BY REBECCA BAIRD-REMBA – New York YIMBY
Most of President Street in western Crown Heights is densely built out with townhouses, aging apartment blocks, a huge armory, and in some places, detached mansions. But every once in a while, the owner of a small commercial property bows to Crown Heights’ market pressures, either developing their property or selling it to someone who will.
YIMBY came across one of those properties yesterday 1201 President Street, a single-story garage between Nostrand and New York avenues. The President Street stop on the 2 and 5 trains is around the corner, and the Nostrand Avenue 3 train stop sits a block away on Eastern Parkway.
Salomon Ezagui has filed plans for a six-story, mixed-use building there. The cellar and first two floors would be devoted to a 9,600-square-foot synagogue, followed by 16 apartments. The project will only have 11,375 square feet of residential space, yielding average units of 710 square feet. There will also be nine parking spots – the minimum required to satisfy the site’s R6 zoning.
The current owner is headquartered in a house across the street, and he’s hired Midwood-based archiect Sandor Weiss, of Gelu Durus Musica.
The 6,400-square-foot property hasn’t changed hands since 1990. And demolition plans have not yet been filed for the property’s current garage.
This is a private enterprise and I wish them success.
My
A private owner is doing what he sees fit with his property. I wish him much success.
Anyone with a complaint why he doesn’t do what they see fit seems to have boundary issues.
Not Lubavitchers
Does anyone think otherwise?
710 sq ft apartments…
Seriously???
He owned the property for years, and it wasn’t residential. He can do with it whatever he wants.
This is not like the real-estate sharks that will bid up properties and build whatever is most profitable for them, without regard to communal needs.
Kol Hakvaod
And I need a large house.
But I do see use for smaller apartments for true Senior Citizens.
Very much needed on this side of the neighborhood!!!
Who exactly is he going to rent out 710 sq ft apts to??? I may be jumping to conclusions… But this sounds like the prefect recipe to bring in more young professionals into ort community, instead of taking care of our own housing for crisis!! We must stand up and say something before it’s too late!!!!!!
700 sq ft is too small for me why cant normal size aparments be built for large families?
Perfect for senior residence. Small cozy apartments. Large shul with plenty of room for separate areas for men and women to learn and/or socialize.
16 units with 700 sq ft of living space each? Plus 9000 sq ft shul! The figures dont add up to good news for the “hood.”
Do we need Moshiach!