Yes, it's possible to both love and loathe a building you've never been in or seen in 3D. I know because I am currently in hate/love with 15 Ocean, as rendered by Rise Architecture (no developer as of yet). The idea of turning the parking lot at Ocean/Flatbush into useful apartments and retail has been a dream of many, even long before the current crop of gentrifiers flooded past this unofficial gateway to Flatbush. But this here seems like just the sort of wholesale makeover that will put a lot of folks off, myself included. And yet, unlike other big plans for Empire Blvd and above, this one could be built as of right, with no gooey community board input or ULURP process. And if the economy swings positive, this will be a no-brainer for developers. Big apartments right on the park AND right over a 3-line train station - if you can't make money on that you're in the wrong game.
Anyone who knows me or artist Dave Eppley will know how dear the Flatbush Trees are to our hearts. They stand sentinel to an ever-evolving streetscape, kitty-korner from the BBG. We did our best to give them an update. But we always knew their days were numbered, since not only are they not landmarked - they actually DON'T EXIST to the City's Art Commission. The paperwork was never properly filed. You can search the Q for its history. I'm too obsessed with the electoral map right now to be bothered.
1 comment:
Street level retail like this is so 2010. One or two spaces maybe but this thing looks like DeKalb Market. I wish the city started fining building owners for leaving spaces empty. That building on Nostrand (The Edge? Or The Verge?) has had empty ground retail for over a decade. Sinful.
Post a Comment