The once-quaint fishing village of Sheepshead Bay is forever changed.
The 28-story tower that developers are erecting on Voorhies Avenue has broken 20 stories, and it is now visible from practically every corner of the neighborhood. There has been a major uptick in new, multi-story construction recently, but the high-rise — a joint venture between Muss Development and Avalon Bay — is wildly out of place and making little old Sheepshead Bay feel more like the borough’s frenzied waterfronts to the north, said Community Board 15 member Jay Lieberman.
“Just before the bus turns onto Sheepshead Bay Road, you get this vision of this monstrosity. And it’s not that it’s particularly ugly as a building — but it is so totally out of place,” he said. “I was born here, and I don’t it expect it to remain a little quaint fishing village forever, but there needs to be a sense in the part of the community — that this is not Williamsburg.”
Developers plan to open the tower sometime in 2017. It will feature luxury amenities including a gym, landscaped roof deck, pool, and a grand lobby, according to builders.
But the nabe is already prone to flooding because the area’s century-old storm drains cannot handle mother nature as it is. And those pipes also have to handle water from local buildings as well, so locals are bracing for the day when area streets run brown because tenants in the structure’s 232 apartments all decide to hit the john at once.
“The tipping point is at half-time during the Super Bowl. If everybody flushes the toilet all at once, with this now-increased number of people living in the Bay, will the sewer system be able to handle this?” said Community Board member Howard Katz.
