1702 Newkirk Avenue & 615 East 17th Street Renderings

DITMAS PARK – The corner of Newkirk Avenue and East 17th street is about to exchange a  two-family Victorian for a 12 unit modern apartment building.

The permits were approved at the end of last year for both the new building as well as full demolition of the one that has occupied that corner for the last 100 years.

The new six-story building will offer 11,542 square feet of residences, divided among 12 units and certainly looks better than its current neighbors. It will be 70 feet high, and will not be set back the way the building immediately to the left of it on Newkirk Avenue, but follow the line of the building to the left of that one. Bizdesigns are listed as the architects for the project.

Zoning calls for a minimum of six parking spaces, which they have proposed to include at the back of the building, introducing a concrete driveway between the two apartment buildings on Newkirk. It looks like there will be balconies and about 400 square feet of rooftop space, affording the new neighbors lovely views over the historic Ditmas Park.

The project is proposing to save three and plant one new street tree. The building is being built as of right and did not require special approval.

Just a few doors down on the same block at 615 East 17th street, a 3 story building is doubling in size.

Permits were approved for adding 3 more floors, and turning this into a 16 unit residential building:

From the renderings, it looks like they are adding an elevator, but no architectural details are provided to see what it would look like. There will be storage in the basement for 8 bicycles, and they will plant 2 street trees.

Our guess is, once these changes start taking place it will only be a matter of time before more of this block will be reaching for the sky. Given the width of East 17th street, and its proximity to public transportation at Newkirk Plaza with its local and express trains, more housing is certainly welcome.