292 Kent Avenue

New Rendering Of 16-Story, 380,000-Square-Foot Office Conversion at Domino Sugar Refinery, Williamsburg

1:00 pm on May 25, 2016 By Reid Wilson

Over the past few years, new building applications have been filed and construction even started on a residential portion of the five-tower, 3.3-million-square-foot mixed-use Domino Sugar Refinery mega-development in Williamsburg, located immediately north of the Williamsburg Bridge. Now, new details and renderings have been revealed of the lesser-known office component of the project, the New York Post reported. The office portion will be anchored in the existing 11-story Havemeyers & Elder Filter, Pan & Finishing House, also known as the Domino Sugar Refinery, at 292-314 Kent Avenue, which is an individual landmark.

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608 Franklin Avenue

Eight-Story, 106-Unit Residential Project Topped Out at 608 Franklin Avenue, Crown Heights

11:00 am on May 25, 2016 By Reid Wilson

It was in January that YIMBY last brought you an update on the eight-story, 106-unit residential project under construction at 608 Franklin Avenue (a.k.a. 1036 Dean Street), in northwestern Crown Heights, located five blocks from the Franklin Avenue stop on the C train and Franklin Avenue Shuttle. At the time, the structure was four stories above street level, but it has since topped out and is now receiving its windows, as seen in a photo by Tectonic. The structure will measure 125,350 square feet and its residential units should average 693 square feet apiece. Rental apartments are in the works, and configurations will include studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms. Twenty-four of the apartments will rent at below-market rates through the housing lottery. Amenities include a 56-car parking garage on the cellar and ground floors, storage for 63 bikes, a lounge, a fitness center, an common outdoor area on the second floor, and a rooftop terrace. Yoel Goldman’s Brooklyn GC is the developer, with ODA New York is behind the design. Occupancy can probably be expected by the end of the year.

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685 Fifth Avenue

Office Portion of 20-Story 685 Fifth Avenue Getting 90-Key Boutique Hotel Conversion & Expansion, Midtown

10:00 am on May 25, 2016 By Reid Wilson

In April, news broke that Istanbul-based Gulaylar Group entered into contract to acquire the entire 90,000-square-foot office portion of the 20-story, 115,000-square-foot multi-use commercial building at 685 Fifth Avenue, on the corner of East 54th Street in Midtown. The deal includes the development rights to vertically expand the building by five stories. Those air rights were made available after property owners General Growth Properties and Thor Equities repositioned the building’s three stories of retail space, which now measures 23,400 square feet and is being made into Coach’s flagship store. Now, Gulaylar has disclosed plans to convert the office portion they are buying, along with the future expansion, into a 90-key boutique hotel, The Real Deal Reports. Five hotel chains, including Oetker Collection, AccorHotels, and LVMH’s Cheval Blanc, are currently in negotiations with the developer. The building’s remaining office tenant is moving out in August. Walter Marin’s Midtown-based Marin Architects is the architect of record for the expansion.

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