Facades removed and story added to 531 and 533 Park Place

These buildings, including the one that used to contain Park Delicatessen:

https://goo.gl/maps/SZADAV2x3kB2

They apparently used to how two friends that burned down at the end of the last decade:

https://goo.gl/maps/cVWf2zQJRru

The neighboring bodega is also getting a new facade, but only at the storefront level.

 Here are the permits.

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByLocationServlet?requestid=1&allbin=3028963&allstrt=PARK PLACE&allnumbhous=533

No indication that the two lots next door have anything to do with the work going on here, huh?

Correct.

A few weeks ago I talked to a guy overseeing the work at 533 and he confirmed that his firm was not also the buyer/developer of the now-vacant lot at 531.

Low quality night photos of building, sans facade.

Vacant lot on left.

The facade is in the photo— it's just all in the dumpster

Perhaps they are converting the former 3-bay facade to a 2-bay facade in order that they might have have two 2-bedroom apartments, each with a single window per bedroom, per floor? Going from two 2- or 3-bedroom floor-throughs to six smallish 2-bedrooms would definitely be a recipe for profits. 

The DOB seems to have combined 533 and 535 into one address: 533.

533 used to have only 2 apartments, and will now have 7.

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=5&passjobnumber=320914187&passdocnumber=01

However, I think this means that 533 had 2 and 535 had 2, and the new combined building will have 7.

...if I am right, these apartments will be large and therefore condos.

The word I heard is that they'll be rentals, and small-ish two-bedrooms at that.

I certainly hope that they are doing a lot with insulation inside of this building because it appears from the outside that the current side of 533 is simply one layer of wallboard along with some wood to fill in spots. My assumption is that this is all going to be cemented or spackled over, but that doesn't provide a lot in the area of warmth, and is certainly less warm than a wall of cinderblock or brick. 

They might be counting on some heat from cozying up next to 531.

537 Park shares the address as well.

Brick facade going up.

90% of facade in place and revealed.

commercial space now for lease

 http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20044641/537-Park-Pl-Brooklyn-NY/

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20001598/537-Park-Pl-Brooklyn-NY/