The southern half of Bed-Stuy, around the A/C train, is thick with pristine brownstone streets and multimillion dollar townhouses, with few opportunities for development. But the northern half, south of the J/M/Z, is another story. Abandonment during urban decline left the area with more infill opportunities, and the blocks surrounding Brooklyn’s most affordable train lines are coming alive with small rental projects.
YIMBY has the first look at one such site, at 829 Willoughby Avenue, just a few blocks from the Myrtle Avenue stop on the el, the last before the M train splits off from the J/Z.
829 Willoughby Avenue is technically an alteration, though there is no trace of the old brownstone – once handsome, but since stripped of its cornice and
stoop – in the new design, which is bright, modern, and clean.
The old structure will be extended upwards by one story and back into the yard, turning a three-story, three-family home into a four-story, seven-unit building. Though it will only have 5,000 square feet of space, the building will hold seven apartments in total, offering a mix between two and three-bedroom units.
Solomon Schwimmer is the developer, with design by StudiosC and Julien Flander as the architect of record.
The project will use electric mini-splits for heating and air conditioning rather than the conventional PTACs, sparing the building’s façade unsightly grills and offering tenants more comfortable cooling in the summer.
“PTACs aren’t as strong and long-lasting as a split type HVAC system,” Schwimmer told YIMBY, “and utility bills are much higher for tenants.”
The building is currently under construction, with completion targeted for July.
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