Take a quick look: a source tells us that 182 Atlantic Avenue, recently the site of the Independence Community Foundation, will pass into the hands of Two Trees Management Wednesday, at which point the wrecking ball will arrive. (ICF has moved to 45 Main Street, a Walentas/Two Trees property recently plagued by a bit of a crime wave, according to Curbed.)Two Trees has already started digging up the pavement east of 182, once used as a parking lot for Sovereign Bank, which is moving across the street to make room for a Trader Joe's.
After 182 Atlantic is torn down, construction will begin on the 37-unit, six story apartment building Two Trees is putting up behind the bank building. The Brooklyn Eagle has a photo of what the finished product will look like here.
Photo by MK Metz
I know it's not popular with everybody, but I think this is fantastic news. The more retail and residential on Atlantic the better--and Two Trees is one of the best developers in the city. Walentas seems concerned improving the communities he builds in, and his buildings are much more contextual than most.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, almost anything would be better than the current parking lot.
Can't wait for the Trader Joe's to open in the old bank--hopefully more cool (non bank) retail will open in the apartment retail space as well.
As much as I'm usually a crank, I have to agree with poster number 1. While it was a nice space to bring the kids to during the Atlantic Antic, I can't see much else the empty lot offered to the community.
ReplyDeleteI live around the corner from the site. I am unhappy that Two Trees didn't see fit to obey the Historic District laws and keep their building to 50'.
ReplyDelete.
It's a slippery slope, you see: once they do it, then the next guy says that he should be able to do it, too; and then the whole brownstone neighborhood, with its pretty buildings, human scale, and livable population density, will go straight to hell.
.
Two Trees, at the first CB6 meeting, actually used the argument that the site was only at the corner of the historic district so it would be all right to violate the height restriction.
.
Fooey.