Wednesday, September 12, 2007

A Window Rebellion at 110 Livingston?

Raggedy holes cut through the sales banner covering 20 or so windows at the 110 Livingston condos suggests that some of the residents on the east side of the refurbished Board of Ed building got a bit impatient about having their windows covered. ("Hand me the scissors, Heather.")

This morning workers were removing the banner -- because, one worker said, "They sold all the apartments." Really? What are all those holes for? "We had to put the flaps in because of the wind." Really? You did that? "Well some of the people, they were a little upset about not being able to use the windows."

While apartments in the building have been selling like hotcakes, Curbed reported on August 24 that some buyers were bailing out, and that developer Two Trees was offering a price cut.

If you decide to run right over to buy a condo, beware the west side of the building. On the 110 Livingston Community Forum, we read: "Beware west-facing apartment shoppers. I recently signed a contract with Two Trees only to find out that they are building an 11- to 13-story hotel in that parking lot next door. You'd think someone would have told me this while I was gushing about how nice the view was to everyone there..."


Photo by MK Metz

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi MK,

It was (unfortunately) a troll on the 110 Livingston blog that wrote that comment, but he or she is correct--there are plans for an 11 story hotel to be built on the parking lot almost adjacent to 110 (I say almost adjacent because Two Trees bought the air-rights of the little 2 story building between the condo and the hotel, so nothing will get built there).

The hotel wasn't announced until AFTER 110 had been on sale for a while, but no guarantees were made as to the longevity of the view, which is one reason I decided to buy facing a different side.

I don't think there was any "shadiness" on the part of 110's staff--when I asked about a west facing apartment, my sales person told me point blank something would get built there eventually.

As someone once noted, the only views that are guaranteed in NYC are if you're facing a park or if you're facing a brick wall.

Besides, did people really think that an empty lot in a busy and rapidly gentrifying part of town 5 minutes from Manhattan was going to stay a parking lot forever?

Anonymous said...

A hotel in that parking lot? Does anyone know which one?

Anonymous said...

BJ,


It's going to be a Cambria Suites. I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of it, since it's a new brand from Choice--it's supposedly an "upscale" hotel comparable to a W (although I'll believe it when I see it).

W competitor or not, I think it's great that a giant gap is being filled in on that block. Almost anything is better than a parking lot.

Anonymous said...

That's actually impressive. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Poster number one is right -- there is no way an empty lot in Downtown Brooklyn will stay empty for long (though parking lots must be making some kind of money). Seems like parking is at a premium now. Wonder if the new hotel will have pay-for parking?