Resistance Rising Against Hotel Grand Prospect

The opposition is mounting against Hotel Grand Prospect.

The plan to construct an 11-story hotel with a four-story, 400 spot parking garage on Prospect Avenue was from the community at a Community Board 7 meeting on Jan. 14.

But now residents of one 16th Street condo building charge that the hotel’s construction may affect the quality of life on the block.

“Our apartments all face the back of Grand Prospect Hall, and we’re going to be faced with a lack of light and a lack of privacy,” said Diana Mora, the President of the condo board at Suite Sixteen Condominiums at 200 16th Street.

Mora said that most of the residents of the building's 32 units are upset by the proposal, fearing that the hotel may not only affect views and privacy, but devalue  apartments in the Karl Fischer-designed building, which was constructed in 2007.

“It’s a little bit overbearing,” said Mora. “He could have done something that would be more tasteful and go more with the aesthetic of the neighborhood. It’s really upsetting to everybody that lives on the block.”

Other residents of the building are more concerned about the disruptions the actual construction might cause.

"It’s a big deal to me to have full construction going on in our backyard, literally overlooking my daughters bedroom," said Erica Bletsoe, who rents in the building. 

"If it really does happen, I’m not going to stick around," she added.

The new hotel will be developed by Michael and Alice Halkias, who have owned the lavish Grand Prospect Hall for decades. The Halkias hope that the hotel will be a boon the neighborhood, adding public parking spaces and creating local jobs.

“The intent of this new hotel is not to disrupt, it is to improve, to help the state of existence of 16th street,” said Michael Halkias. “Today 16th street has wonderful people and they have to suffer because of certain limitations that exist, such as no parking.”

Brooklyn Community Board 7 has not taken an official stance on the proposal, but has written the hotel asking for a construction timeline, Environmental Impact Studies, and more details on the parking garage and height of the hotel.

The community board will hold at least one more meeting for community members to share their concerns for the project, and CB7 District Manager Jeremy Laufer encourages residents to send written concerns to the community board as well.

Mora plans to continue gathering an opposition to the hotel, getting other area buildings on board and potentially drafting a petition.

“Right now we’re just trying to figure out what we can do to affect change,” she said, adding, “And parking’s really not that bad in this neighborhood.”