It’s been a year and a half since Cornell Realty filed plans for a massive four-building, 208-unit development at 902 Franklin Avenue in southern Crown Heights. Now, Cornell has nearly finished demolishing the series of squat industrial buildings on the site between Crown and Montgomery streets, which used to be a commercial laundry business.
Prolific construction photographer Tectonic recently stopped by the site with a drone and sent along this overhead shot of the demolition progress. Most of the old laundry has been reduced to rubble, but the property’s iconic smokestack is still standing.
The four seven-story buildings would share a lobby and cellar, and they would collectively hold close to 168,000 square feet of residential space. With 208 apartments, the average unit would measure about 800 square feet, meaning rentals are likely in the works.
The subterranean levels would host 120 parking spots—slightly more than zoning requires—along with bike storage, recreation space, and laundry rooms. A gym, lounge, and children’s playroom would fill part of the ground floor.
Karl Fischer is the architect of record on the project.
Cornell purchased the 56,000-square-foot property for $14.8 million in March of 2014. The longtime owners were Central Service Laundry Corp., formerly the Sea Crest Linen company. The property had been a laundry since at least 1935, according to building records.
Subscribe to the YIMBY newsletter for weekly updates on New York’s top projects
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Not four-story but four building, and thanks a drone for photo of the demolition progress.
Sounds like it will be a nice complex.
Would’ve been neat to keep the chimney…
Right, tell me how many of the residents in this neighborhood will be able to afford the rent for these apartments. These real estate big wigs, don’t care who can’t afford the rent as long as they can cater to the yuppies and the out of state folks.