David Halberstam’s Bruklyn Builders is planning to redevelop a U-Haul lot and a closed gas station in Williamsburg into an approximately 45-unit rental building. The proposal would replace two small industrial parcels on Leonard and Richardson streets with mid-block residential housing.
As reported by Crain's New York Business, Bruklyn Builders principal David Halberstam signed a memorandum of contract to buy 392 Leonard St. and 112 Richardson St. and told the outlet he plans about 45 rental units across the sites. Public deed documents and property filings show the lots moved through a holding entity and were previously owned by Dimitri Shtaerman, according to RealtyHop.
The parcels are small: 392 Leonard covers roughly 5,000 square feet and 112 Richardson measures about 2,875 square feet, according to records on PropertyShark. The Leonard site also functions as an auto-repair shop and a neighborhood U-Haul dealer, per the company's location listing on U-Haul.
Permits and timeline
Crain's New York Business reports that no construction permits have been filed for the Leonard and Richardson sites, which suggests the project is still at the memorandum stage. Any formal new-building application would need to be filed with the Department of Buildings and move through the standard city plan-review process before any work can start.
Halberstam's Williamsburg pipeline
Bruklyn Builders has been busy nearby: permits were filed for a nine-story, 56-unit project at 62 North 1st St., and the firm has bought and sold walkups across Williamsburg, including a July sale of 366-368 Leonard for $14.2 million, according to PincusCo. That string of deals has made Halberstam a familiar name when it comes to small-lot conversions in the area.
Why this matters
The parcels' MX-8 / M1-2/R6 zoning gives buyers room to mix light industrial, commercial and residential uses, which helps explain developer interest in these corners of Williamsburg. A past marketing listing for the paired lots highlighted the MX-8 / M1-2/R6 build envelope and called out the proximity to McCarren Park, per a development listing on Elika Real Estate.
What to watch next
The memorandum of contract still has to become a closed sale, then Department of Buildings filings, before any construction can begin. The city's Department of Buildings site will be the first public place where new job applications and permit statuses show up, so that is where early signs of movement on the project are likely to appear. Public records and any community filings will provide the next clues on how this one unfolds.
