Addition to landmark factory applauded by Commissioners. After a contentious hearing in February 2008 over a plan by Community Preservation Corporation to build a five-story glass addition to the Domino Sugar Refinery building, Landmarks asked Community Preservation to amend its proposal. 5 CityLand 29 (Mar. 15, 2008). The addition to the Domino factory is only one component of Community Preservation’s plan, which also includes five 40-story residential towers, 120,000 sq.ft. of retail space, and publicly accessible open space on the East River.

On June 24, architect Fred Bland, of Beyer Blinder Belle, presented a new plan by Community Preservation, taking into account Landmark’s criticisms of the previous proposal. Instead of a five-story addition with prominent bulkheads, the new addition would be split asymmetrically into three and four stories. Bulkheads would be retracted into the addition, minimizing their visibility. Aesthetically, the new addition would be done in a “robust, industrial style,” as opposed to the previous “sleek” incarnation. Holes in the building’s fabric, once occupied by chutes, would host balconies made of glass and steel that would “preserve the scars of the building.” The revised plan would also retain the iconic 40-foot tall Domino Sugar sign. (read more…)