For years, a luxury apartment building in the northernmost part of Greenpoint has suffered from multiple natural gas leaks, Gothamist reports, prompting a National Grid investigation that led to the building’s gas being shut off in September.
Residents of Eleven33 reportedly complained to the management company Domain Companies for years, before finally bringing a formal complaint to National Grid. The energy conglomerate ultimately found multiple leaks in the building’s piping.
“The city’s Department of Buildings confirmed that repairs to fix the gas leak were made and the building turned the heat back on in early December,” says Gothamist, though they also note residents’ hesitation to utilize it after suspecting previous health problems due to apparent gas leaks. 87 residents are now withholding rent.
Adding insult to injury is the multimillion-dollar tax break which the management company has enjoyed for years. “Domain Companies, which developed and manages the building at 1133 Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint, paid roughly $100,000 in property taxes last year on the building, which is valued at nearly $48 million, according to tax records. The property tax bill is relatively low because the building was part of a recently expired state program that gives developers tax breaks in exchange for setting aside a portion of their housing stock for affordable housing.”
The building’s cooking gas remains turned off, forcing residents to scramble for hot plates and Crockpots, although the management has provided nightly catered dinners. Many residents have now sought legal counsel.
There’s trouble in paradise. This always amazes me. You would expect it in public housing or a rent controlled building but not here.
Paul, my perspective is that greedy devlopers or larger absentee corporate owners can be far worse than owner occupied smaller buildings, both stabilized and otherwise, whose owners want to protect and preserve their investment by maitaining their buildings and retaining their tenants. “Paradise” does not need to ean a glitzy new building, a new building which sometimes had faults and problems…