YIMBY photographed five low-rise residential construction projects currently underway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which is continuing its boom of new housing developments. The projects include ground-up new construction, a vertical expansion, and the conversion of a former theater. Two of the developments are located within walking distance of the Bedford Avenue commercial corridor, while the final three are all taking shape along South 6th Street, just south of the Williamsburg Bridge.
The first project is 174 Wythe Avenue, where construction has resumed on a seven-story building at the corner of Wythe Avenue and North 6th Street. Designed by Defonseca Architects, the nearly 27,000-square-foot structure will yield 32 rental units, ground-floor and cellar-level commercial space, and 15 enclosed parking spots.
The following photos show below-grade activity underway on the partially excavated 7,500-square-foot parcel. Crews are in the process of delivering concrete for the new foundations, and it’s possible that work could reach street level this summer.
174 Wythe Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
174 Wythe Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
174 Wythe Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
The property was formerly occupied by a derelict low-rise building, as seen in the below Google Street View image from before its demolition in 2009. The lot sat vacant for more than a decade before work began, then stalled. The project’s completion date was last slated for September 2023. A revised timeline and renderings have not been released.
174 Wythe Avenue. Image: Google
Construction is rising on 101 N 1st Street, where a one-story commercial building is being vertically expanded on a narrow interior lot between Wythe Avenue and Berry Street. No details have been released on the project, and it is unclear what the new levels will contain.
The following photos from mid-April captured a crane hoisting a large beam into place on the new steel-framed superstructure, which currently reaches five stories high.
101 N 1st Street. Photo by Michael Young
101 N 1st Street. Photo by Michael Young
101 N 1st Street. Photo by Michael Young
101 N 1st Street. Photo by Michael Young
101 N 1st Street. Photo by Michael Young
101 N 1st Street. Photo by Michael Young
The below Google Street View image shows the look of the one-story building before the start of work.
101 N 1st Street. Image: Google
Construction is rising on 57 South 6th Street, a seven-story residential building adjacent to the Williamsburg Bridge at the corner of South 6th Street and Wythe Avenue. The project is designed by Beam Architects, but no other information is available.
The following photos show the reinforced concrete superstructure standing three stories above street level and shrouded in scaffolding and construction netting. Based on its modest scope, the building could likely top out by early summer.
57 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
57 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
57 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
57 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
The property was formerly occupied by a vacant one-story commercial structure and an open-air parking lot, as seen in the below Google Street View image.
57 South 6th Street. Image: Google
Exterior work is progressing on 85 South 6th Street, a four-story mixed-use building near the corner of South 6th Street and Berry Street. Designed by Nikolai Katz Architect, the 52-foot-tall building will span 7,147 square feet and yield nine rental units with an average scope of 613 square feet. The development will also include 1,625 square feet of commercial space, a cellar, a penthouse unit, and a 26-foot-long rear yard.
The following photos show the building constructed to its pinnacle and shrouded in scaffolding and netting as crews work on the main southern elevation. The upper levels and side walls appear complete with light tan EIFS cladding, but it remains to be seen what materials will be used on the front profile. Renderings and a completion date have not been released.
85 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
85 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
85 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
The property was formerly occupied by two low-rise buildings, as seen in the below Google Street View image from before their demolition.
85 South 6th Street. Image: Google
The last project in our update is 107 and 109 South 6th Street, where the former Empire Theater is being converted into a four-story residential building on an interior lot between Berry Street and Bedford Avenue. Designed by Nikolai Katz Architect and developed MJH Construction and Development, the project will restore the exterior of the Romanesque-style red brick building, which opened in 1891 as the Bedford Avenue Theater, and will convert its interiors into 28 residential units. The development will also include 5,444 square feet of commercial space.
The following photos show scaffolding and blue netting covering the entire main southern elevation and portions of the side profiles as crews work to restore its historic façade. Interior gutting and conversions should be well underway.
The structure was originally slated for demolition to make way for a 26-story, 242-unit hotel spanning between 107-111 South 6th Street and 394 Bedford Avenue, but this plan was eventually scrapped. An anticipated completion date is listed for November 4, 2025 on the construction board.
107-109 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
107-109 South 6th Street. Photo by Michael Young
The structure was last occupied by a fitness center, as seen in the below Google Street View image from 2022.
107-109 South 6th Street. Image: Google
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Lots of interesting things happening in Brooklyn.