Former St. Teresa School to train court officers
For more information, attend the hearing at 6:30 PM on Thurs. March 3rd at the Center for Nursing and Rehab, on Classon bet. Park Place and Prospect Place. Housing Committee, CB 8.
St. Teresa's School is located near CNR on the corner of Sterling Place and Classon. It's been a vacant eyesore for years.
Could be a good thing, but the devil's in the details.
See attached for same.
Comments
Oops. Attachment denied due to overly large file size. Guess you'll just have to brave the cold and find out in person.
For readers who like background:
http://www.thechief-leader.com/news/2007-05-04/news/005.html
http://ilovefranklinave.blogspot.com/2010/05/court-officers-training-academy-coming.html
For readers who like to read what I write (?):
Here's a story, I wrote on this topic when I was really bored on a related thread, back in 2010:
Once upon a time, back in 2006, the NYS Senate passed a bill:
http://image.iarchives.nysed.gov/images/images/80824.pdf
They even consistently reported the project as being in Crown Heights.
Once the governor and some other characters signed the bill, the folks who supervise the Court Officers were happy and decided to run an article in the ultra boring civil servant newspaper (as per the first link above, dated 2007).
Then the process entered the NYS procurement system.
After that it likely went into the design phase with the NYS Dormatory authority.
About two years later, sometime in 2009, it likely finally came out of design and the authority obtained permission to release an RFP.
http://www.dasny.org/construc/bidops/opportunity.php?bidid=1481
While they had it, the Dormatory Authority created cool drawings of what Building 1 (former elementary school), Building 2 (former auditorium/gymnasium), and Building 3 (former convent) are supposed to end up looking like.
This helped contractors configure their bids. You can see the drawings here:
http://www.dasny.org/construc/procurement/in_progress/343/343.php
When the bid was released, they also made a press release that stated how great they are. The guy who writes I Love Franklin Ave. (see second link above) decided it was pretty cool
Meanwhile, contractors read the RFP and scratched their chins. They stayed up late, and then turned in their plans by the due date, April 2010.
If you and a friend wanted to build this project, you are too late.
At this very moment, the authority is presently reviewing the bids, and thinking of questions to ask the contractors. The contractors will consider most of the questions to be annoying, but will try to remain polite.
Hopefully soon, some contractor will get the news they have been chosen.
.
This contractor will be very
Their name will appear here: http://www.dasny.org/construc/procurement/in_progress/343/news.php
After that, folks with hard hats will hopefully appear on Classon to revitalize the complex.
The contractors will eat burgers at Dutch Boy.
It's all likely to happen with NYS funds that were dedicated in 2007 , because in 2010 they are broke and we are unlikely to see any fundings for projects of this type as a result
After about 2 years or so, the court officers will get to move into their new digs.
For readers who like updates:
I am pleased to update this story by stating that the scaffolding is now up, and that Brownstoner has announced work has begun!
http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2011/04/new_life_for_st.php#comments
I have been inside a couple of times. The bldg is in very poor condition. The contractor on site now will do the demo, roof repair and pointing. There will be a second floor added after the mezzanine is removed. This is a good use of the property and the church remains the owner w the city signing a long-term lease. I only hope they don't issue 100's of parking permits and clog up the streets w "official use" cars and take up stools at Franklin Park, Wash Comm and the new Chavela's. I hope somebody got some good shots of the painting on the side of the bldg before it's sandblasted off
Which building? It looks like at least three and maybe four are getting some attention, including the "Nu Prospect House" and an adjacent apartment building, the building on the corner across from the church, and the one on the corner of Classon and St. John's.
I believe the court officers will take control of most of the buildings on the site.
It is a large school, for all of NYC
Brooklyn Jesuit Prep is staying as a school. Hopefully some money will be spent improving that building as well, but that will be the responsibility of the Diocese or the school.
The construction fences are up, but I'm at work when construction would be happening and am not sure if the site is active.
Are people seeing guys in hard hats wandering in and out of the buildings yet?
There is a small crew over there working. If you have any questions you can usually find the PM of the job having a cup of coffee at union coffee time @9-925am...at Glass Shop
Is the training academy scheduled to open Sept 2012?
---> one year passes <---
No. That deadline has been delayed.
But the good news is that work has begun:
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/08/work-spotted-at-the-st-theresa-building-complex-on-classon/#disqus_thread
Wow, it's been boarded up for twenty years! I would have liked to have checked it out inside before the contractors got to it.
http://www.nycourts.gov/careers/cot/academy.shtml
Currently, the training facility is located in lower Manhattan, and Court Officers in Training are put up in extended hotels for the 14 weeks.
At the new facility, they will be living on site in dorms. This should be big economic and "security" boom to the neighborhood.
A recent conversation with a construction guy indicates that this facility is on schedule to open in the Fall of 2013.
...and that they are "building lots of dorms for the students"
Pro-tip to businesses: Although the students will have the option eating at an onsite cafeteria, many are likely to seek casual, quick, cheap meals off site.
Update late Feb 2013: Construction is continuing at a steady clip.
If you look closely, you can see that they have finished with the demolition, and are now focusing on interior work.
...this project is being overseen by the NYS Dormitory Authority, so the cynic in me says it will be late and over budget. I hope they don't close the existing Court Officer's Training facility before they are able to open this one...
This academy will take over several street addresses:
523 St. John's Place
779 Classon Avenue
560 Sterling Place (Block 1175, Lot 1)
When the project was first announced (October 2011), the Brooklyn Eagle stated it should be open by Fall 2012. Obviously, that did not happen.
http://50.56.218.160/archive/category.php?category_id=4&id=46565March 25, 2013
Greetings Lt. Anthony Mung-
I live near the Court Officers Training Academy that is presently under construction on Classon Ave in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Do you know when it is expected to be complete, and the first class is to be admitted?
Thanks
(real name)
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March 26, 2013
Good Morning Mr. (real name):
The Court Officers Training Academy is still currently undergoing construction and will be completed sometime in the next year or two. Classes starting at the new Academy will be dependent on the completion date of the facility.
If you are interested in becoming a NYS Court Officer, then the first step in the process is a written exam, which is generally given once every 4-5 years. The last one was given in 2009, so the next one will most likely not take place before sometime in 2013-2014. The best course of action is to periodically check the website
www.nycourts.gov/courtofficer-recruit and/or the civil service newspaper "The Chief". Best of luck in your endeavors.
Lt. Anthony Mung
Supervising Lieutenant
NYS Court Officers Academy
123 William St, 12th Flr
New York, NY 10038
646-386-5660
amung@courts.state.ny.us
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
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damn, the next year or 2? it's a serious eye sore right now.
Whynot -- do you know if the training facility is going to be both of the large yellowish buildings, or just one of them?
I believe it will take over all of these buildings:
523 St. John's Place
779 Classon Avenue
560 Sterling Place (Block 1175, Lot 1)
Which is another way on saying that it will take over all of the yellowish buildings except this building (533 St. Johns), which will remain the home of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep:
thanks -- that's good news
i think the above building is 560 Sterling -- i figured that would remain a school
Not so fast, Mr. Met.
The school has recently been notified that it is likely to be closed:
http://brooklyn.news12.com/parents-teachers-plead-for-bk-school-to-stay-open-1.5194676
Readers, this development is one of the Big Developments happening in western Crown Heights in 2014 that we will bewatching closely. To learn about the others, see this thread: http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/37490/the-big-6-developments-in-western-ch-in-2013-the-big-11-developments-in-2014#Item_29
Welcome to the board and neighborhood.
I was all alone. No workmen or tools in sight....
Based on the site's present state, we are not getting a class of Court Officers anytime soon.