Photographer Lisanne Anderson snapped this rare scene of Sheepshead Bay Road (left) during a moment when there was no traffic on the streets. Surprised by the desolation, she attributed it to the possibility that everyone was already at Bayfest, which was currently underway.
This rare shot of the usually very busy road, made us wonder: What would happen if Sheepshead Bay Road was overrun by pedestrians walking where previously there were buses and livery cabs picking up illegal fares? Over at Subchat.com, our article about the Station Plaza development has kicked off quite the discussion. One commenter suggested that, with the proposed new street, there’s the possibility that Sheepshead Bay Road between East 14th street and East 16th street could be pedestrianized.
So, what do you think, Sheepshead? Could the road end up looking like Broadway in Manhattan did when it was shut to vehicular traffic (right photo)? We think not.
Acadia Realty, a partner in the enormous Sheepshead Bay Station Plaza development adjacent to the train station platform, has posted floor plans of the mega-establishment on its website. The plans reveal a 16-story residential tower perched on top of four floors of retail, a one-story parking deck and a floor of office space.
If the plans become a reality, the 22-story Sheepshead Bay Station Plaza will stand far taller than any other building in the area, with the Sheepshead Bay train station platform nestled in its shadow.
The website shows that the residential lobby will be on the ground floor on the side closest to Voorhies Avenue, but does not indicate the number of dwellings or inhabitants. The apartment tower will sit directly above an office, which itself is above an 89-space parking deck. The four-floors of retail below is topped off by a fitness center and a community facility. Outside of the main building, a private street is planned that includes an estimated 650 parking spaces and an additional small retail building. In addition to Acadia Realty, the project is being built by PA Associates and GreenbergFarrow. Continue Reading »
The Bay News did a piece on the artistic renderings for Sheepshead Bay Station Plaza that we first reported here. In quoting P/A Associates’ Carolyn Malinsky, they noted much the same as we did: these “plans” aren’t plans at all – they’re just drawings.
“We are completely still in the pre-development phase. We’re not sure what we are going to build there,” she said.
“You are looking at someone’s thought process,” she said of the sketches. “I am committed to nothing.”
She said no tenants have been signed and there is no time frame for the development.
Apparently, our skepticism of the sketches ever becoming reality are shared by CB15 Chair Theresa Scavo.
When she first saw the renderings, she though just one thing: “Dramatic.”
“I’m not buying it,” she said. “There is a difference between renderings and plans. Those could just be the idea of what they want it to look like.”
Also: Bay News is spreading the rumor that consumer electronics giant, Best Buy, “could be interested in leasing space at the site.” Highly unlikely, methinks.
Someone pointed me to the artistic renderings for Sheepshead Bay Station Plaza, the enormous shopping center being built by Acadia Realty and PA Associates practically right next door to the train station. The architectural firm on the project is GreenbergFarrow.
I’ll let the renderings speak for themselves — the fantasy of it should be obvious to anyone familiar with the Bay. Apparently the artist is a master of the abstract or surreal schools of art.
Anyway, here’s the details from PA Assoc.’s website:
Sheepshead Bay Station Plaza is bringing modern, multi-level retail to the affluent neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. With 240,000 square feet of brand new retail on four floors, and parking for approximately 750 cars, this new shopping experience will have a mix of local and national retailers. Located on Sheepshead Bay Road at Voorhies Avenue, directly across from Exit 8 of the Belt Parkway, the shopping center is also adjacent to the elevated subway station served by the B and Q trains.
From GreenbergFarrow’s website:
Station Plaza at Sheepshead Bay Road will house upward of 335,000 square feet of retail including a number of possible mixed-use additions as well as a multi-level parking deck on this 2.34-acre site. To maximize store frontage and visibility, a proposed private street connecting Voorhies Avenue and Sheepshead Bay Road will be planned into the Station Plaza site.
Note the differing square footage. This might be because none of the plans are real yet. While it’s nice to see what might be there, Carolyn Malinsky of PA Associates told me, “These are just artistic renderings” and the company has no concrete plans yet. No tenants, no finalized architectural plans, no certainty of use. We’re still waiting to hear back from Acadia to see what they have to say.
Here’s what the proposed square footage translates into:
According to Brian Hanson, who brokered the $20 million sale of the property, the zoning is as-of-right whether the square footage is 335,000 or 240,000, so no variances will be needed. Given the current zoning and FAR for the area, it can be up to 340,000 square footage, all commercial or a mixture of residential and commercial.
Either way, this illustrates enormous plans for the property, and a big change to the view from the subway platform. I don’t know if this is good news or bad news; certainly the current buildings there aren’t very pretty, but is the Bay really clamoring for more retail space?
