The historic St. John’s College building in Brooklyn, New York, originally built in 1870, is set to reopen this month as The Hartby, a 205-unit apartment property restored and redeveloped by White Plains, New York-based Property Resources Corp in partnership with New York City-based Avenue Realty Capital. Leasing has begun ahead of the opening, according to a news release shared with Multifamily Dive.
St. John’s College — now known at St. John’s University — occupied the building from 1870 until the 1950s, when the school moved to Queens. The property was originally designed by architect Patrick Keely in a Romanesque Revival style. The renovation, executed by Australian architect Woods Bagot’s New York City studio, preserves the brickwork facade, mansard roof, turrets, towers and a domed cupola.
The units — a mix of 70% market-rate and 30% affordable — range from studios to two bedrooms in size, with high arched windows and tall ceilings. The interiors, designed by New York City-based Alchemy Studio, combine modern details — including bright white walls, subway tile, light wood panels and stainless steel appliances — with original brick accents in select units. Certain apartments will also offer private terraces, restored church windows and in-home access to the cupola.
“By carefully preserving the details of this 150-year-old hallowed structure we are able to provide a sought-after opportunity to live in an adaptive reuse conversion rooted in Brooklyn’s deep history,” said Matthew Linde, principal and CEO of PRC, in the release.
Amenities include a landscaped central courtyard, a double-height lobby and part-time doorman, a fitness center, a private party room, a business center and library, an indoor-outdoor lounge, a roof deck with barbecue stations and a pet spa. Covered on-site parking is also available, as well as bike storage, storage lockers and an automated package room.
Located between the Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick neighborhoods, the Hartby is surrounded by brownstone buildings and puts residents in reach of the area’s art galleries, cafes, restaurants and parks, according to the release. Nearby transit options include the Myrtle Avenue NYC Subway station, offering access to the J, M and Z lines.
The Bed-Stuy neighborhood is an active one for new multifamily development, both market-rate and affordable. Among several others, a $320 million, 456-unit apartment tower is set to open this year on 1057 Atlantic Avenue, according to Urbanize New York, and a $41.5 million, 93-unit supportive housing property opened at 171 Throop Avenue in mid-March, according to New York YIMBY.
