Radusky and Bricolage Come to the Notary District

Change is coming to what blogger 423 Smith recently dubbed "The Notary District," that little stretch of Smith Street defined by the colorful Russo Realty buildings. The property at the corner of Smith and Ninth Street (478 Smith Street) was sold in December to 478 Smith Street LLC for $425,000. The interesting part is that the permit applicant for the new building are Henry Radusky and the ubiquitous Bricolage Designs. It looks like a four-story, 50-foot high building with three units will be going on the property. For a long time, there was a boat parked in the empty lot.

Mr. Radusky is one of the more controversial people working in Brooklyn development. The Village Voice described him as "one of the borough's most prodigious architects, whose nickname could be 'Too Tall.' Radusky's big buildings already clot the Brooklyn landscape. Mr. Radusky has been a trailblazer in creating "faculty housing" that allows projects twice as big as standard zoning. Mr. Radusky's work in the South Slope has been a lightening rod for community critics. An example of his work was on Brownstoner yesterday, but Bricolage buildings are especially known for a lot of brick, blank walls and a semi-institutional look.