Poor, poor Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. The Brooklyn also-ran debuted its shiny new all-glass tower yesterday (right), finally joining the ranks of the glass-obsessed New York development community. The only problem is, according to the March issue of The Real Deal, glass may now be passé. Blame the soaring costs of manufacturing those curtain walls, at a time when developers are already looking to cut costs. Developers and brokers say that an all-glass building costs between $75 and $135 per square foot to build, depending upon the type of glass used and the degree of transparency. The cost is slightly less for buildings that have slabs to break up the sheets of glass, and a brick façade will run you only $25 per square foot. Does this mean brick is back in? According to Aptsandlofts.com's David Maundrell, yes: "A lot of people are getting back to brick. With rental developments, you'll see a lot of brick on the front façade, and maybe stucco on the rear of the building." Of course, superfancy Manhattan condo developments like YVES and HL23 can still afford to go glass, because hey, what's a few extra hundred dollars per square foot when you're building a spaceship?
· With glass costly, a new idea: Walls [The Real Deal]
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