COBBLE HILL — A proposed mixed-use building on Atlantic Avenue is “too glassy” and “destroys the gateway entrance into the Cobble Hill Historic District,” according to Community Board 6, which conditionally rejected the plan.
Architects and developers of the four-story building, which would feature street level retail, eight residential units and underground parking, sought approval from CB6’s Landmarks Committee Thursday night.
But the committee said the 33,000-square-foot building would be too out of place in the quaint Brooklyn neighborhood.
“I think it looks like a very modern office building,” said CB6 member Roy Sloane. “It looks like it landed from some other place.”
The building, which will be developed by Avery Hall Investments in partnership with OTL Enterprises and BKSK Architects, is slated for 112 Atlantic Ave. at Henry Street, the current location of a Shell service station.
The property was purchased for $7.75 million earlier this year and will cost $25 million to develop, according to city records and Avery Hall’s website.
Avery Hall Investments is currently involved in a number of luxury residential buildings in Brooklyn, including 465 Pacific St. in Boerum Hill and 345 Carroll St. in Carroll Gardens.
The building features a mixture of red brick, large glass windows and black metal detailing, according to a presentation from BKSK Architects' partner-in-charge of this project, Stephen Byrns.
Some locals and board members were willing to give the design a bit of leeway because of the building’s location on Atlantic Avenue, a primarily commercial corridor that didn’t necessarily follow Cobble Hill’s typical brownstone style.
The building’s red brick façade also received support from most members who attended the meeting.
“I think it’s going to be a nice addition to the neighborhood,” said Laurie Duncan, a resident who has lived on Atlantic Avenue for 17 years.
But the design’s large windows, particularly a storefront glass display that wrapped around the building’s corner at Henry Street, was not appropriate for the neighborhood, board members said.
“Modern buildings are acceptable,” said CB6 member Jerry Armer. “But you have to have some rhythm of the neighborhood.”
Developers' plans for the building will go before the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Nov. 18. The timeline for the project is yet to be determined.
