Brunelleschi Construction

806 Bloomfield Listings are Live!

2011-03-18T14:57:00.003-04:00

For Sale: Retail/Commercial Space in Jersey City, NJ, $260,000

2011-02-01T09:34:00.001-05:00

2010-08-26T16:19:00.001-04:00

The owners of 806 Bloomfield Street are suing the City of Hoboken.

The legal fees and costs of this litigation will affect Every Property Owner in the City

Thank you for your interest and anticipated support.

Linked Here, please find our trial brief. This document is a comprehensive timeline and synopsis of the facts of this case. It has been submitted to the judge for review prior to the commencement of trial.

Additionally, The Hoboken Journal (who's property backs up to 806 Bloomfield) wrote a post on his blog about our situation:
http://thehobokenjournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/806-bloomfield-lawsuit-with-respect-to.html

In short, we bought the property located at 806 Bloomfield Street with a First Certificate of Zoning that was issued on 11/5/2007. We prepared our construction documents and submitted them for approval to the city. Our plans were stamped and approved, with our Construction Permits being issued on 1/6/2009. Then, on 4/1/2009 we receive a Letter from the Zoning Officer stating that our zoning has been revoked for "the use of a non-conforming use..."

We filed every piece of paper we were supposed to file. We paid every fee that was required. We gave every notice to every party that was to receive such notice. And we waited the proper amount of time throughout the entire process. We relied solely on the issuance of the city's documents, by the city's employees before we commenced work, only to be shut down 4 months later.

We are a small developer with limited funds, and have been run in circles by this municipality for reasons we have still not been able to decipher.

Mayor Zimmer talks about reform...let's see it. All the supporting documents are below. All of these documents are public record and can be obtained with a simple OPRA request.

We would appreciate you sharing this information with others, thank you for taking the time to read our case.

Supporting Documents: (all documents will open in new window)
Signed Certificate of Zoning
Stamped and Signed Plans from the Building Department
Signed Construction Permits
First Certificate of Zoning Revocation Letter

Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment Resolution Denying Zoning (14 pgs)

Complaint filed with the Hudson County Superior Court (39 pgs: compaint 12 pgs + exhibits)
Hoboken Board of Adjustment Answer to our Complaint (13 pgs)

Trial Brief (33 pgs)

Fios 1 News Interview

2010-05-18T09:29:00.000-04:00

Extend the $8,000 first time home buyer credit

2009-08-19T19:49:00.001-04:00

As members of Congress return home for the August congressional recess, NAHB’s more than 200,000 members are being urged to contact their lawmakers and ask them to help create jobs and set the stage for a strong recovery by extending the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit for an additional year and making it available to all eligible buyers of a principal residence.

“If Congress acts to extend the tax credit program, it would spur 383,000 additional home sales, including 80,000 housing starts, creating nearly 350,000 jobs over the coming year,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson. “That’s good for the economy and good for America.”

Although there have been some signs of economic stabilization in recent weeks, the unemployment rate is rapidly approaching double-digits. Without a concerted focus on the housing sector, which comprises more than 15% of the GDP, any hope for a recovery could fade.

“At best, it looks like a jobless recovery once it gets underway,” said Robson. “This is why Congress needs to take bold, meaningful action now.”

The NAHB Executive Board on Aug. 4 unanimously agreed to launch a major grassroots campaign to focus congressional attention on housing “in order to ensure that the first flickerings of recovery in the housing market and economy aren’t extinguished.”

In addition to extending the tax credit, which is set to expire on Dec. 1, Robson said home builders will be meeting with their lawmakers in their home districts within the next few weeks and urging them to:

Correct a faulty appraisal process. The inappropriate use of distressed and foreclosed sales as comps in determining home values is hurting home values and killing home sales. The situation is so bad that a recent NAHB survey of more than 500 builders found that one out of every four new-home sales are lost because appraisals are coming in below the contract sales price.

NAHB is urging Congress to work with housing and federal regulators to adopt and enforce clear, concise regulatory guidance that will allow appraisers to develop realistic valuations based on sales that are truly comparable. Lawmakers should also call on the Federal Housing Administration, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac to establish an appeals process similar to the one used by the Veterans Affairs Loan Guaranty program. Under the VA program, the appraiser is required to seek more information when it appears the appraised value will fall short of the sales price.

Improve housing credit conditions. Since there can be no meaningful economic recovery until the flow of credit is restored to housing, NAHB is calling on Congress to urge regulators and the banking industry to end the stranglehold on acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) loans that has emerged as a major impediment to the housing recovery. Lenders are refusing loans for viable new housing projects and cutting off funding or calling performing outstanding loans, producing unnecessary foreclosures and losses on AD&C loans. Congress needs to urge regulators to allow and encourage lenders to give leeway to residential AD&C borrowers who have loans in good standing by providing flexibility on re-appraisals, loan modifications and perhaps forbearance to give builders time to complete and sell their lots and homes.

Co-sponsor Net Operating Loss (NOL) relief legislation in the House and Senate. NOL bills H.R. 2452 in the House and S. 823 in the Senate would prevent further layoffs in building and other industries hit hard by the recession. The legislation would help all businesses by eliminating the current $15 million cap on average annual gross receipts and allowing 2009 losses to be eligible for the expanded carryback. In addition, the bills would also help taxpayers who have been hit by the Alternative Minimum Tax to fully benefit from any NOL carryback. Both bills enjoy bipartisan support. Currently, H.R. 2452 and S. 823 have 92 and 37 co-sponsors, respectively.

Taken together, these four issues — extending the $8,000 home buyer tax credit for one year and making it eligible for all home buyers; bringing common sense to the appraisal process; urging banking regulators to ease AD&C credit; and passing the NOL carryback legislation — will not only create needed jobs for American workers quickly, but also stimulate demand for goods and services throughout Main Street America, Robson said.

-- Post From My iPhone

Great Article on Design

2009-07-22T08:42:00.001-04:00

This is a great article by John King of the San Francisco Chronicle...

In defense of inspired design

John King

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

"Usefulness is inversely proportional to status," Deyan Sudjic writes in his new book "The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects." "The more useless an object is, the more highly valued it will be."

The author is referring to the relative value of art versus industrial design - but the observation can be applied equally well to cities such as San Francisco.

Think about it: The physical need to occupy a specific patch of earth has never been less important to one's success. Everything we might acquire can be tracked down online; most culture we seek can be procured through a handheld device.

Our 21st century equivalent of an office tower turns out to be a cafe with free Wi-Fi.

All this should signal a death knell to the traditional core. Instead - recession aside - marquee hubs such as San Francisco stand more desirable than ever. It's not that we need to be here. But the center serves as a stage set, the spotlit focus for people who use urbanity to define themselves and their tribe.

Cities aren't the focus of Sudjic's book, a well-tailored provocation that both explores why the best design work is timeless and decries how it can be debased for status or show. Thomas Chippendale and his 18th century furniture are explored as a precursor to Ikea - "a pioneer in brand creation" - and the ever-shinier line of Apple products is contrasted with the demise of the fountain pen as status symbol ("the basic concept has lost its relevance").

The underlying theme: the quest among designers and clients for "emotional resonance," the design of a watch or a laptop computer that connotes something beyond what it does: "to provide us with a reminder of the world beyond utility."

Which brings us back to downtown San Francisco, where so much of the terrain is fine-tuned to make you feel like something is happening - and that you belong in/to the scene.

Certainly that's the case at the Clift Hotel, the storied landmark two blocks off Union Square that in 2001 was reborn as an outpost of the globe-trotting cultural elite. ("Elite" being defined as a place where "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert was mobbed earlier this month.) The 1913 exterior still exudes staid pomp; step inside and it's a dark wonderland of affectation, with theatrically scaled furniture and thick silk drapes and techno rhythms in the background.

As for the Redwood Room, favored haunt of generations, the wooden bar of yore has been replaced with one of backlit glass. But when I had drinks there last week, the room was alive, cloaked in shadowy decadence amid chilled bottles of Champagne and $29 crab cakes.

The interiors are by Philippe Starck, a self-styled cage-rattler who described his aim to The Chronicle in 2001 as "a place that makes the actors sexier, smarter than they are" - and whom Sudjic describes in "The Language of Things" as "constantly seeking to amuse the grown-ups with his daringly naughty tricks."

The ambiance is profoundly different a few blocks to the south, at Blue Bottle Cafe on Jessie Street behind the Old Mint.

Here, light streams through the bare windows of a 17-foot-high corner retail space. The stools are utilitarian, the walls dull white.

Yet everything here is arranged as deliberately as at the Clift, including the coffee beans in grainy paper bags with the blend names stamped by hand. It's all very DIY - and you can grind the beans at home with the $700 grinder on sale a few feet away.

As different as the two spots might be, design helps cue the mood of each - the Clift's cosmopolitan cocoon, Blue Bottle's studied lack of pretense.

"In objects we value the 'authentic,' the hand-pressed. It's often the same thing with cities," Sudjic said in a telephone interview last week. "A (successful) city is about how it feels to be in a particular place, at a particular time."

Before assuming his post as director of London's Design Museum in 2006, Sudjic was architecture critic for the Observer, a British daily where he provided uncommonly lucid takes on how the "art" of architecture is imbued by what he described in his final column as "the hard stuff of power, politics and city building."

It's a mix that's never static - just as designers seek out new emotional cues, and as neighborhoods are redefined again and again. As long as that's the case, the appeal of high design and urban centers is likely to endure. Whether they're "needed" or not.

The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects: By Deyan Sudjic. W.W. Norton, 208 pages, $24.95

Place appears on Tuesdays. E-mail John King at jking@sfchronicle.com.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/21/DDBC18Q9TT.DTL

This article appeared on page E - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Jersey City Reporter Article

2009-06-30T09:14:00.001-04:00

Free car! Great prizes!
Condo builders offer gimmicks to lure buyers
by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer
06.27.09

A car with every condo, auctioning units at a discount price, and an open house to rival all open houses.

Those gimmicks have been offered lately by Jersey City developers who want to sell high-priced condos in a tough economy. Those who haven’t turned to offering rentals instead are trying harder to get buyers.

More than just an open house

The 22-unit development m650 Flats, located at 650 Mongomery St., held an unusual open house in downtown Jersey City on June 13.

The multi-tiered open house at the building was a celebration of the fact that the developers won an award for historic preservation. It was also a charity event to raise funds for rebuild the region of Abruzzo, Italy that was devastated by an earthquake in April, and an exhibition of the works of local famed artist Duda Penteado.

Anthony Carrino of Brunelleschi Construction, the developers of m650 Flats, said during the event that the open house was a “meaningful” way to do more than just throw a party.

Carrino said his building has gotten great attention in the community, but that it has been a tough economy, with only seven of the 22 units sold so far.

City Council President Mariano Vega said he didn’t see the open house as a “gimmick” but that the economy “caused them to be creative.”

A car with every penthouse

Since May, Canco Lofts, the 500-unit condo complex on Dey Street near Journal Square, has offered a car with every penthouse sold.

The cars offered are Passion Coupe Smart Cars, with a retail price of $15,000. The offer runs until the end of July.

Calls to Canco’s sales office were not returned to comment on the offer.
_____________

“I honestly believe this abatement is very helpful not just to the new buyers but also for Jersey City residents.” – Brian Fisher
________

Canco has had problems selling the first 202 units put on the market almost two years ago, with about 100 sold so far. The converted can company building overlooks the beginning of Routes 1 & 9 in Jersey City. The units sell in the range of $350,000 to $850,000.

A crystal clear reason

Brian Fisher was adamant last week that Jersey City’s City Council approve the revised abatement for his Crystal Point development. An abatement deal allows developers to pay a different tax rate to the city than regular property owners do.

Only 24 of the 269 units on Second Street have sold in the past seven months, and Fisher reduced prices by 30 percent while pursuing the revised abatement so that he could continue to offer deals.

“I honestly believe this abatement is very helpful not just to the new buyers but also for Jersey City residents,” Fisher said last week.

The building, still under construction, will have prices starting in the mid-$400,000 range.

Did someone say ‘Auction’?

The developer of the Beacon condos in Jersey City announced recently that 25 one- and two-bedroom luxury condominiums would be auctioned off Saturday, June 27.

Metrovest Equities, the developer of the Beacon, retained the services of Sheldon Good & Co. Auctions N.E., LLC to carry out the auction at the Hyatt Jersey City hotel.

Twelve of the homes were to be sold “Absolute” regardless of price. That means any bid price during the auction or a minimum acceptable price set by the developer will be accepted.

Suggested opening bids ranged from $150,000 to $250,000 for residences originally priced from $380,000 to $700,000.

At the auction, the winning bidders have to provide a certified check for $15,000 (for a one-bedroom unit) or $25,000 (for a two-bedroom).

Before the auction, all bidders had to attend an open house at the Beacon and pay for a $20 bid package.

George Filopoulos, President of Metrovest Equities, said in a recent press release that the auction is a "proactive approach" to closing out the community's first phase of 315 homes, and allow Metrovest to accelerate the opening of The Beacon's second phase.

Filopoulos stated that it was not done as “a distress sale” but will “cut months off of our current marketing program, resulting in considerable savings that will be passed on to the buying public through discounted pricing."

The Beacon, located at the site of the old Jersey City Medical Center, will ultimately include 10 buildings containing 1,200 luxury residences and 80,000 square feet of retail space.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonrreporter.com.

Link to Article

Press Release: ARTchitecture 4 Abruzzo Charity Event

2009-06-19T16:00:00.004-04:00

A Charity Benefit & Art Exhibition: The New Way to Sell Real-Estate

JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 22 /PRNewswire/ -- There’s auctions, short-sells and price gouging going on in today’s Real Estate market, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at m650 Flats in Jersey City. Brunelleschi Construction (BrunCon) has taken a different approach to boosting the sales of their luxury lofts.

BrunCon, a premier urban developer of adaptive re-use properties in Hudson County, was established based on the principals of their Renaissance namesake, Filippo Brunelleschi. Much like this architectural forerunner, they believe in working within a neighborhood’s existing fabric to create a vibrant community – socially, architecturally and environmentally. A recent recipient of the 2009 Adaptive Re-Use Preservation Prize, the boutique style luxury lofts at m650 Flats shatter the cookie-cutter mold of urban developments and offer amenities not often found outside of Manhattan.

While other condo communities are taking measures to cut costs and sell off their inventory, BrunCon is throwing a party! On Saturday, June 13th, m650 Flats hosted a charity benefit and artist exhibition. “The event supports their dedication to local community revitalization, while paying homage to their Italian ancestry,” says Kristin Ehrgott, founder/president of Mindseed, a boutique marketing and events company enlisted to create the event.

ARTchitecture 4 Abruzzo featured an artist exhibition and custom mural by Duda Penteado, an open bar and hors d’oeuvres on the roof deck and a silent auction with items including a Vespa S50 scooter and luxury home furnishings from Desiron and Teroforma raised just shy of $7000 for the UNICO fund benefiting earthquake victims of Abruzzo, Italy.

“Incentives are attractive, and we offer plenty – a $5,000 credit at closing, 5 year tax abatement, paid monthly maintenance dues through the end of 2009, not to mention included garage parking (in New Jersey’s first state-of-the-art robotic garage) – but other properties offer incentives as well, our residents are looking for something more unique, a sense of community in a luxury property without the exorbitant price,” says Anthony Carrino, partner at BrunCon.

The event proved to be a great success. One hundred and thirty people attended the event, toured the fifteen available luxury lofts and resulted in three offers the very next day! “The event and the results exceeded our expectations, not only in terms of sales, but recognition and support as well,” said Carrino. “Mariano Vega Jr., City Council President and other notable attendees came out to support our cause and everyone had a really good time; you throw a great party and you’re sure to be the talk of the town for weeks to come!”

About Brunelleschi Construction
Brunelleschi Construction, LLC is a premier urban developer of mixed-use and adaptive re-use properties, working within a neighborhood's existing fabric to create a vibrant community. We strive to develop the ideal product - socially, architecturally and environmentally. www.bruncon.com.

CONTACT: Kristin Ehrgott, Kristin@mindseedevents.com, +1-973-945-0362
Photos © GLK Creative: http://glkcreative.com/Slideshows/m650/index.html

Charity Event a Huge Success!

2009-06-17T09:28:00.002-04:00

The charity event this past weekend was a huge success! We had over 130 people in attendance and raised just shy of $7,000.00 through the silent auction and donations!!!

We can not possibly thank everyone enough who attended and donated, you are all the reason this event was such a success, thank you!

The weather threw us a bit of a curve, but true to form we all kept the party going. The comments about the Flats we heard as people wandered about were truely humbling. It is a good feeling to know the passion, time and effort we put into our projects is visible to, and appreciated by so many.

If you haven't seen them already, the photographer for our event posted a great slideshow on his website. He truely captured the emotion of the day.

If you weren't able to make the event, the artist, Duda Penteado, is leaving his artwork in the building for a few more weeks, and we had such a great response to our 10% pricing discount that we are going to leave it in effect for one additional week as well...so setup an appointment to come by and view the m650 Flats ASAP!

We hope you all have a great summer, and hope to see you at the Flats again soon.

Best,

The Brunelleschi Team
www.BrunCon.com

NY Daily News Article

2009-06-12T09:35:00.001-04:00

A Jersey City neighborhood looks to better times, and Brooklynites notice

BY Karen Angel

Friday, June 12th 2009

Exterior of M650, a high-end condo with New Jersey's first robotic garage.
Hagen for News

From the 1920s through the 1960s, Journal Square was Jersey City's crown jewel, a glowing commercial, entertainment and transportation hub. But the arrival of local malls and the Port Authority bus terminal's move to inside the PATH station in the 1960s decreased foot traffic and increased the area's deterioration.

The result is a hodgepodge of downscale franchises, bodegas and, as Mayor Jerramiah Healy puts it, a housing stock of "ugly old eyesores." Most residents live in single- or multifamily houses, brownstones and prewar apartment buildings.

More recently, though, the word "potential" comes up when people speak of Journal Square. Looking to continue a decade of city growth by pushing west, Healy has made it his mission to restore Journal Square to its original glory.

Last fall, he unveiled his vision for the district: up to 15,000 new units of housing, millions of square feet of retail and commercial space, a revamped PATH station and 9 acres of parkland. Completely realizing this plan could take "10, 20, 30 years," Healy admits.

But the plan's keystone - two residential towers of 61 and 43 stories, with 70,000 square feet of retail space - is underway. Demolition of the three buildings on the site has been completed, and construction is expected to begin on 1 Journal Square, the project's working name, by the end of the year, with occupancy set for 2013.

The privately financed, $400 million project, adjacent to the PATH station, is considered the test case for Journal Square investment: Depending on how much demand there is for its 1,615 units and how well its retailers do, other developers and businesses will either follow suit or stay away.

"I always wanted to see something happen," says Jersey City native Lowell Harwood, 79, the developer. "In 40 years, no one had built an apartment building here."

His experience five years ago redeveloping the State Theater, a 130-unit rental building across the street from the towers' site, convinced him there was a strong market in Journal Square.

"It filled up within 30 days," Harwood says. "Being from Jersey City and seeing how fast we rented the State Theater, I thought it was important to bring something even better to Jersey City."

Other projects have sprung up since, though none bigger than the planned towers. The Beacon in neighboring McGinley Square - close enough to Journal Square that residents use the PATH station there - stays true to its name. The 1,200-unit, $350 million hospital conversion by Metrovest has drawn people interested in high-end housing for a fraction of the price they would pay across the river. The development's 315-unit first phase already is 80% occupied. Its success has fueled other developments in the heart of the city.

Before The Beacon, "there hadn't been a project in Jersey City with that full-scale amenity package," says Desi Daniels, a sales associate with Weichert Realtors. "It's resort living in the city."

The 10-building development, to be completed by 2014, boasts 40,000 square feet of amenities and 80,000 square feet of retail space. A one-bedroom apartment can be had for as little as $225,000, Daniels says. On June 27, the remaining Beacon units will be auctioned off at prices starting at $150,000.

Several other conversion projects have followed. Set on 3-1/2 acres on Journal Square's western edge, Canco Lofts used to be the American Can Co. factory. It now consists of 202 lofts, with 112 more on the way. Modern floor-to-ceiling windows have been combined with original details like the façade's sawtooth design, enormous concrete mushroom columns and 14-foot ceilings with gashes from conveyer-belt machinery.

Amenities include half a basketball court, a 300-square-foot fitness center, a dog park and a movie theater. Prices range from $300,000 for a 750-square-foot one-bedroom to $675,000 for a 1,260-square-foot penthouse with 27-foot ceilings and a Manhattan view.

"We're incredibly busy," says Jodi Stasse, Canco's director of marketing and sales. "We do eight to 10 sales a month in a market like this. That's amazing!"

In response to critics who say Canco is too far from the Journal Square PATH station, managment has arranged a free shuttle to take residents back and forth.

Diagonally across the street from The Beacon is M650 Flats, formerly the Calco Chemical Co. factory. Despite having entered the market last November, M650 has found buyers for nine of its 22 luxury lofts, which range from $375,000 to $705,000.

Each has an individual design and elements from the original structure, like bluestone mantels and recycled brick - "character," as new buyer Eric Margelefsky, 27, puts it. These homes also have Bosch appliances, iPod docks and heated bathroom floors and towel racks.

Most units have a terrace, and there's a common roof deck where the developers throw parties for buyers, apartment hunters, friends and locals. Among the many green features are bamboo floors and energy-saving tankless hot-water heaters. M650 also contains New Jersey's first robotic garage, which parks cars itself.

"In the McGinley Square-Journal Square area, there are a lot of brick buildings that go back 100-plus years, and a lot of developers choose to knock down these gems of architecture," says M650 developer Alfonso Carrino, who put his money where his mouth is and lives in the building. "We wanted to conserve the story of Jersey City and add some uniqueness to the building."

Popular among Egyptian and south Asian immigrants from India, Journal Square has an international flavor - but also a downscale feel. The hope is that new, upscale retailers will arrive with the new wave residents demanding more services and local entertainment.

Artchitecture 4 Abruzzo Video Series

2009-06-10T07:38:00.002-04:00

Special Charity Event Pricing in Effect for m650 Flats

2009-06-09T13:43:00.002-04:00

In conjunction with the Charity Event we are throwing this Saturday, June 13 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm, we are Reducing the Prices on all the units at m650 by 10% across the board!!!

These prices are in effect starting right now, and will last until mid-night on Sunday, June 14. The price list is attached, and it looks amazing! Our Stimulus Package still applies as well, so there is no time like the present!

Also, if you could forward this invite on to anyone in the NY/NJ area that you think would like to attend! Our goal is to raise $10,000 for the charity so we need as many big spenders there as possible! We have some great big ticket silent auction items like a Vespa scooter, a private villa in Brazil and an exotic car experience that are all priceless experiences that we hope to get some big bids! We are also praying for nice weather for our rooftop reception with Open Bar and DJ with views of the entire nyc skyline! All this and it's a free event! for anyone driving in, we will have valet parking too!

If you have any questions please let me know! Otherwise, here's the info below. Please RSVP online!

Thanks!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOU'RE INVITED TO: ARTchitecture 4 Abruzzo

Saturday, June 13th
3:00 to 6:00PM
650 Montgomery Street
Jersey City, NJ 07306
valet parking

Sponsored Open Bar
Hors d'oeuvres
Silent Auction
Artist Exhibition: Duda Penteado
FREE event, must RSVP http://bit.ly/m650Flats

A charity benefit to help the victims of the earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy. We hope to raise $10,000!!

Hosted by Brunelleschi Construction (http://www.bruncon.com) at their newest award winning property, m650 Flats (http://www.m650Flats.com) in Jersey City, NJ. The event will feature a cocktail reception on the roof deck with panoramic views of the NYC skyline and a silent auction with luxury items such as a Vespa scooter and designer home/housewares products and services with all winning bids benefiting the earthquake victims of Abruzzo, Italy. Guests will be invited to tour the 15 available condos with artwork exhibited by famed artist Duda Penteado (http://www.dudapenteado.com) and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and live music.

Please RSVP and see more event info via link: http://bit.ly/m650Flats

Artchitecture 4 Abruzzo, Video Series

2009-06-05T10:35:00.001-04:00

Artchitecture 4 Abruzzo, Video Series

2009-06-05T10:33:00.001-04:00

New m650 Banner

2009-05-27T10:17:00.001-04:00

-- Post From My iPhone

Press Release: ARTchitecture 4 Abruzzo Charity Event

2009-05-14T09:33:00.004-04:00

JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Brunelleschi Construction and m650 Flats is to host a charity event in celebration of their 2009 Preservation Award win in the Adaptive Re-use category. The newly established award, given by the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy recognizes the creative transformation of historic buildings; Brunelleschi is the first recipient of this award.

m650 Flats, located at 650 Montgomery Street, the former home of Calco Chemical Co (1915) is now a 22-unit boutique luxury condo building offering amenities rarely found outside of Manhattan. Quality craftsmanship and unparalleled aesthetics define m650 and deliver an unprecedented luxury, style, and sophistication.

"This award category was long overdue - and we could think of no finer project to receive it than m650 Flats," saysJohn Gomez, Founder and President of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy. "This project challenged and transformed our perception of historic preservation and displayed immense creative ability coupled with superbly designed amenities, ecologically sensitive material, and imaginative re-use of original building elements; nothing else comes close to the level of sophistication, reinvention and passion that is evident at the m650 Flats."

In celebration of the award win and as a tribute to their Italian heritage, Brunelleschi will host a charity event to benefit the UNICO fund aiding Abruzzo, Italy in their efforts to rebuild the historic region that was struck by a devastating earthquake on April 6, 2009, "We feel it's our mission and obligation to have a meaningful impact by redeveloping and preserving our most historic cities," says Anthony Carrino, Partner of Brunelleschi. "We are proud to have this opportunity to help those left homeless and also pay homage to the renaissance of our own local Jersey City art and architecture."

The event will be held at m650 Flats on Saturday, June 13, from 3:00-6:00PM, with a real estate industry preview on Friday, June 5. The event will be free, open to the public and will feature an art exhibition by local famed artist Duda Penteado, a silent auction, sponsored open bar, hors d'oeuvres and live music. RSVP's accepted at www.m650Flats.com

About Brunelleschi Construction
Brunelleschi Construction, LLC is a premier urban developer of mixed-use and adaptive re-use properties, working within a neighborhood's existing fabric to create a vibrant community. We strive to develop the ideal product - socially, architecturally and environmentally. www.BrunCon.com

Architecture 4 Abruzzo

2009-05-11T12:08:00.002-04:00

Join Brunelleschi Construction and the m650 Flats for an event to celebrate art and architecture in Jersey City while supporting the victims of the devestating earthquake that shattered Abruzzo, Italy.

Restoration Award for m650 Flats Project

2009-05-06T14:42:00.004-04:00

The Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy has selected Brunelleschi Construction for a 2009 Preservation Award. We are the first to receive this award in the Adaptive Re-Use category.

The award ceremony will be on Thursday, May 28th from 6 to 9pm at the Lowes in Journal Square. Full details can be found in the letter we received from the JCLC informing us of our award...

http://bruncon.com/about/news/articles/jclc-2009award.pdf

We are extremely proud, and very excited to receive this award. We hope you can come and join us at the festivities!

m650 Flats Ribbon Cutting covered by JCTV

2009-05-04T20:39:00.000-04:00

Msg to Facebook Group: m650 Update + NEW Project

2009-04-29T23:26:00.002-04:00

Hey all, Wanted to let everyone know that as the weather slowly creeps toward Spring and we get some hints of Summer, that sales are progressing nicely at the Flats. We now have 5 units closed and two in contract. With the stellar weather of this past weekend the open house had a ton of action, especially the roof decks, and we are expecting another two offers in the coming week.

On a personal note, moving in here was one of the best decisions I have made. The parking space alone makes me smile. I am definitely looking forward to the building filling up and meeting all my new neighbors. The roof deck is in use most weekends, so if you swing by an open house feel free to come to the roof for some dogs, burgers and beers.

Changing gears, we have started a new project at 806 Bloomfield Street in Hoboken. A four unit brownstone restoration that promises to be another unique property from the BrunCon Crew. The website for this project will be completed shortly with all the details: layouts, amenities, fixtures, appliances, etc. We are also trying something new with this project, which is a video web series.

In our efforts to have our customers better understand what it takes to transform these old buildings, and to see the quality and attention to detail that goes into each phase of the job we are taking video as we work. Each phase of the job will have a short five to seven minute video so you can watch the project transform all the way through.

The first three episodes are posted at: http://www.806Bloomfield.com

or you can view them on our Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/video/?oid=14264206131

Hope everyone is well, and we wish you all the best. If anyone is around this weekend, we have an Open House at the Flats on Saturday, May 2nd from 1 to 4pm.

Best,

Anthony
http://www.BrunCon.com
http://www.m650Flats.com
http://www.806Bloomfield.com

806 Bloomfield: Episode 3, Framing Part 1

2009-04-29T18:59:00.001-04:00

m650 Photoshoped Images

2009-04-15T09:28:00.003-04:00

Open House

2009-04-14T11:20:00.001-04:00

m650 Flats Open House

Saturday, April 18th | 1 to 4 pm

www.m650Flats.com

Article in Jersey City Magazine

2009-04-10T11:56:00.002-04:00

AT HOME JCM

Creating Community
An up and coming neighborhood

04.08.09

Article Link

When your city is in flux as ours is, you have the good fortune of watching neighborhoods evolve. Think Paulus Hook before the high rises or Lafayette before the light rail. I’d had my eye on a couple of new condo buildings and then realized that both had art galleries either on site or nearby. To me, this says “emerging community.”

M650 Flats is at 650-654 Montgomery St., not far from the Beacon, the huge condo complex that started life as the Jersey City Medical Center. Make sure you view m650 from at least across the street, so that you can get a good look at the steel and glass rooftop spaces that give it a sleek contemporary feel without compromising the traditional brick of the former livery stables and warehouse. Many units offer spectacular views of Manhattan.

Billed as a boutique condo building, m650 has 22 units that boast custom kitchens with Bosch appliances, heated bathroom floors and towel racks, and an in-wall iPod dock, fully integrated into the A/V system, among other classy amenities.

It also has green features, such as floors made from bamboo that grows fast and regenerates quickly, saving forests and eliminating the need for replanting. And hey, they look great, too.

Worried about parking? Special stacked spaces that can be raised and lowered electronically solve the problem.

On the corner is the Duda Penteado art gallery. Brazilian-born Penteado has strong ties to Jersey City, spearheading the kids’ art project that is on display near the Goldman Sachs building and promoting a sister city relationship between Jersey City and Vitoria, Brazil.

Just south of m650 is Library Hall Lofts at 704 Grand St. In 1866, the building was the town hall for Bergen before it became part of Jersey City, and in the 1870s it became a library. This 12-unit condo conversion maintains the charm of the 19th century structure, while adding modern design elements, such as exposed brick and 15-foot arched windows. The duplexes with views of Manhattan and Summit Avenue through these huge windows are among its best features.

The lofts have 11 parking spaces, and on ground level are two commercial condos. One is occupied by the newly relocated Charles Chamot gallery. Artists and art lovers will remember Charles’s gallery in the legendary 111 First building, which was torn down to make way for new development. The other one is owned by Ian Hinonangan, an attorney, who has also opened an art gallery there called Lenapeeps.

The Bergen Hill/McGinleySquare area is an up-and-coming neighborhood that’s worth a second look.—Kate Rounds

806 Bloomfield: Episode 2, Block Work

2009-04-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

806 Bloomfield: Episode 1, Demolition

2009-04-01T08:30:00.002-04:00

New Project: 806 Bloomfield St. | Hoboken, NJ

2009-04-01T08:20:00.002-04:00

We started a new restoration project in Hoboken on March 2nd. It is a 4-story brownstone on Bloomfield Street. We have gutted the entire property and are in the process of putting all the pieces back together.

Throughout this project we will be doing short video episodes for each phase of construction so you can see how the process progresses.

The new project website is located here: www.806Bloomfield.com

New York Times Article

2009-04-01T08:14:00.005-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/realestate/22njzo.html?_r=1&sq=m650&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=print

February 22, 2009
In the Region | New Jersey
Smaller Building, Safer Bet?
By ANTOINETTE MARTIN

IN a time of big economic trouble around this region, Mike Reuter of Jersey City said he only felt comfortable buying small.

Mr. Reuter, 36, who was in the market for a condominium, said the apartment itself did not necessarily have to be small — although for eight long years he did live in a 650-square-foot basement condo in Hoboken.

It was the building that had to be small. Mr. Reuter said he made that decision even before laying eyes on the 1,090-square-foot two-bedroom condo at the Ivy House that he happily bought in October.

“I started out looking at all the new construction in this area, anything that was near the PATH,” he said, explaining that he commutes to work at an advertising job in Manhattan and puts in long hours, so he wanted his train time to be short.

“All the big new towers were really large, and really pricey,” he said. “I would look up at these buildings, and think ‘What happens if they don’t fill up?’ ”

Would unit owners then get stuck paying a bigger share of common charges? Would the hallways seem empty all the time? Would the fitness center’s hours get reduced, and the doorman’s uniform buttons start to get tarnished? (“Actually, I don’t really care how a doorman dresses,” Mr. Reuter said.)

Surfing the Web for tips on New Jersey condos last fall even as crises began unfolding almost daily on Wall Street, Mr. Reuter gleaned hints of buildings hard pressed to secure signed contracts on 50 percent of units. That threshold must be reached, he soon found out, before a certificate of occupancy is issued and closings can begin.

That is when it hit him: “If it’s small,” he said, there is at least a better chance “it won’t take that long to sell.” He visited the 18-unit Ivy while it was still under construction, gained an immediate sense of the “intimacy” that might develop among dwellers of such a modest-size structure — and swiftly committed to buy a fifth-floor unit for $580,000.

“These are exactly the points about boutique buildings that we emphasize to buyers,” said Marsha La Tessa, an owner of the Vesta Group, which opened sales recently for the Vesta Hoboken, a 16-unit condominium intended to evoke the Vesta 24 and Vesta 17 in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.

“Quicker construction, quicker sell-out, more attention to detail in the construction process — and a more intimate lifestyle,” Ms. La Tessa said. The Vesta Hoboken, where the penthouse apartment sold within two weeks of the start of marketing, will have only two units on some floors and four on others.

Several buyers at other boutique projects — including one of the five so far at the 12-unit Ardan House in Union City, and one of the eight at the 22-unit m650 Flats in Jersey City — made similar points about why small is beautiful for them.

One buyer, Andrew Story, who works on Wall Street at Merrill Lynch and currently rents in Manhattan, added that he worried about a situation that he fears might develop in New York. Developers who are pressed for cash might resort to selling blocks of available units to investors, he said, “in order to get needed cash to pay off long-term debt.”

At the Ardan, where he is buying a one-bedroom on the second floor for $290,000, that scenario could be less likely to occur, he said.

“The style and the personal touch” at the Italian-inspired converted warehouse called m650 Flats roped in Sergio Silva, who with his fiancée, Anjoli Bido, is a buying a one-bedroom unit.

“Also, because it’s small we figured we would get to know everybody, and we liked that,” Mr. Silva said, adding that he and Ms. Bido had toured several towering condos, as well as the sprawling Dixon Mills complex in Jersey City.

“I walked into Dixon Mills and got lost walking around,” Mr. Silva recalled.

On his way home at night, Mr. Reuter said, he walks past the 455-unit Trump Plaza, Jersey City. Although sales have closed on more than half the units there, according to the developer, Dean Geibel of Metro Homes, Mr. Reuter said he sees very few apartments lit up at night. “It looks kind of isolated,” he said, “not so homey and secure.”

Ivy House, by contrast, has a “potluck-dinner kind of feel to it.”

“Everyone seems to be within 10 years of the same age,” Mr. Reuter said. “Everyone is friends. There are parties back and forth. Right away, there was a sense of community that made me buoyed by my purchase.”

New York Times Article

2009-01-24T15:42:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/realestate/25njzo.html?_r=1&ref=realestate

January 25, 2009
IN THE REGION | NEW JERSEY
Recycling, and Selling, Some History

By ANTOINETTE MARTIN
CONCEIVED back when the residential market was healthy, two warehouse-to-loft conversions in New Jersey are now being marketed in Hoboken and Jersey City, and a third is under way in Newark.

Two of the projects are condominiums and one is a rental, but all are being promoted as chic, energy-efficient designs that recycle buildings of distinctive historical value.

“Reuse of old industrial buildings located in urban areas is highly desirable,” said Peter Primavera, of the Urban Land Institute, “from a planning point of view — and to buyers.”

Residential real estate experts in the state say that demand for converted lofts in urban areas — especially those near a mass transit “hub” — was surging before the bank and economic crises hit, and most predict it will swell again as the overall economy recovers.

Right now, according to the developers, sales at the two condos are tepid.

“Well, it’s the worst possible timing,” said Lawrence Bijou, the managing partner of Bijou Properties, which is just now opening the Garden Street Lofts in Hoboken. “But we have sold almost half of 30 units, which I say is pretty good.”

In Jersey City, where 22 new condos are nearly complete at “m650 Flats,” a five-story conversion of a century-old structure, six units have sold in three months (three of them to members of the Carrino family, which owns Brunelleschi Construction, the building developer).

The Newark building, a few blocks from City Hall and the Prudential Center sports and entertainment arena, had also been planned as condominiums. Early last year, Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark cited the prospect of the first condos downtown as evidence that the city’s revitalization effort was gaining traction.

But prospects for bank financing disappeared with the national economic crisis, said the project’s developer, Michael Saltzman, whose company is called Newwork. Construction began in late October to create 67 rental units instead. Mayor Booker said at the groundbreaking that it made him “very proud.”

The Newark building — which like the Hoboken and Jersey City structures lay vacant for years before being eyed for renewal — was originally a jewelry factory. Known as the Richardson Building, it has stood for a century at the corner of Columbia and Green Streets, and it gets a mention in Philip Roth’s novel “American Pastoral,” which is set in historic Newark.

The building has one jaw-dropping feature: a six-story-tall steel spiral staircase that stands in an open central atrium. The elements turned the staircase rusty, but that deterioration will be halted, as plans call for a skylight roof and a small courtyard around the central spiral.

“It will be a natural gathering place, a social center for residents,” said Brendan Murray, the chief executive of Tekton Development, which is creating Richardson Lofts.

Tekton is recycling materials, using “green” techniques, and installing energy-efficient features throughout the building, in a bid for a “silver” rating from the United States Green Building Council, which issues certifications based on LEED standards — for Leadership in Energy and Energy Design. This would be a first for Newark.

The Garden Street Lofts building in Hoboken is headed for certification as the first silver-rated residential building in the Jersey waterfront area. A five-story brick structure where coconuts were once processed, the building was retrofitted with a two-story zinc-faced addition.

It offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units, some with decks — and two two-story penthouses on the top floors, one with a 1,400-square-foot terrace with a hot tub. Prices start in the mid-$600,000s and go up to $2 million for the premier penthouse unit.

“So far, we haven’t had to lower prices,” said Mr. Bijou, the developer. “There are actually some interesting buyers out there. We’ve seen several sports figures, and the ambassador to the United Nations from Sudan came by.”

At the m650 Flats building in Jersey City, the builders said they used green techniques and material but are not striving for the LEED rating. They are going for high-impact style, said Anthony Carrino, the 30-year-old son of Alfonso Carrino, who created the Brunelleschi Construction Company after recognizing the potential of a decrepit structure on Montgomery Street.

Anthony Carrino, whose cousin John Carrino is also a builder and a buyer at m650, said with a shrug: “The market is what it is. But we are aiming for the buyer who wants something that can’t be found anywhere else.”

At their “boutique” building, a block up, and across Montgomery from the huge Beacon condominium complex, the Carrinos carefully deconstructed a brick and bluestone wall at the street level, reusing the brick and stone to create Old World masonry in the style of Filippo Brunelleschi, the Renaissance sculptor and architect, in the condos.

That is paired with ultramodern Euro-style fixtures for the interiors, environment-friendly bamboo flooring, and a “virtual doorman” service.

A robotic parking garage was installed at street level in the building, which has served variously as a livery, a warehouse, an Army-Navy surplus center — and even, at one point, the fake storefront site for an F.B.I. sting, according to Alfonso Carrino.

“I should know the history around here,” Mr. Carrino said. He was born at the Jersey City Medical Center, the complex that is now the Beacon condos.

m650 Flats Video Tour

2009-01-09T09:46:00.001-05:00

m650 Flats Video Tour from Anthony Carrino on Vimeo.

m650 Flats: First Snow

2008-12-23T16:43:00.000-05:00

m650 Flats, First Snow from Anthony Carrino on Vimeo.

Holiday Cocktail Party

2008-12-09T15:49:00.003-05:00

click the invitation for a printable version

Photos up on our Website

2008-12-01T11:50:00.002-05:00

We have posted a full gallery of photos with Finished Shots of the Building.

Please visit m650Flats.com to view the photos

m650 Flats Photo Shoot

2008-11-21T18:31:00.005-05:00

A sample of shots from the photographer who shot our model unit, views and the building facade.

We should have all the images by the end of next week, and will have a full photo album up on the m650 Flats website

View from the Roof Deck at 7:00am

Model Unit Living Room and Dining Area, Flat 402

Model Unit Kitchen, Flat 402

Flat 505 Spiral Staircase to Private Roof Deck

Flat 504 View at Night

m650 sign

2008-11-19T18:48:00.001-05:00

The m650 sign was a huge hit at our grand opening. So far we have been given great compliments on it. I suggest everyone stop by and see it illuminated at night.

-- Post From My iPhone

m650 Flats Roof used in Jersey City TV Commercial

2008-11-19T10:15:00.005-05:00

Mayor Healy shot a TV spot on our roof at the m650 Flats project at the end of October. The commercial is already airing so keep a lookout for it. Any of those great views you see are from our Roof Decks...not bad huh?

The Mayor had a few minutes between takes and was kind enough to take a few pictures with us.

Introduction

2008-11-18T17:11:00.007-05:00

In an effort to keep people informed with the happenings at Brunelleschi Construction we decided to start a blog...yeah, yeah I know, we are a little late to the party. As we begin I'm not really sure what direction we will take here, so go easy on us and we'll see how this all pans out.

My hope is to give you project updates and post pictures and videos along the way to show you the different stages our restorations and developments go through...perhaps even educate a bit along the way.

I am also going to have Alfonso, my partner, and John, our project manager post as well in hopes of offering different perspectives throughout our collective process (they don't even know we have a blog yet, so this may be interesting).

I'll leave you with our most recent picture of the front facade of our latest project, the m650 Flats (http://www.m650flats.com/):