This is J.J. Byrne Park, which was the subject this past weekend of some public sessions to gather ideas for a redo of the Fifth Avenue side. The top photo is taken from Fifth Avenue. The tall building in the background is the Novo Park Slope development built by developer Shaya Boymelgreen. Which brings us to the bottom photo. That is the Terrapin Playground which the developer pledged to rebuild after using it for construction of the luxe condos. At one point last year, Community Board 6 urged the Dept. of Buildings to withhold a certificate of occupancy for the building unless the developer got moving on the park. The going has been very slow on what is supposed to be eight handball courts, two basketball courts, a skate area and a dog run. It looks like almost no progress has been made since Brownstoner checked up on it on December 18 and would appear from the photos below that a miracle might be needed to get it ready by spring. (Actually, at least one pile of soil appears to have been moved as well as several boards, a hose and a blue tarp.) The Parks Department was saying that winter weather might be a factor in pinning down an opening. Perhaps the delays are due to the bitter, bitter we have been having, plus the unrelenting heavy snow.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Jan 17, 2008 at 9:33 am
When will the Novo open? It was suppose to open in December but had some construction delays.
2 Anonymous // Jan 17, 2008 at 4:24 pm
The building’s nowhere near finished. The building owner’s caught in the money crunch, like many other developers of his type. His other building on Atlantic Ave. across the street from the jail is having the same problems – exterior looks mostly finished but there’s a lot inside that needs work.
3 Laura // Jan 17, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Crikey, this is the building that would wake me at 6:30 each morning with the freaking pile driver. And I used to take my daughter down to the concrete to rollerblade…but obviously that’s not possible anymore. Because of the bitter, bitter cold. Yeah, and all that snow. Totally.
4 Anonymous // Jan 17, 2008 at 7:53 pm
If you actually talk to the guys who are building the park, they will tell you the Parks Department doesn’t respond to their questions and delays them further. I imagine it can’t be that easy to build these handball court walls in freezing and rainy weather easy. I’ve been inside the Novo as well, the 10th floor looks beautiful. I agree from the outside it needs some work (I see some windows and doors missing as I pass). The outside could be better (Not a fan of the quality of the masonry), but the inside is truly beautiful. I was impressed by the name brand appliances and lights too. Higher end quality than I would expect from a Park Slope High Rise. If this kind of quality and work is going to be a standard, I wouldn’t mind seeing more skyscrapers in the Slope. Last I saw, they were cleaning up outside of the building and putting in a brand new sidewalk. This is going to be very good for the neighborhood. Boymelgreen is on the right track. They’re not perfect, and I think there’s a lot they need to improve, but I give them a lot of credit.
5 Anonymous // Jan 18, 2008 at 4:55 pm
That’s a sell-job if i ever saw one!