Eight years ago Long Island College Hospital (LICH) closed down for good (though the emergency room still remains) and three years later Fortis Development Group began construction on 5 River Park, a high-rise building at 347 Henry St. While Fortis is continuing construction on more high rises where the hospital once was, 5 River Park is now complete. The condominium is 15 stories high and is already standing well above the other buildings in the Cobble Hill Historic District.
LICH specifically asked not to be included in the Cobble Hill Historic District even though it would make sense geographically for it to be included. This allowed Fortis to build a much taller apartment complex than would have been allowed if the site was included in the Historic District.
Many people were opposed to the hospital closing in the first place and protested against it while others protested against allowing high-rise buildings in the neighborhood. Ultimately, 5 River Park was built as of right and most of its 25 units are already occupied. There were a lot of strong opinions about the building but I wanted to find out what local residents think of it now so I waited outside of the building and spoke to everyone who was willing to talk to me.
There were a few different points of view regarding 5 River Park: some people disliked the building, some did not mind the building, some were most upset about the hospital closing, and finally, some people did not feel strongly about the building and hadn’t really noticed it.
“It feels like the place is very fancy and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the neighborhood,” said Gabby from Cobble Hill. “Partially because of the height, partially because of the design… It’s not a big deal but I don’t love it either.”
The 25 units in the complex are worth an average of $3.15 million each. I also saw on StreetEasy that one of the apartments which has seven rooms, including three bedrooms, and 3.5 bathrooms is “in contract” for $3.625 million. According to Douglas Elliman (real estate company,) no other units in 5 River Park are currently available. StreetEasy lists past sales in the building which indicates that units were sold rather than rented. For example, a one-bedroom and one-bathroom unit was sold for $1,333,907.
“It definitely doesn’t look like a place I could afford,” said Daniel from Fort Greene. “Right now there’s so much demand for apartments and not enough places for everyone in NYC. I think we need fewer upscale places and more places for everyday people.”
The Cobble Hill Historic District is certainly an expensive area, and 5 River Park is no exception. However, its height and design make it stand out as a few people pointed out to me.
“It looks like the type of place you’d see in Manhattan, not here in Brooklyn,” said one man who did not want his name to appear in the story.
“When I first saw it, I actually thought it was a hotel,” said Maya from Cobble Hill. “It’s one place that I always notice when I’m walking by here.”
“On one hand the place looks beautiful, but on the other hand it really messes up our view,” said Tara from Cobble Hill. “It’s just so much taller than any of the other buildings around here.”
Some people did not have a problem with 5 River Park but were unhappy about the hospital closing down. LICH was one of the country’s oldest hospitals and originally opened in 1860. It also has special significance for me because I was born there, as were many of my friends.
“I walk past here every day to get to work so I’ve seen the construction getting done,” said Joshua from Cobble Hill. “I’ve never been inside but it looks nice now, but it just doesn’t sit well with me. A lot of people were so sad that the hospital closed down and I remember them protesting to try to keep it open. I don’t have an issue with the apartment specifically but I feel bad for all of the people who were hurt by the hospital closing.”
Another woman told me, “I didn’t want 5 River Par] here, but they don’t care what I think.”
Other people I spoke to did not feel the same level of attachment to LICH and did not feel as strongly about 5 River Park.
“I don’t have a strong opinion on it,” said James from Brooklyn. “At first it looked funny having it here but I’ve gotten used to it now and I think that it looks pretty good.”
“I’m not sure how the people who live here feel but I don’t have a problem with it,” said Ava from Carroll Gardens. “I’m neutral.”
A few others told me that despite the height of 5 River Park they have not thought about it. In fact, one man told me he never even paid attention to the building until I mentioned it and that he just then realized how different it looks from other buildings in the area.
“I think that I’m so used to my routine and so focused on getting to my destination that sometimes I forget to look around me,” said Jarrel from Brooklyn.
I’ve also noticed that once I’m going about my daily routine, I don’t always pay as much attention to what’s going on around me. I think that’s happened to some of the people in the neighborhood with 5 River Park too.
Though I have not been able to talk to anyone who lives at 5 River Park, a few people told me that they thought the building looked great.
“The place looks nice and I have no other comment!” said Jay from Brooklyn Heights.
One thing that is clear is that there is not a group consensus regarding how people feel about 5 River Park. I spoke to a lot of different people and they all had their own opinions on the building. For now, it seems like everyone will have to agree to disagree about 5 River Park though there were quite a few people who told me they missed LICH and were very upset that it is no longer there.
Out in front of 5 River Park, there is still a big clock that reads “Long Island College Hospital,” a final reminder of what once was.
