Is 1702 Avenue Z cursed? It could be, because what once was among Sheepshead Bay’s glitziest properties now has signs of a downhill turn.
First of all, it’s almost a year behind the completion date of the building and work is still being done on the interior of East 17th Street and Avenue Z. Things started to look up in August, as the commercial broker, Massey Knakel Realty Services, told us they were closing a deal with a group of local doctors to use the entire office/retail space as a medical center. Then, in November, the posh residential units hit the market under the elite Corcoran name, with asking prices of more than $800,000.
Now, just a measly three months later, all the big boys have pulled out. The deal with the doctors fell through, and Massey Knakel is no longer representing the building. Similarly, The Corcoran Group has pulled the listing from its website.
Click to see broker's sign
The entire development – commercial and residential – is now represented by the mysterious Dreamlife Realty, for which we can find little information. Their website is dated 2008 and is notably blank and sets off anti-virus alerts. Similarly, a Google search for the agent – Olga Orak – reveals little more than she represents a few McMansions out in New Jersey.
So what’s the deal? What has made two of New York City’s biggest brokers turn tail and run for the hills? And will Little Miss Dreamlife Realty have the pull to market such a high-priced, mixed-use development?
I guess what I’m asking is: are these ever going to sell, or does something smell fishy in Sheepshead Bay?
Councilman Michael Nelson’s office sent us a note last night that they got word from the Department of Transportation that the Operation Iraqi Freedom Way sign should be back up by the end of the day on Monday, February 22.
The stalled construction site at 2820 Avenue Z that imperils children remains dangerous. Eleven days after the Department of Buildings declared it in “Emergency Condition” and nearly two months after the fence first fell, leaving it open to children from P.S. 52 down the block, nothing has changed. We’ll be watching this one closely. There’s no reason the developer couldn’t nail up a $50 piece of plywood for the time being, and there’s no reason the city should allow this to go on for as long as it has.
The fence to this mess fell down, giving access to children from nearby P.S. 52
We railed last month against the owners of 2820 Avenue Z, a stalled construction site in such deplorable condition that it threatened the safety of local schoolchildren. On February 9, the city declared the site in “Emergency Condition.” This means the property owner must repair the construction fence immediately or the city will do it for them. This is done to ensure public safety.
The ruling came after a February 1 inspection spurred on by complaints about the site’s fallen fencing, which gave access to children from P.S. 52 on the same block. In addition to the broken fencing, the inspection found that the existing wood and steel frame was below grade.
Though there is no exact time frame for the repairs to be done before the city steps in, it’s assumed the property owner has a few days to make repairs. If the city repairs the fencing they put the cost on the property tax bill and charge a premium.
We passed by on February 12 and the fencing was still down. If this is along anyone’s daily route, please send us updates if anything changes.
Thanks to Community Board 15 for the information.
This is NOT how you build a treehouse
Three years ago, workers began demolishing 2820 Avenue Z to make way for a new building. The problem is, it never had permission to do so. The resulting mess is a portrait of Department of Building’s inefficacy that is now putting schoolchildren across the street at P.S. 52 in danger.
After making your way past the fallen fencing and through garbage and jagged debris, you reach a 7-foot drop into a partially excavated foundation, which the DOB forced property owners to re-line with cinder blocks. In the middle of it all is a pile of loosely standing splinters that could generously be called the construction’s frame.
Beer bottles, junk food wrappers, spray paint cans, and the graffiti on the walls show that teenagers have been messing around in here. A crossing guard for the school across the street says she chases the school children out of there on a daily basis. She’s tried calling the number on the side – a general contractor – but gets no response.
Continue reading about the violations, and DOB’s inability to take action
Beys Specialty in Sheepshead Bay is accused of underpaying workers on a federal contract
Union protesters from Local 79 appeared this morning at the storefront of Sheepshead Bay contractor Beys Specialty with their ubiquitous inflatable rat. During a phone interview with Sheepshead Bites, police arrived on scene at the business owner’s behest.
The business, Beys Specialty Inc., located at 2520 Coney Island Avenue, is accused by the union of illegally exploiting workers on a federal courthouse project in downtown Brooklyn.
As we spoke to a picketer over the phone, police arrived and the owner of Beys Specialty could be heard telling officers that the protesters were making too much noise, blocking the business’ driveway, and banging on the windows of parked cars.
While the officer spoke, the picketers began blowing on whistles and shouting, “Every day! Monday, Tuesday, everyday!” to imply they wouldn’t leave the site. Continue Reading »
Courtesy of vampirebird via Flickr
We noted yesterday that, as part of the city’s rehabilitation plans, the Coney Island boardwalk will be rebuilt… soon. Well, we didn’t realize how soon. Giddy to play with its new toy, New York City Parks and Recreation Department quickly awarded the $13.7 million, two-year construction contract to T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., through its affiliate Triton Structural Concrete.
According to the San Diego, CA,-based company’s press release:
Work will begin immediately to demolish portions of the existing damaged wooden boardwalk; precast concrete slab units will be installed as the foundation of the 2.7-mile boardwalk to strengthen and stabilize it. The boardwalk’s existing hardwood timbers will be replaced by a combination of colored and textured pre-cast concrete slabs, custom exposed aggregate and sustainably harvested hardwood wood decking. The project duration is two years, however, Triton anticipates completing early in approximately fall 2010, dependent upon the weather and summer tourism.
First, we have to wonder whether this $13.7 million project could’ve waited until after we got ourselves out of the current financial boondoggle. Next, we ask why would you go with a company based outside of New York? Granted, sending taxpayer money off to California is a bit like charity these days, but we can put that to good use here at home.
On Friday, NYC Economic Development Corporation sent out its request for proposals (RFP) for amusement operators on the shiny new land it just bought. Worked into the guidelines is a requirement that all applicants must have attractions in place for the Summer 2010 season on a lot that accounts for roughly half the city-owned land. This guarantees something to see next year, and hopefully it’s better than the dreaded Sitt Sideshow. Continue Reading »
News broke yesterday that the city has successfully negotiated the purchase of almost seven acres in the heart of the Coney Island amusement district from developer Joe Sitt. The deal opens the doors for Mayor Bloomberg’s plans to revive the ‘hood into a year-round destination with high-rise hotels, restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters and the city’s first new roller coaster since the Cyclone was built in 1927.
The city inked the deal after years of wrangling with the Darth Vader of Coney Island real estate, Joe Sitt, who planned a $1.5 billion Las Vegas-style resort with a huge glass-enclosed water park, retail stores and condominiums or time-share hotels in tall towers near the beach. The city purchased 6.9 acres from Sitt for $95.6 million of public funds, leaving the developer with 5.6 acres.
Officials will begin seeking a temporary amusement operator in the coming days, and are sending representatives to International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in Las Vegas next week. They’ll start soliciting proposals for a permanent, year-round amusement plan after that.
With a Coney Island renaissance on the horizon, bordering neighborhoods like Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay could stand to benefit. The three communities, along with Manhattan Beach, once thrived as the center of high-life in New York City. Together they flourished with resorts and restaurants, and together they crumbled as their heyday faded. Could a revived Coney Island usher in a new era for Sheepshead Bay?
The first meeting of the 2009-2010 season for the Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. The meeting kicks off at the King’s Chapel on Quentin Road and East 27th Street. Representatives of city agencies and elected officials have been invited, and you can bet the organization will discuss their ongoing fight against negligent developers. For further information, call (718) 934-8214.
Construction workers removed the scaffolding around the glass-and-steel construct on Avenue Z and East 17th Street this morning, signaling an end to almost two years of work.
Workers on the scene are now tearing up the sidewalks and preparing to pour new concrete. They say the sidewalk will be done within the next couple of days. With a few exceptions on the street level and on the roof, all exterior work appears to be complete, and the crew said the inside of the building was ready as well.
Still, there appears no sign from the building’s residential realtor – Corcoran Group – that they’ve started marketing the building. On the commercial side, the building’s representative, Massey Knakal Realty Services, said last month that they’re close to a deal with a group of local doctors for medical offices. The docs will take all the commercial units, which include a total of 15,700 square feet spread among the basement and first two floors.
