300 Livingston Street

25-Story, 714-Unit Mixed-Use Project Rises Above Street Level at 300 Livingston Street, Downtown Brooklyn

Back in April, new details were revealed of the 25-story, 714-unit mixed-use building under development at 300 Livingston Street, in Downtown Brooklyn. Now, the project has risen above street level, as seen in photos by Tectonic, which were taken a back in May. As previously reported, the building will eventually encompass 734,312 square feet. It will feature 55,000 square feet of retail on the ground and cellar levels, followed by residential space beginning on the second floor. The apartments should average 790 square feet apiece, indicative of rental apartments, and 143 of them (20 percent) will rent at below-market rates through the housing lottery. Amenities include a 128-car underground parking garage, laundry facilities, a yoga room, storage for 357 bikes, a pet grooming room, an outdoor terrace on the second floor (likely a courtyard), and a children’s playroom. TF Cornerstone is the developer, while Handel Architects is behind the design. Completion is expected in 2017.


196 Orchard Street

Steel Rises for 11-Story, 94-Unit Mixed-Use Condo Building at 196 Orchard Street, Lower East Side

Back in December of 2015, updated renderings were revealed of the 11-story, 94-unit mixed-use building planned at 196 Orchard Street, on the Lower East Side. Steel beams are now being rising from the ground at the site, Bowery Boogie reported. The structure will encompass 178,376 square feet. There will be 38,452 square feet of commercial space across the cellar through third floors. Most of that space will be utilized by a three-story Equinox fitness center, which required a special permit from the Board of Standards and Appeals, and Community Board 3 will see the plans this month. Parts of the ground and cellar levels will also contain retail space. The apartments, which will be condominiums, begin on the fourth floor. Units will average 978 square feet apiece and will come in studios and one-bedrooms. The structure will be topped by a roof deck. Magnum Real Estate Group and Real Estate Equities Corporation are the developers, while Ismael Leyva Architects is designing. Incorporated Architecture & Design is responsible for the interiors. Completion is expected in late 2017.


Preservationists Rally Against Landmarks Bill, Intro. 775

This morning, the City Council’s Land Use Committee is slated to vote on a bill called Intro. 775-A. The legislation was introduced last year by Council Members David Greenfield and Peter Koo and it would impose a set of restrictions and deadlines on the Landmarks Preservation Commission. To say preservationists and the public are unhappy with it would be an understatement and, on Monday morning, a rally against it was held on the City Hall steps.

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4913 Second Avenue, image via Google Maps

Permits Filed for Sunset Park Hotel and Medical Building, 4913 Second Avenue

The Sunset Park waterfront in Brooklyn is one of New York’s last true industrial zones. Part of warehouse-lined shoreline has been developed into a park, and the World War I-era Bush Terminal complex has been transformed into office space for creative and tech companies. But as one travels south toward the Brooklyn Army Terminal, there are still trucking companies, construction supply businesses, paint manufacturers, and auto repair shops. And like every other up-and-coming industrial zone in this city, hotels are slowly replacing small commercial businesses here. YIMBY recently spotted plans for a mixed-use hotel and medical office building at 4913 Second Avenue, on the corner of 50th Street.

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