Old Gas Station At Avenue Z, East 16th To Become Parking Lot
Neighbors of the long-neglected lot at 1515 Avenue Z, formerly occupied by a gas station and mechanic, have noticed a lot of work going on in the last two weeks, as contractors cleared out the overgrowth and garbage. That’s because the property is now in new hands, and the owner – a developer with several properties in the area – is moving forward with plans to add parking.
After several years on the market, 1515 Avenue Z (a.k.a. 2554 East 16th Street) moved to auction last year, where it was purchased by October Sky LLC for $4.75 million – just under $3 million shy of the price the old owners paid in 2004. Construction crews hit the property in late January, clearing out weeds and debris, and are now tearing up the concrete and creating a new supporting barrier for the easement along the Brighton Line train tracks it borders. According to Department of Building records, October Sky has received permits to tear down the one story garage – the only structure on the 22,400 square foot lot.
According to George Krasanakis, a partner in October Sky, they plan to “just use it for parking.” Asked whether it would be a garage or a lot, Krasanakis told Sheepshead Bites that they “don’t have the answers for that yet”
It’s not the first time October Sky has attempted to add parking in the area. The developer previously filed plans to build a nine story mixed-use building across the street at 1508 Avenue Z (a.k.a. 1501(c) Sheepshead Bay Road), filling it with offices and a 101-car parking garage.
Those plans were nixed, however, after local leaders blasted it, saying that it would create a traffic nightmare to have a valet parking garage of that size on congested Avenue Z.
That left October Sky with a problem, since another of their nearby properties – the triangular office building on Sheepshead Bay Road and East 14th Street – was built without adequate parking, and the nine story garage was intended to correct the problem.
But whether the new property will only be for parking is still in question. There are no building plans filed with the Department of Buildings for 1515 Avenue Z. And Krasanakis noted that they’re “not 100 percent sure what we’re going to do.”
The previous owner of the property held approved plans to build a 14-story building, packed with 30 residential units atop a glass pedestal of 5,000 square feet of retail space, a 23,300-square-foot office space, 10,000 square feet of healthcare facilities, and 186 parking spaces.
Krasanakis told Sheepshead Bites that October Sky won’t be implementing those plans.
“They’re very outdated,” he said.
