Holy Crap: Broken Angel Is a "Development Site"?

The saga of Clinton Hill's Broken Angel has taken another turn with a quiet effort to sell the property as a "development site" that has shocked some of those working to save the unique landmark. You might remember last week that there was a report that there was progress in efforts to save the building, which is facing possible demolition, and there was also a report on Brownstoner that the building was on the market. Both stories were correct, according to an update in this week's Brooklyn Papers. A copy-and-paste snippet:

“We’re asking $1 million for the building, and $425,000 for the adjacent lot,” said Michael Annunziata, a broker with Massey/Knakal Realty Services who’s been working with Broken Angel owner Arthur Wood to sell the building, but also “keep [the sale] out of the limelight,” he said.

In fact, rather than posting the building on the real-estate broker’s Web site, Annunziata has been personally reaching out to developers he thinks might be interested...The news that the Downing Street building is on the market shocked those who have been intimately involved in rescuing the hand-built ziggurat mansion following a devastating October fire.

The accident sparked a Buildings Department investigation that uncovered myriad code violations and led to Wood’s arrest for violating an order to vacate.

“I didn’t know they put it on the market,” said City Councilwoman Letitia James (D–Fort Greene), who’s been representing Wood pro bono in his negotiations with the Department of Buildings.

Wood could not be reached for comment, but James’s chief of staff Kate Suisman reached out to Wood and later told The Brooklyn Paper that, “No matter what happens, [the new owners] would probably include room for the couple to continue to live there. Right now, [Wood] is keeping his options open and is considering selling, if that’s what it comes down to.”

Conceivably, it could come down to Broken Angel coming down.

“It’s a development site,” said Annunziata. “There’s a possibility [that it will be destroyed].”

If you've been following this story like us, maybe you remember this appeal for help, by one of Angel's many supporters in the community, that is now a bit ironic in retrospect:

They could easily sell Broken Angel, their only asset, to a real estate developer, who would be happy to guarantee their financial security by demolishing it and building million dollar residences in the now cool location.

Wow.