6-Story Addition Designed for
Commercial Office Space Or Suites
VINEGAR HILL — A not-too-hard-to-miss, brightly-colored vertical extension is taking shape above a former factory building at 53 Bridge St. in Vinegar Hill.
The owner, Guma/EFI Construction Corp., is adding six stories as well as completely renovating the interior of the existing building, according to Richard Mauro of Dexter-Haven Realty in DUMBO, who is a spokesperson for Guma/EFI.
As previously reported in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the original plan was for a residential conversion of the site, but the owner’s rezoning application was turned down.
“Guma couldn’t get a variance for residential,” Mauro said yesterday.
Local Vinegar Hill residents were pleased when Community Board 2 voted the variance down but not pleased when construction of the vertical enlargement began.
“It’s disappointing that it [the addition] is not part of the City’s ULURP approval process,” said Nicholas Evans-Cato. Evans-Cato was president of the Vinegar Hill Neighborhood Association at the time
The building is not part of, but is adjacent to, the Vinegar Hill Historic District.
“It’s touching it but was not included in it because it is a DUMBO-like warehouse building,” said Evans-Cato.
For this reason and because there are too many vacant lots not usually included in historic districts, the Vinegar Hill Historic District is not squared off, according to Evans-Cato.
“What is particularly frustrating is that the one thing besides the ULURP process to spare us this six-story extension, is the creation of the DUMBO Historic District — which, as proposed, would include all of Bridge Street,” he said. “That really needs to get rolling.”
The owner of 53 Bridge is now looking at several commercial possibilities for the building and its six-story 50,000-square-foot extension, according to Mauro. These include high-end offices and/or commercial suites, such as suites that can be occupied by airline pilots and flight attendants.
The addition is being designed by Robert Scarano Jr. of Scarano Architects, based in DUMBO.
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2005
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