Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Attorney General Moves to Stop Nursing Home Sale to Scandal-Tinged Care Provider
Allure Group, which operates the Harlem nursing home, is at the center of the Rivington House scandal
The effects of the Rivington House scandal are reverberating far outside of the Lower East Side—throughout City Hall, sure, but also up to Harlem. The Wall Street Journal reports that Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office has just moved to block the sale of a nursing home to the developer at the center of the aforementioned scandal.
In 2014, Allure Group acquired the Greater Harlem Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility, located on 138th Street, and had recently been in talks to buy the facility outright. The State Health Department had initially agreed to the sale, with the caveat that Allure would maintain the nursing home as a medical facility.
But the AG’s office has been keeping a careful eye on Allure since the Rivington House scandal broke. In that case, Allure purchased the Lower East Side nursing home for $28 million, then paid the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) $16.15 million to lift the deed restriction on the building, which would have limited its use. Allure then sold the building for a whopping $116 million to a group of developers, who announced their intent to turn the facility into condos earlier this year. That’s the point at which the AG’s office got involved.
According to the WSJ, the affidavit filed by AG Schneiderman’s office alleges that "the Harlem facility didn’t provide adequate protection for its residents and patients, and Allure misrepresented its intentions to government regulators." An attorney for Allure Group countered by telling the paper that the organization agreed to run the nursing home for at least five years, and that they spent "millions of dollars in upgrading and improving the Greater Harlem facility to turn it into a five star financially viable nursing home."
- New York Attorney General Files to Stop Harlem Sale to Allure Group [WSJ]
- Attorney General Tries to Reign In Care Provider at Center of Rivington House Scandal [Curbed]
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/26/12284156/rivington-house-attorney-general-harlem-nursing-home
Monday, 25 July 2016
Williamsburg Home of Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Bowl Sells to Developer
The building reportedly sold for $37 million
After more than a year on the market, it looks like the Williamsburg building that’s home to two of the neighborhood’s most popular destinations—the Brooklyn Brewery and Brooklyn Bowl—finally found a buyer.
According to the Real Deal, the 29,000-square-foot warehouse was snapped up by Atlas Capital Group, and though it was initially expected to fetch up to $50 million, it went for a slightly lower $37 million. Atlas is the developer behind such high-profile projects as the redevelopment of St. John’s Terminal in Lower Manhattan, and the pricey Annabelle Selldorf-designed condos at 42 Crosby Street.
According to TRD, "sources said the Midtown East-based real estate investment firm is likely to eventually reposition" the two-story building, which comes with the potential of nearly 69,000 square feet of buildable space. But even with the sale, the two businesses won’t be going anywhere for a while: Brooklyn Bowl’s lease won’t expire for another five years, and the Brewery’s is good through 2025.
As TRD notes, the Brewery is in the process of expanding to a new, enormous space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it’ll join other New York businesses like Russ & Daughters and Mast Brothers.
- Home of Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Bowl in contract for $37M [TRD]
- Brooklyn Brewery May Leave Its Williamsburg Space [Curbed]
- Brooklyn Brewery, Bowl Building Is For Sale, But Don't Panic [Curbed]
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/25/12278822/brooklyn-brewery-williamsburg-building-sold
LES Could Be Getting Two More Gigantic Residential Towers
Both projects are in the early planning stages
Following news that Lower East Side residents were seeking meaningful alternatives to curb the rapid increase of planned high rises in their neighborhood comes news that the LES will have to brace for two more tall towers. The Lo-Down has learned through a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request that two separate developers are in the early planning stages of building two residential towers that could bring as many as 2,100 apartments to the neighborhood.
At 271-283 South Street, developer Starrett Corp. is planning a 60-story building with 740 apartments, with some affordable units, as Starrett plans to participate in the mayor’s Inclusionary Housing program.
At 260 South Street, developers L+M Development and the CIM Group are planning a 66-story building with 1,400 apartments, of which about 350 will be affordable. This tower is planning for the parking space currently used by another residential development, Land End II. L+M along with Nelson Management Group, is currently in the process of transforming that building. The parking lost from that space would be relocated.
These towers will be in addition to the currently under-construction, 80-story tower, One Manhattan Square, that’s being developed by Extell, and a 77-story tower being developed by JDS. And local residents are rightfully annoyed. Along with the support of their elected officials they’re calling on the city to either put these projects through a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure [ULURP] or move to rezone the neighborhood that would restrict the height of buildings to 350 feet.
- "Pre-Applications" Show 2100 Apartments, 1.7 Million sf Coming to Two Bridges Area [The Lo-Down]
- As Lower East Side Grows Taller, Community Seeks Alternatives [Curbed]
from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/25/12277374/lower-east-side-more-residential-towers