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Brighton Beach Beauties
Muss Development Puts Finishing
Touches on Oceana Condomiums
By Amy S. Choi
| The
$250 million project is being lauded as one of the most
successful for-sale residential projects in New York City. |
Brighton Beach residents purchasing a home in the Oceana
Condominium and Club aren't just buying a condo.
"There are all kinds of amenities in the buildings,"
said Jason Muss of Muss Development Co., the developer of
the site in conjunction with the Carlyle Group LLC. "There
is a new outdoor and indoor pool, a clubhouse and a complete
health club with classes including karate and yoga. It really
is a lifestyle that people are buying into."
In May, Oceana was selected as a "Best For Sale Housing
Community in America" in the National Association of
Builders 2003 "Pillars of the Industry" awards.
The $250 million project, designed by San Francisco-based
SB Architects and New York City-based Schuman, Lichtenstein,
Claman & Efron Architects, is now lauded as one of the
most successful for-sale residential projects in New York
City.
Still, the development process didn't come easily. Muss Development
worked on getting approvals from the city for more than two
years before it was able to go into the ground with the first
building in 1999.
In order to develop on the site, which was a former public
recreation facility that had been unused for many years, the
company had to construct new infrastructure to support 850
families in 16 buildings and the new streetscape.
All new sewer, water, electric, communications, lighting
and emergency systems were installed as the buildings were
going up. Families began moving in as soon as the properties
were finished. Units range from 1,069 to 2,016 sq. ft. and
will sell for between $410,000 to $1.22 million.
"We had to make it safe for people to live directly
adjacent to the construction areas," said Robert Stern,
project executive and senior vice president at Muss Development.
"We also wanted to have all of the community areas ready
for the first group of people moving in, so we had that all
completed a year earlier than we were otherwise required to
do."
Currently, there are nine completed buildings. The company
has started the superstructure and foundation for the 10th
and 11th buildings, and is now selling the condominiums in
the 12th building. Despite the difficulties of moving families
in during the construction process, Muss Development has been
able to incorporate new ideas into the design as the development
progressed.
In later buildings, for example, the developer switched to
poured concrete from planks, which were used in the first
four properties. By doing so, it created more efficiency in
the apartments and can build faster.
"We've been able to make certain changes as we've learned,
such as adding more glass to certain portions of the apartments
so they have better views of the ocean or of the New York
skyline, or upgrading the finishes and adding more marble
in the bathrooms of the condos," Stern said.
"We've responded to our purchasers as we move from building
to building. I would say this project is a perfect example
of evolving design."
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