks from BAM, the Barclay's Center, almost all major subways at Atlantic Terminal, and Fort Green Park. The units up for grabs are reserved for households earning 60 percent of the area median income, or between $31,612 and $62,580 annually, and range from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 13, 2018

A Buckminster Fuller dome almost kept the Dodgers in Brooklyn

With baseball season back in full swing, talk at some point turns to the heartbreak of losing the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. Modern Mechanix informs us that team owner Walter O'Malley had championed a Brooklyn dome stadium designed by Buckminster Fuller–and how the result is yet another reason to blame Robert Moses. O'Malley took the team to Cali, if you'll remember, because he got a better deal on land for a stadium–better than he was able to get in the five boroughs. He had wanted to keep the team in Brooklyn, but Ebbets Field was looking down-at-the-heels by then and bad for morale. In 1955 O'Malley wrote dome-obsessed architect Buckminster Fuller requesting a domed stadium design.
So what happened?

REVEALED: Jeanne Gang’s 51-story condo next to Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s

Rendering via Tishman Speyer

April 9, 2018

REVEALED: Jeanne Gang’s 51-story condo next to Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s

Tishman Speyer released on Monday the first renderings for its new luxury residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn, 11 Hoyt. Designed collaboratively between Hill West Architects and Jeanne Gang's architecture firm, Studio Gang, the 51-story, 480-unit condominium project will offer a variety of apartment layouts, with more than 190 different floor plans. The tower's rippling exterior seems to borrow elements used in two of Gang's Chicago projects, the Aqua Tower and the Vista Tower, which is currently under construction. The project will rise next to the Macy's on Fulton Street, which is currently undergoing renovations by Tishman Speyer, who are also planning a 10-story office tower on top of the store. Sales will launch at the tower this summer, but interested buyers can now check out the building's newly launched teaser site.
See them here

New renderings for Tishman Speyer’s 10-story office tower above Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s

Via Tishman Speyer/ The Wheeler building site

March 29, 2018

New renderings for Tishman Speyer’s 10-story office tower above Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s

Tishman Speyer last April unveiled plans to revamp the Macy's building at 422 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn by building a 10-story office tower on top of it. Now, new renderings have been released this week of the building, known as the Wheeler, highlighting the design's fusion of 19th century and Art Deco architecture. A 256-foot tall glassy addition to the historic department store will add over 840,000 square feet of commercial space, according to YIMBY.
See the renderings

New Developments

Extell launches sales at Brooklyn’s current tallest tower, starting at $837K

Rendering courtesy of Williams New York

March 22, 2018

Extell launches sales at Brooklyn’s current tallest tower, starting at $837K

Extell on Thursday officially launched sales at Brooklyn Point, the developer's first skyscraper in the borough. According to the building's site, units available include studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom condos, ranging from $837,000 to $3,413,000 in price. Residents at the 720-foot tower, located at 138 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn, will enjoy a plethora of amenities including a wine room, a stroller valet, well-equipped fitness center and, of course, the highest rooftop pool in the Western Hemisphere.
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February 13, 2018

986-foot Flatbush Avenue tower in Downtown Brooklyn gets revised renderings

Ahead of its public review, Alloy Development this week released new details and renderings of its proposed mixed-use development at 80 Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Developers amended the complex's design, first released in April, following backlash from the community and more than 100 meetings with local stakeholders. While the taller tower will keep its original design with 74 stories, the 38-story building's profile will be slimmed and feature a masonry facade to complement the neighboring Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower.
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Real Estate Trends

Extell’s Brooklyn Point tower will have the highest rooftop pool in the city

Brooklyn Point renderings via Williams New York

February 5, 2018

Extell’s Brooklyn Point tower will have the highest rooftop pool in the city

It's no surprise that the supertall savants at Extell--who are currently constructing the 1,550-foot Central Park Tower as the world's tallest residential building--used their first foray into Brooklyn to smash yet another sky-high record. The Post reports that the developer's City Point tower, dubbed Brooklyn Point, will boast the highest rooftop pool in the entire city. Sitting at the top of the 720-foot luxury condo at 138 Willoughby Street, it will be a 27-foot-long saltwater infinity pool, complete with a full lounge area, a stargazing observatory, and space for outdoor movie screenings.
More details and views ahead

Whole Foods Market’s first 365 store on the East Coast opens in Fort Greene

Rendering of entrance via Two Trees Management

January 31, 2018

Whole Foods Market’s first 365 store on the East Coast opens in Fort Greene

Whole Foods Market 365 opened its first East Coast location in Fort Greene on Wednesday, further cementing Downtown Brooklyn as a burgeoning commercial hub. The 30,000-square-foot store is located in Two Trees' 300 Ashland Place, a mixed-use development with 379 amenity-rich rentals above it. As the seventh 365 location in the country, the lower-priced grocery store will offer high-quality products free of artificial flavors, sweeteners and preservatives.
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New Developments

New rendering shows how Pacific Park is changing Brooklyn’s skyline; tallest tower on the way

Rendering by VUW Studios via L&L MAG.

January 16, 2018

New rendering shows how Pacific Park is changing Brooklyn’s skyline; tallest tower on the way

Though Brooklyn's Pacific Park mega-development hasn't been in the news much lately, the site of headline-stealing Barclays Center and the world's tallest modular tower hasn't slowed its advancing impact on the borough's skyline. A new rendering courtesy of New York Yimby shows the full build-out of the project, including the addition of what could be one of Brooklyn's tallest towers. According to the rendering, the site's crowning skyscraper would be borough's tallest tower–if only on paper, and temporarily.
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January 5, 2018

New renderings unveiled of John Catsimatidis’ 32-story Downtown Brooklyn rental ‘The Eagle’

Leasing has officially commenced at 86 Fleet Place, the final residential tower of John Catsimatidis' four-building development along Myrtle Avene, a site the billionaire first purchased from Long Island University in 1982. Dubbed by Catsimatidis' Red Apple Group as "The Eagle," the 32-story 440-unit building sits in between Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene and offers studios for $2,044/month, one-bedrooms for $2,743/month and two-bedrooms starting at $4,050/month. As CityRealty learned, residences will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, custom oak cabinets and Brazilian stone countertops.
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December 18, 2017

Extell’s first outer-borough skyscraper, Brooklyn Point, gets new renderings

In October, Extell Development released a website with details about their luxury high-rise planned for Downtown Brooklyn. Two months later, they've released additional renderings of 138 Willougby, their first outer-borough tower. As YIMBY learned, the 720-foot skyscraper called Brooklyn Point, temporarily the tallest in Brooklyn, will have 458 condominiums designed by Katherine Newman that focus on blending "Brooklyn industrial chic” with a “refined mid-century aesthetic."
Get a first look inside

Brooklyn Point, Extell Development’s first tower in the borough, will rise 720 feet

New rendering of City Point courtesy of Extell Development

October 12, 2017

Brooklyn Point, Extell Development’s first tower in the borough, will rise 720 feet

Extell Development released a teaser website on Thursday ahead of its sales launch for Brooklyn Point, the group’s first tower in Brooklyn, and revealed more details about the luxury high-rise. Rising 68 stories and 720 feet high, the tower at 138 Willoughby Street will be the tallest building in the borough until 9 DeKalb Avenue rises, which will be roughly 1,000 feet tall. As the last phase of City Point, Brooklyn Point will join two other residential buildings, the Brodsky Organization’s 7 DeKalb and City Tower.
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October 11, 2017

The Hub, Brooklyn’s tallest building, unveils even more awesome amenities

In addition to being Brooklyn’s tallest tower, the Hub might also take the title for having the borough's best amenities. The Dattner Architects-designed 610-foot tall luxury rental at 333 Schermerhorn Street in Boerum Hill will feature a 75-foot indoor/outdoor lap pool, a gym, outdoor fitness level, a dog park and much more (h/t Curbed NY). The more than 40,000 square feet of amenities will provide residents with grilling cabanas, a landscaped terrace, club lounge and party rooms.
See the amenities

Architecture And Design

Live a block away from Fort Greene’s DeKalb Market Hall for just $867/month

Via DeKalb Market Hall

September 22, 2017

Live a block away from Fort Greene’s DeKalb Market Hall for just $867/month

With apartments ranging from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms, you might have some cash leftover to splurge on a Katz's pastrami sandwich, frozen key lime pie, or smoked rack of ribs at Brooklyn's largest food hall, DeKalb Market, just around the corner. You'll also be just two blocks from all the action at 9 DeKalb Avenue, the borough's future tallest tower. These 22 brand new residences at 237 Duffield Street, a 105-unit building designed by Karl Fischer, come online Tuesday through the city's affordable housing lottery and are reserved for New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Lottery opens for 74 affordable units at new Downtown Brooklyn rental, from $947/month

Image via Handel Architects

August 31, 2017

Lottery opens for 74 affordable units at new Downtown Brooklyn rental, from $947/month

At the beginning of the year, Downtown Brooklyn's new 26-story rental tower at 210 Livingston Street, best known for having its own subway entrance, topped out, and it's now accepting applications for the 20 percent of units reserved as affordable housing. These 74 brand-new apartments are set aside for those earning 60 percent of the area median income and range from $947/month studios to $1,230/month two-bedrooms. In addition to the super-convenient location, all tenants will have access to an impressive suite of amenities (though many will require an additional fee), including a courtyard, 15th-floor landscaped terrace, roof deck with grills and a sun deck, lounge, game room, business center, laundry room, fitness center, and an underground parking garage.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

108 affordable apartments up for grabs in Downtown Brooklyn’s 33 Bond Street, from $613/month

Rendering via TF Cornerstone

August 17, 2017

108 affordable apartments up for grabs in Downtown Brooklyn’s 33 Bond Street, from $613/month

Applications are currently being accepted for the second phase of affordable apartments at 33 Bond Street, a building nestled among the bustling neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill. The 25-story building sits just one or two blocks from all major subway lines and is within walking distance to Fort Greene Park and the Barclays Center. New Yorkers earning 40 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $613 per month studio to a $2,519 per month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 23, 2017

For $1.25M, this Downtown Brooklyn loft may need some layout changes

With two exposures, 11-foot ceilings and walls of windows, this 1,100-square-foot two-bedroom loft condo in the Toy Factory Lofts at 176 Johnson Street has its heart in the right place–even if its bathroom isn't. The historic 1926 building–once the home of Tudor Metal Products and birthplace of many mid-20th-century toys–lends itself to authentic loft living in ever-changing Downtown Brooklyn. A modern renovation makes loft living easy–with a possible exception or two–and the $1.25 million ask comes with low carrying costs.
About that bathroom

Distinctive Homes

May 15, 2017

For $935K this Boerum Hill co-op is both Downtown loft and Zen retreat

In a classic pre-war loft building at 96 Schermerhorn Street known as Boerum Court, where Boerum Hill meets Downtown Brooklyn, this solidly-built co-op offers a flexible loft layout and the high ceilings and proportions to match. Custom additions have transformed the space into a unique home with Japanese-inspired details and modern conveniences. The apartment currently offers one bedroom and a home office but could easily gain a second bedroom.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

April 5, 2017

Plans revealed for new creative office hub above revamped Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s