The Brooklyn Paper quotes Jed Walentas as saying he doesn’t think proximity to the Brooklyn House of Dentention is much of an issue, and that his company will propose a residential development for the site. The City Economic Development Corporation recently solicited proposals from developers (see concept diagram), and this is the first public expression of interest to come to light. The article calls this a “bold salvo,” and goes on:
“It’s a valuable piece of real estate and I don’t think the jail is a huge issue,” Walentas, son of DUMBO developer David Walentas, told The Brooklyn Paper this week. He said his company would propose “a residential building next to” the jail.
Walentas added that “if the project is done right,” apartments in the resulting “House of D” condos could attract the same wealthy tenants as the Court House, a posh 320-unit building that Walentas’s Two Trees Management built one block from the jail.
Walentas made his bold pronouncement last Friday, one day after the city’s Economic Development Corporation officially asked developers to submit plans for two 10- to 15-story commercial and/or residential towers that would sandwich the existing 11-story jail at the rapidly gentrifying corner of Atlantic Avenue and Smith Street.
The towers could be filled with offices, hotel rooms or apartments, according to the city’s pitch. Walentas said that he would consider building there only if it was guaranteed that he could do a residential development, which would likely be more profitable than the alternatives.
