Brooklyn Office Building Slows -- But Albee Square Mall Is Coming Down

The Observer notes that developers will complete only 20,000 square feet of new office space this year in Brooklyn, compared to 165,000 feet in 2006. They got their numbers from a report out Monday from investment-sales brokerage Marcus & Millichap.

Regardless, says the Observer, "two big variables dangle in Brooklyn's commercial future: Atlantic Yards and Albee Square."

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that demolition has already begun on the parking garage of The Gallery at Fulton Mall to make way for the mammoth new Albee Square high-rise development.

The pretty rendering of the future home of Target and perhaps other major department stores in the former Fulton Mall (above left) comes from a promotional brochure for the Albee Square Mall obtained by the folks at The Real Estate, and to us via Curbed.


For some reason, it doesn't show the humongous (maybe 60-story) City Point tower, "a mixture of residential, retail [and maybe] hotel and office" that will be bonded to it.

The gritty two photos to the right are the Fulton Mall as it stood a couple of days ago. Workers were maneuvering equipment inside, preparatory to demolition.




Photos on right by MK Metz

Bench Apartheid in Fort Greene Park?

On one side of Fort Greene Park, nine sets of park benches offer a seat. Take a stroll on the other side, says the Brooklyn Eagle, and only gnarled chunks of concrete and metal jut out of the sidewalk.

Apparently, the park serves as a geographical dividing line between the Walt Whitman public housing projects on one side and the historic district of mid-19th century brownstones on the other. The benches along DeKalb Avenue were torn out long ago by the Parks Department, and there are conflicting stories about why that happened.

More here.

Santa in the Perfect Paws Window, Brooklyn Heights

Perfect Paws on Hicks Street always does their window display up big time. Looks like St. Nick himself in there.

- Effeminate Brooklyn Dog Has Two Daddies

Photo by MK Metz

The View From Bay Ridge on BCAT

Tuesday, BCAT's (Brooklyn Community Access Television) Neighborhood Beat gets all festive for the holidays in Bay Ridge. See chic gift ideas at Patouki boutique; then over to Hip Squeak, to outfit those uber-cool youngsters; have a heart to heart with dynamic community leader Rev. El Yateem; and grab a hearty bit of traditional German fare at Schnitzel Haus.

Premiers Tuesday, December 11 at 12:30 and 8:30 p.m.

More good stuff at BCAT's web site here.

The Brooklyn Headhunter: Find a Job in Brooklyn

From time to time, McBrooklyn puts on its Headhunting gear and scouts out a handful of Brooklyn employment opportunities.

Here are today's listings:

- The Mark Morris Dance Group seeks a full time Finance Associate. The Mark Morris Dance Group operates the Mark Morris Dance Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Craigslist

- Senior investment analyst needed for the Brooklyn Public Library's investment portfolio. Brooklyn Public Library

- Office of a New York State Assemblyman and Chair of Assembly Housing Committee seeks an experienced organizer to work with community. Craigslist

- IKEA Brooklyn is looking to hire managers in Red Hook. CareerBuilder

- Housekeeping manager needed at the Marriott in Downtown Brooklyn. HCareers

- Skilled sculptor wanted for modeling prototypes for medical models, decorative objects, toys. Craigslist

- Brooklyn Industries needs an assistant manager for their warehouse. Craigslist

- Dyker Beach Golf Course is looking for a Catering Sales Manager. Event-Job-Finder

- Small jewelry studio seeks part-time assistant. Craigslist

- Movie theater manager wanted for independently owned theater in Cobble Hill. Craigslist

- Bank branch manager needed in Downtown Brooklyn; earn about $100K per year. CareerBuilder

- Ramp Operations Agents for Delta at JFK airport. Responsible for directing the ground movement of the aircraft in terminal ramp areas, among other tasks. Training is provided, and this position is part-time (at least 30 hours guaranteed) with benefits. Craigslist

- PR Assistant for boutique Park Slope PR agency. Craigslist

- Reglazing company looking for a handy, motivated individual sprayer to reglaze tubs. They'll train you if they like you. Craigslist

Previous job postings here.

Photo by MikeColvin82, Creative Commons license.

Brooklyn Artists' 'Mug Shots' of Bush & Co. Hanging in NYC Library

The New York Public Library is displaying photographs of Bush administration officials doctored to make them look like police mug shots. The pictures were created by two Brooklyn artists, Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, as part of a privately financed exhibit called "Line Up" Fifth Avenue space.

Also in the mug shot gallery are images of Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Bush adviser Karl Rove, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The dates on each image match days when each official spoke about Iraq in ways the artists consider criminal - with sound clips of them speaking, along with a camera flash going off and a prison door closing.

Posted by UnitedOffensiveIII on YouTube

The Future Trader Joes, In Cobble Hill Brooklyn

A sign in the window says work is going on in the basement. Which has been reported to be haunted.

- Will Trader Joe's Be Haunted by the Spirits of Bankers Past?
- Everybody Gonna Hula to Brooklyn Trader Joe's
- Sovereign Bank Moving to Make Room for Trader Joe's
- All Trader Joe's comments on McBrooklyn

Dear Mayor Bloomberg: Regarding Brooklyn, Especially Carroll Gardens

Did you ever read those prayers to God? The ones from children who asked God to please cure their grandmothers, or dads, or sisters?

That's kind of like the letter we got today from CORD, about 340 Court Street, addressed to Mayor Bloomberg and other area representatives:

"We the undersigned Carroll Gardens homeowners and residents, are appalled by the 'as of right' ruling which allows owners and developers to erect buildings in our neighborhood with no regard to the impact they will present to our quality of life and the value of our homes" ... and so it goes.

So what is going on at 340 Court Street? A Gowanus Lounge correspondent shot a photo showing that "a big dig is underway in the back of the former medical building that is going to be demolished."

Gowanus Lounge also says that complaints have been filed with the Department of Buildings from people whose homes are shaking from bulldozers. DOB complaints here.

More here.

- Huge Drilly Thing at 340 Court Street in Brooklyn
- Developer Promises to Limit Height at 340 Court Street; Will Build Three and Four-Bedroom Units
- 'Something Big' About to Happen at 340 Court

All Kinds of Happenings in Brooklyn

- The first 110 Livingston unit is up for resale. 110 Livingston Blog

- Next Tuesday (December 11) there will be a chance to have a say and listen to proposals for the future of the threatened Navy Yard Admirals Row buildings. At 202 York Street @ Gold Street in DUMBO). Brit in Brooklyn

- How to get a recreation pass to Brooklyn College. Brooklyn Junction

- New architect for 20 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. Brooklyn Heights Blog

- A profile of Dan Zanes, Cobble-Hillbilly, here. Cobble Hill Blog.

- Any local musicians interested in playing at the tree lighting, Dec. 16, in the lot on Cortelyou Road and Argyle? (There will also be hot cocoa and cookies...) Ditmas Park Blog

- "I want to thank the Mayor for listening to our plea,” Joy Chatel, an owner of 227 Duffield Street said. Photos of the underground railroad Duffield press conference on Monday at Duffield Street Underground.

- This Saturday and Sunday, Bargemusic (under the Brooklyn Bridge -- come on, it's time you got into culture) is presenting "Mice War: An Opera for Kids." Saturday, December 8, 12 pm & 2 pm; Sunday, December 9, 12 pm & 2 pm. Free admission; reservations required. Bargemusic

Brooklyn's City Tech Tower Complex -- One Building? Two?

It Looks Like Five Buildings. But It's Not.

Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about the really tall tower (and smaller buildings) soon to be built by City Tech and Forest City Ratner at the corner of Jay and Tillary Streets in Downtown Brooklyn ...

News came Thursday from the Brooklyn Eagle that the "complex" of five buildings isn't really five buildings, even though the rough draft looks like five buildings.

“Note that there will be one foundation for the building that will replace Klitgord,” a City Tech spokesperson said in an email to the Eagle. Though the rendering appears to show five separate buildings, “there will actually be just one.”

The taller "section" -- read tower -- will be residential and the shorter section will contain the City Tech classrooms and offices, an underground theater and a gymnasium. The tower section will have its own entrance; the City Tech section another entrance.

More here.

- Brooklyn's City Tech -- It's Not a Tower, It's a Complex!

- You Compare: City Tech 'Old Model' to City Tech 'Today Model'

- Biggest Building in Brooklyn -- So Far -- Proposed for City Tech's Klitgord Auditorium Site

- Digging For Gold at City Tech's Klitgord Auditorium