Rendering of 70 Henry Street Project. Image Courtesy: Gerner Kronick & Valcarcel Architects P.C.

Ridgeton Poultry Inc. proposed to demolish heavily altered, mid-19th-century one-story building, and develop new five-story mixed-use structure. On November 27, 2012, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered a proposal for the demolition of a one-story building at 70 Henry Street in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District, and the construction of a new mixed-use building on the property. The building, located on the corner of Orange and Henry Streets, is now occupied by the Brooklyn Heights Cinema. The Cinema would retain space in the proposed structure.

Preservation consultant Gregory Dietrich, retained by the applicants, testified that the existing building was constructed in 1895, and was originally a poultry and butcher shop. Prior to the designation of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District in 1965, the building was repeatedly subdivided and reconfigured, with multiple changes being made to the storefronts. In 1971, the building was converted into a movie theater with further significant alterations approved by Landmarks. Portions of the existing cornice are original, but are in poor shape, and would need to be replaced if the building is retained. Dietrich argued that the building’s architecture was so compromised throughout the years as to have lost any associations with Brooklyn Heights’ commercial development and lacks the requisite integrity to convey historical significance.

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Proposal to replace low-rise building on Henry Street criticized by neighbors who wanted bolder, contemporary design. On January 17, 2012, Landmarks approved Fortis Property Group LLC’s revised proposal to replace a low-rise industrial building with a five-story apartment building at 30 Henry Street at the edge of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. Until recently, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper occupied the 1963 brick building at the southwest corner of Henry and Middagh Streets.  (read more…)

Brooklyn Navy Yard proposal would add supermarket and additional light industrial space. On October 19, 2011, the City Planning Commission approved the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation’s Admirals Row Plaza mixed-use project on the southeast edge of the Brooklyn Navy Yard at the corner of Navy and Nassau Streets in Brooklyn. The United States National Guard Bureau retained control over the six-acre project site after the City purchased the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The federally-owned site is occupied by multiple vacant and deteriorated buildings including a row of Civil War-era naval officers’ quarters and a large timber shed along Navy Street dating to the 1830s.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation plans to demolish the majority of the existing buildings, except for one of the officers’ quarters (Quarters B) and the timber shed. Quarters B would be converted into a community facility and the timber shed into retail space. Three new buildings would be developed on the site including a five-story building with a 74,000 sq.ft. supermarket and four floors of industrial space, and two, twostory buildings with retail space. A 266-space surface parking lot on the interior of the site would be accessible from Navy and Nassau Streets. The proposal would create 600 jobs and incorporate a job training program for residents of three nearby public housing communities. 8 City- Land 90 (July 15, 2011).  (read more…)

Neighbors objected to the size and materials of proposed one-family townhouse. On August 2, 2011, Landmarks approved Louis Greco’s revised proposal to build a new townhouse on a vacant lot at 27 Cranberry Street in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. The vacant lot is on the north side of Cranberry Street between Hicks and Willow Streets. The block is characterized by three- and four-story rowhouses developed in the late 1800s.

On June 7, 2011, Greco’s architect, Tom van den Bout, presented the proposal’s initial design. The plan called for a three-and-ahalf- story building with a setback penthouse. Van den Bout planned to clad the building’s front facade in Portland brownstone with brick on the side and rear facades. The penthouse’s facade would be clad in bronze, and according to van den Bout, only be visible from oblique angles. The building’s cornice would be higher than the adjacent buildings and also clad in bronze. The second and third floors would feature three window bays, while the first floor would include an oversized projecting window bay to help avoid the perception of squatness.  (read more…)

Carriage-house style building approved after reducing size and visibility of fourth floor. On December 7, 2010, Landmarks approved a modified proposal to develop a new building on a vacant parking lot at 414 Waverly Avenue in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill Historic District. The owner proposed building a four-story two-family residence inspired by the 19th century carriage houses that bookend the lot. The building would be clad in brick and the fourth floor would be set back fifteen feet. At the project’s prior hearings in October and November 2010, Landmarks expressed concern about the size and visibility of the fourth floor. Brooklyn Community Board 2 supported the project.

At the October hearing, the project’s architect, Jim Hill, said the new building would “keep the rhythm” of the neighboring two- story carriage houses. Hill pointed out that while the building would be taller than its immediate neighbors, it would be similar in size to other buildings on the block and shorter than permissible under the area’s R6B zoning. (read more…)

Community groups expressed concern that 128-block rezoning would displace low-income residents. On September 30, 2009, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone 128 blocks of Brooklyn’s Sunset Park in order to address recent out-of-scale development inconsistent with the area’s predominantly residential character. The plan replaces the neighborhood’s R6 zoning with contextual zoning districts — R4A, R4-1, R6B, R6A, and R7A — that match the area’s context and also establish maximum height limits. The plan includes applying R6B zoning to portions of 121 residential side streets and rezoning 101 partial commercial blocks along Fourth and Seventh Avenues to R7A. To promote the construction of affordable housing, the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program will apply to the R7A district.

At the City Planning Commission’s July 1 hearing, representatives of the Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors (SPAN) testified in opposition. They claimed that Planning did not properly consider the potential displacement of current residents. Residents argued that height limits along the avenues were too high and would block views of downtown Brooklyn. The Commission approved the plan without modifications, noting that it had been refined through a thorough public review. 6 CityLand 122 (Sept. 15, 2009). (read more…)