A plan to remake the south side of Gansevoort Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets got a big thumbs down from the public at a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on Tuesday. The plan from William Gottlieb Real Estate and Aurora Capital would bring more commercial and retail space to the block and would do so by demolishing two buildings and replacing them with new ones and modifying several others.
The eco-friendly form of construction known as passive house is still rare in New York City. It saves building owners more money in the long run by cutting down on energy costs. But construction costs developers more up front, because passive house demands a special kind of ventilation system, several additional inches of insulation, and extra thick windows. Few affordable housing developers are willing to take on the challenge, but HANAC—an organization that builds senior housing throughout Queens—has decided to make its low-income project in Corona a passive house building.
Ironstate is slowly building the first phase of its big project on Staten Island’s North Shore, which will bring 571 apartments to the former Homeport naval base in Stapleton. Now the firm has filed plans for the second phase of the development, called URL Staten Island, at 5 Hudson View Loop.
Last month, Slate Property Group and Adam America Real Estate sold their development site at 275 Fourth Avenue/251 1st Street, in Park Slope, to Chinese developer Vanke, according to Commercial Observer. An 11-story, 44-unit condominium project is planned, and 5,547 square feet of retail and community space is expected on the ground floor. The new developer has also landed a $33.2 million construction loan and expects to complete the building in Q3 2016. Sales should launch in early 2016 and ODA Architecture is designing.
Back in the 1930s, two 19th century wood frame homes stood at 563 and 565 West 170th Street, between St Nicholas and Audobon Avenues in Washington Heights. But by the late 1970s, the two houses had been torn down and replaced by a garage and an unremarkable two-story brick building. Now a new residential building may grow at no. 563, which is mostly vacant except for the dilapidated, single-story garage.
