It was back in October of 2014 that YIMBY reported on developer Jeffrey Gershon acquiring the property at 906 Prospect Place in Brooklyn. It was in late November of 2015 that his design team went before the Landmarks Preservation Commission with their proposal for a new apartment building on the site. On Tuesday of this week, the team went back before the LPC and got approval for their revised design.
Current occupant of 906 Prospect Place.
The site sits between New York Avenue and Brooklyn Avenue in the Crown Heights North Historic District II. It’s currently home to a two-story garage building dating back to 1897, one that has been dramatically altered since then, including the lopping off of a third and fourth floor. It is really nothing to look at, and wasn’t even deemed to have an architectural style when the district was designated. The official term is “no-style.”
So, the concept presented by architect Chris Carrano of Manhattan-based ADG Architecture & Design and preservation consultant Mary Dierickx back in November was welcomed by the commission – that being the demolition of the existing structure and construction of a new apartment building, to house 20 units. The plan called for a four-story building with a setback fifth story penthouse and parking for 10 cars on the first floor.
Rendering of 906 Prospect Place, November 2015 proposal.
However, the design presented didn’t quite meet with the commissioner’s approval. The design team took some time and made some changes that won over the commissioners. The penthouse has been setback even more, and is now all glass. Additionally, the rooftop mechanical elements have been shrunk and the stair bulkheads sloped to reduce visibility.
906 Prospect Place, rejected and approved designs.
On the main façade, a projecting section in the center now extends all the way down to the ground, instead of terminating at the bottom of the second floor. As for the materials of that façade, it will now feature brick and cast stone instead of brick and a mixture of cast stone and limestone. The brick will also be darker, to provide a better contrast with the stone. Finally, the windows at the base have been moved up and keystones have been added to them.
There was almost no comment from the commissioners. LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan did say that setting the penthouse back even more was a “really good move,” as she found the original proposal to be “distracting.”
View the full presentation slides below:
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
This is proof that landmarking doesn’t preclude new development. While there was some delay at the LPC, the proposed building is far more attractive than most new construction