Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The "Monstrosity" on 42nd and 8th

A few days ago one of the SPAN-mailing list members posted a question asking what was going on at 7th Avenue and 42nd - actually, the questioner called it a monstrosity.. The reference was actually to a building on the corner of 8th Avenue and 42nd - 4202 8th Avenue, to be exact. It also takes up two house addresses on 42nd, but the 8th Avenue address probably allowed for the 7 level building plans to be approved. You can see this building from the back here.

This building site has had many complaints, several which specifically mention neighbors' buildings having wall and flooding issues due to demolition and construction. There have also been a couple of SWOs issues over the last year. But now construction seems to be humming along on this 7 level apartment building.

Sorry about the bad photos. Between my camera and the lighting, they pretty much stink. You can read and see more about this site on Sunset Park Matters, a blog specifically about the irresponsible development going on around 11220 and 11232.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Take a look at the northeastern corner of 48th Street and 8th Avenue and you'll see a 7 level building too. I won't be surprise if the once supermarket at 49th Street and 8th will become another 7 level building.

Krissa said...

Although I'm not wholesale opposed to taller buildings and some elements of the re-zoning plan (sorry, SPANers), this building is definitely an example of the ongoing neglect for contextual development in Sunset Park. We can see if from the window of our coop (we live on 42nd facing 8th) and it's just really shoddily done on every level. My husband is a mechanical engineer and he's been despairing for a year that they're putting up some really below-par and below-code work. He's called 311 a few times to report various things he's seen.

On the other hand, the building going up directly behind us (on 41st) has been, in his professional opinion, a model construction site and other than grumblings from our crankier neighbors about losing their (already slivered) Manhattan views, seems like a reasonable and responsible building project.