Watchtower to Sell 6 Brooklyn Heights Properties
by DannyHaszard 69 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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nvrgnbk
"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things … .all evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due toend in a few years… as a young person you will never fulfill any career that this system offers.
If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone"!
-- Awake, 5/22/1969, pg15Know something Danny? That 1969 Awake article is one of the main things that helped me to get my once-brainwashed ass outta that mess. Keep on posting it bro!
Nvr
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DannyHaszard
Standish Arms, 2 Others to be Sold as PortfolioBy Linda Collins
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — A recent report that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society would be selling its building at 169 Columbia Heights, formerly the Standish Arms Hotel, was confirmed and augmented yesterday with the announcement that the Standish and five other Watchtower properties would be sold.The six properties are all residential and all in Brooklyn Heights, according to David Semonian, a spokesperson for the Watchtower Society, also known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“Three are being sold as a portfolio, and the other three are being sold separately,” said Semonian in an email.
As regularly chronicled in this newspaper, the religious organization has been reorganizing and consolidating a number of its operations in Brooklyn and transferring some to Walkill, N.Y. In 2004, the printing and shipping operations were transferred to Wallkill, resulting in the sale of 360 Furman St., a building on the waterfront in the Heights which had been used as a warehouse and shipping complex.
“These adjustments resulted in a decrease in our Brooklyn staff, reducing our need for residential space,” said Semonian.
The three being sold as a portfolio include:
• The Standish, a 12-story Beaux-Arts-style building built in 1903, with 128 apartments. It has been owned by Watchtower since 1988 (leased by Watchtower since 1981).• 183 Columbia Heights, a seven-story Beaux-Arts-style brick and limestone building dating to 1920, with 13 apartments (one three-bedroom, five two-bedrooms, and seven one-bedrooms), owned by Watchtower since 1986.
• 161 Columbia Heights, a four-story building built in 1844, with 10 apartments — seven one-bedrooms and three studios — owned by Watchtower since 1988.
The three being sold separately include:
• 165 Columbia Heights, a two-story 4,200-square-foot carriage house constructed in the 1880s, which has a large second-story home with two bedrooms, three baths, a formal dining room and living room, and a large one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor.
• 105 Willow St., a four-story, brownstone-fronted Eastlake-style rowhouse built between 1861 and 1879, with 10 studio apartments. Its restoration earned the Watchtower a Certificate of Merit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
• 34 Orange St., a four-story (plus cellar) brick house built between 1880 and 1899 with four one-bedroom apartments, a separate brick one-car garage, and off-street parking for another car. It could easily be converted into a single-family home.
The properties at 165 Columbia Heights, 105 Willow and 34 Orange will be delivered vacant, according to Richard Devine, who is in charge of real property for the organization. The four other properties have existing tenants who are not members of the society.
“They have tenants who were in the buildings when we bought them and have remained in them,” said Devine, who added that Watchtower workers have already moved out, representing a staff of about 280 that were occupying the six buildings.
“Some have already moved to Walkill, others have been absorbed into other residential buildings when vacancies have occurred,” he explained.
Previous Property Sales
In addition to 360 Furman, which is currently being converted into 500 luxury condos by RAL Development Services, the Watchtower announced a year ago that it was selling its residential buildings at 89 Hicks St. (since sold to Brooklyn Law School) and 67 Livingston St. (since sold to a private investor).The circa-1940 property at 89 Hicks has 48 residential units on six floors.
The circa-1988 property at 67 Livingston, also known locally as “the sliver building,” has 76 units on 26 floors.
No Asking Prices
As in previous sales, there are no asking prices attached to the buildings or portfolio.“We let the market determine the price,” said Devine, who explained that those interested can request information from the Real Property Office.
Known for immaculate and well-kept buildings, the society should have no problem attracting buyers. “These buildings in particular are in very good condition,” said Devine. “They would be of great interest to a private developer.”
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Dogpatch
They are selling 34 Orange Street!
So many memories, I was just writing a brief note on this in my latest Journal, and now they are selling it! Here is what I wrote:
The boys who lived at 34 Orange St. were infrequently busted for loud music and beer parties. To be one of the dozen or so that lived in a nearby brownstone apt. (owned by the Society) was sheer independence and was in a class of cool in its own right. But they usually didn’t stay at Bethel long.
I just emailed Tom Cabeen, my former bud and overseer from the pressroom, and he sent this bit of memorabilia:
Hi Randy,
I have some wonderful and interesting memories about that place!
J.P. and J. F.lived there on the second floor for awhile, and we had many a great party in that room. I think that picture you sent me recently was taken there. One time they made wine in their room. The Bethel Office got wind of it and told them that they couldn't do that. J. F. got so angry at them, (especially because he was running the first Harris press when we were running ultra heavy ink coverage on the Bible Stories book before we bought the afterburners. It was belching out lots of smoke, which was illegal, and the EPA was trying to catch us, so we ran the press at night so the Society wouldn't get caught polluting). J.F. had had a few drinks, and he got so worked up, he peed out the window onto the air conditioner down below, remember? Some important guests happened to be staying there at the time, and I got called before the Factory Committee over the incident. It took some fast talking to keep those guys from getting kicked out, as I recall. After the FC relented and let the guys involved stay at Bethel, they got together and bought me my first bottle of Wild Turkey. I still drink the stuff.
There's another story about that apartment down below with the air conditioner. Your e-mail recalled it to my mind. I don't know if you remember that my wife Gloria was the housekeeper at 34 Orange for a number of years (not when P. and J.F. lived there.) The first floor apartment had a well stocked kitchen, a TV and air-conditioning. George Couch, Max Larsen, Lowell Dixon and others would bring their friends there and entertain them well. On Monday mornings, she would empty the waste baskets, and there would be lobster shells on shrimp shells and lots of empty liquor and champaign bottles. One time, when her parents planned to come for a visit, she asked if they could stay there. They told her some cock and bull story about needing to leave it open in case some "important" guests came in at the last minute, so they refused her request. Of course, no one used the place while her parents were there, but they didn't want just anybody to stay there.
Shortly thereafter, one day Gloria said to me "After work, don't come home. Come to 34 Orange, first floor." It was summer and stiflingly hot. I came down the alley and into the back door. When I got there, she had bought steaks from our meager allowance and had made chocolate chip cookie dough. Gloria made cookies, oven going and air conditioner blasting. it was marvelous, and was made even more so by the fact that it was totally illicit. We closed all the blinds up tight had a wonderful meal, watched TV, and spent a cool, comfortable evening there. It was truly one of the high points of my 12 years at Bethel.
Thanks for reminding me...
Tom
PS, BTW, I have a number of lists of pressroom personnel. I saved all of the ones I had while I was pressroom overseer. Are you interested in getting copies of them? I have all kinds of official paperwork from my days there. (I'm such a pack rat!)
T
Randall Watters wrote:The world has ended! Randy http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=5&id=12511 34 Orange St., a four-story (plus cellar) brick house built between 1880 and 1899 with four one-bedroom apartments, a separate brick one-car garage, and off-street parking for another car. It could easily be converted into a single-family home.
The properties at 165 Columbia Heights, 105 Willow and 34 Orange will be delivered vacant, according to Richard Devine, who is in charge of real property for the organization. The four other properties have existing tenants who are not members of the society.
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Quandary
Danny- That issue as well as a host of other dribble of the day is what convinced my dad not pursue his PHD, whereas two other witness classmates, who by the way were third generation JWs whose grandparents and parents had heard it all before, continued in their educations and have enjoyed 35yrs in careers they really wanted to pursue.
Q
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Poztate
OOOPS...Tried to imbed page that Danny did just above but with no success...
I could not edit it out.
The three being sold separately include:
• 165 Columbia Heights, a two-story 4,200-square-foot carriage house constructed in the 1880s, which has a large second-story home with two bedrooms, three baths, a formal dining room and living room, and a large one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor.
I wonder who had access and use of this Bethel property...A "new boy"™ no doubt...
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compound complex
Hey Danny,
I lived at 34 Orange street circa 1970. But we were all SRs, so we were good boys! At WTinfo service that article on Brenda Upton's successful injury lawsuit against the WT had the lawyer [a Mr. David?] say if this sort of thing continues, we cannot afford to stay in the City. Will try to locate it.
CoCo
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Dogpatch
You must have been pre-BA days CoCo!
Randy
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The wanderer
It is nauseating to think that I put my
money into this organization and they
are pulling in profits because of it.
I am so sorry that I gave this corp-
oration one thin dime.
Respectfully,
The Wanderer