Monstrous Homecrest Home Will Be Demolished
For eight years Homecrest residents have been bemoaning the erection of what has come to be known as “the monstrous tower” or “Homecrest tower.” The owner of the residential building, located on 1882 East 12th Street, Joseph Durzieh, called it an addition. Call it what you will, the unsightly structure will be removed, according to a report from the Brooklyn Daily.
Back in March, the Department of Buildings ordered the structure to be taken down or submit new plans. The owner chose the latter, and engineer James W. Feuerborn of firm Thornton Tomasetti will draw up plans to tear down the structure, department officials told Brooklyn Daily.
It’s hard to know where to start with such a controversial erection. But one thing can be said for sure, it sure is an ugly appendage. The two-story home is built atop a crumbling bungalow, and at 43 feet tall, it towers over nearby homes that stand a little over 20 feet tall, which led to many residents calling the structure unsafe.
In summer in 2o13, residents of the community won a long-fought victory in their battle against the landlord when a state judge ordered the city to re-examine building plans from “a shady developer” who, at the time, had attempted to erect a 53-foot addition to his Homecrest home.
At the time we wrote:
Judge Yvonne Lewis had sided with neighbors who called for a halt to the project. The judge didn’t have the authority to tear down the structure but had ordered the BSA to re-examine the case. Durzieh had argued that he had the proper permits to make the alterations, claiming that he was building a new addition for his family. Neighbors argued that this was unlikely considering that Durzieh tore down most of his house to accommodate the addition and that his plans called for the installation of an exterior staircase and an elevator. The speculation was that Durzieh was looking to build and rent out condos.
Around the same time, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz expressed his distaste for the extra large piece. In a press release he admonished the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) for allowing the continued construction. He also cited issues of safety as a major complaint in his opposition to the construction.
For now, everyone can breathe easy and not have to live life in the shadow of such a huge object.
