BY: NIKOLAI FEDAK ON JANUARY 27TH 2014 AT 12:00 PM
Domino Redevelopment, 2 Grand Street at far left – image from SHoP
New renderings have been revealed in an Environmental Impact Statement for Two Trees‘ Domino Redevelopment in Williamsburg, which will bring dramatic changes to the Williamsburg waterfront. The project is enduring the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure for a second time after Vinoly’s vision was tabled and the site traded hands; approval for the new SHoP-designed proposal seems likely, although several steps remain before construction can begin.
SHoP has several major projects in the works, but the firm’s plans for Domino will be especially high-impact. The site will have five structures overall, and each of the buildings will feature components arranged in creative ways; besides the old factory, which will be renovated and expanded, the actual towers will push and re-define new development in New York City.
Domino Redevelopment — image from SHoP
Domino’s skyscrapers will vary in height; the factory’s addition will bring it to 16 floors, and the shortest of the new buildings will stand 17 stories. All of the other towers will be over 40 floors, with the tallest — within ‘Site D’ — rising 565 feet.
Domino Redevelopment — image from SHoP
The entirety of the project will add over three million square feet of mixed-use space to the Williamsburg waterfront, with the bulk of the development dedicated to residential. Changes between the SHoP and Vinoly’s plans include a small decrease in housing units, and a major increase in office space; the revised scope calls for 2,282 apartments, and approximately 500,000 square feet of offices, in addition to 115,000 square feet that will be dedicated to retail and a health club.
Domino Redevelopment — image from SHoP
SHoP’s vision is a major improvement compared to the previous scheme, reducing parking by 644 spots, and adding an additional two acres of open space. Besides its better layout, the aesthetics and creativity of SHoP’s plan will be additional draws; for the first time, Brooklyn will have buildings on its skyline that are distinct and iconic.
The full plan’s build-out is unlikely until the 2020s, but once ULURP is completed, construction on the first 42-story residential tower can begin.
Jed Walentas breaks ground on Domino Sugar site, finally
A Brooklyn developer will announce Monday that construction workers have sunk a shovel into the ground on the Williamsburg waterfront for the first of five buildings destined to open at the site of the Domino Sugar refinery, dormant since 2004.
It’s a day that just a year ago seemed like it might never come.
Back then, Jed Walentas, the co-head of Two Trees Management, clashed with the de Blasio administration over its demands for more affordable housing on the site, before ultimately agreeing to add another 40 such units to the 660 already planned. But the breakthrough came only after negotiations nearly collapsed. Later, Mr. Walentas and his father, David, publicly accused city officials of overplaying their hand at the bargaining table and risking derailing the entire project. Now, however, those disputes have been largely forgotten.
“Certainly we said things to the newspaper we shouldn’t have said as an organization, and I think both sides probably think they could have conducted themselves better—we certainly do,” Mr. Walentas said in an interview with Crain’s. “But we have a good relationship with City Hall and the mayor’s office, and like any relationship, sometimes you do things you wish you hadn’t, but you move on and go forward.”
Since then, the two sides have shifted gears and are now working in relative harmony, as evinced by the 500-unit rental building soon to rise on the inland side of Kent Avenue. The 16-story, SHoP *Architects-designed tower, with a large cutout in the middle, will include 105 apartments for low-*income residents, plus ground-floor retail space. It is scheduled to open in two years.
Great news. Many 1000’s of units will come online along the East River. Its adding a nice effect for the skyline, plus revitalizing once port/industrial districts.
DOMINO CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:Week of May 30th, 2016 and June 6th, 2016
[QUOTE]Hand demolition in The Refinery building is continuing. The removal of the bulkhead concrete decking on the river front is ongoing. New piers are being installed in the east river to support the future bulkhead decking. The public park located on Site C is open 6 days a week.
At Site E, superstructure concrete is underway and sections of the 8th floor slab on the south tower and supporting columns are being poured daily. All MEP trades are continuing deck work and coordination efforts. installation of CMU and horizontal MEP work has begun.[/QUOTE]
DOMINO CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:Week of May 16th, 2016 and May 23rd, 2016
[QUOTE]Hand demolition in The Refinery building is continuing. The removal of the bulkhead concrete decking on the river front is ongoing. New piers are being installed in the east river to support the future bulkhead decking. The public park located on Site C is open 6 days a week.
At Site E, superstructure concrete is underway and sections of the 7th floor slab on the south tower and supporting columns are being poured daily. All MEP trades are continuing deck work and coordination efforts. installation of CMU and horizontal MEP work has begun.[/QUOTE]
DOMINO CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:Week of May 2nd, 2016 and May 9th, 2016
[QUOTE]Hand demolition in The Refinery building is continuing. The removal of the bulkhead concrete decking on the river front is ongoing. New piers are being installed in the east river to support the future bulkhead decking. The public park located on Site C is open 6 days a week.
At Site E, superstructure concrete is underway and sections of the 6th floor slab on the south tower and supporting columns are being poured daily. All MEP trades are continuing deck work and coordination efforts. installation of CMU and horizontal MEP work has begun.[/QUOTE]
