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Plans for LICH Polhemus Conversion Face Scrutiny Thursday

 A rendering of the Polhemus building, which would be converted for residential units. The existing skywalk would be removed.
A rendering of the Polhemus building, which would be converted for residential units. The existing skywalk would be removed.
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Williams New York

COBBLE HILL — Locals will have a chance Thursday to hear more about a developer's plan to modify a landmarked building in the former Long Island College Hospital land parcel.

Community Board 6's landmarks and land use committee will hear and discuss a presentation to alter the Polhemus building at 350 Henry St. The new owner hopes to restore and repair the facade, modify the window openings and entrance doors, build a rooftop addition for HVAC equipment, and install a new sidewalk, fences and gates, according to CB6.

The committee will also review the application for a certificate of appropriateness submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

In May, Cobble Hill learned about plans for the LICH site and its proposed soaring residential towers, which angered neighbors, many of whom were still stung by the loss of the hospital.

NYU Langone Medical Center is currently operating an emergency room and medical facility but is planning a brand new 160,000 square foot facility at the site as well. 

Fortis Property Group presented two plans for the embattled property, both of which include at least one tower of 40 stories or more alongside lower towers.

In the wake of Fortis' plans, a group called "No Towers in Cobble Hill" has formed to protest the proposals. 

The group did not respond to a request for comment but its website calls for "responsible development," which would consider the area's overcrowded schools and constant street congestion while planning

"Putting four towers in a corner of a tiny landmarked community with recognized historical value, and with neighbors who simply don't want an out-of-scale project imposed on them, makes no sense," the website says. 

According to the Cobble Hill Association, Fortis plans to convert the Polhemus building into a 17-unit residential building in partnership with architect BKSK

In 1988, the Landmarks Preservation Commission extended the Cobble Hill Historic District to include the Polhemus Building. Construction was completed in 1897 and it served at that time as the Polhemus Memorial Clinic, providing free medical services "for the poor people of Brooklyn's waterfront area," according to the Commission.  

The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the 78th Police Precinct, located at 65 Sixth Ave.