Apartment house construction plan raises concerns in Bay Ridge

December 29, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Plans to construct a seven-story building at the site of former St. Patrick Convent in Bay Ridge are being closely watched by Community Board 10 leaders. The convent was recently demolished. Eagle photo by Paula Katinas

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A developer’s plan to build a seven-story apartment house in Bay Ridge on the same site where a Catholic convent stood for nearly 50 years is sounding alarm bells, according to Community Board 10 leaders, who said the neighbors have expressed concern over the height of the new building.

Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann said her office has received “many phone calls” from residents worried about the height of the new building to be constructed at 401 95th St., across the street from Saint Patrick Catholic Church.

Construction has not yet begun on the new building. The St. Patrick Convent was located at the site for many years. The convent, which was constructed in 1966, was recently torn down to make way for the new building.

The construction of the apartment building is slated for completion in the summer of 2015, according to a sign posted at the site. The plans call for the building to contain 22 apartments.

At seven stories, the new building will tower over nearby structures, most of which don’t go higher than four stories, worried residents told the community board.

The community board is also concerned, according to Beckmann.

“This is a very large residential/commercial development,” she told the community board at its Dec. 15 meeting.

A Sunset Park real estate developer filed plans with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). The plans call for commercial use on the first floor with apartments above.

It’s not clear what, if anything, opponents can do to stop the construction. The city’s zoning law allows for a building of that height to be constructed at the site, Beckmann said.

But the community board intends to keep an eye on it, Beckmann added.

Beckmann said she has reached out to DOB “requesting that plans be reviewed so that zoning regulations are reviewed.” She also reached out to the Department of City Planning.

One man standing at a B63 bus stop located near the construction site on Monday said he was glad to hear that an apartment building was being planned.

“We could use more housing in this neighborhood,” he told the Brooklyn Eagle.

In another development, Bay Ridge residents are also warily eyeing plans to build a new automobile showroom at 9013 Fourth Ave., the site of the former Cranherry’s Lounge.

The concerns are centered mainly on the fact that the building will expand to two floors, Beckmann said. “Due to community complaints I have also asked for review of plans to ensure zoning compliance,” she told the community board at the meeting..