Landmarks Commission Rejects 135 Montague Expansion, Approves 550 Clinton Tower

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS/CLINTON HILL – Plans to add two stories to a landmarked Brooklyn Heights building were rejected by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) at a public hearing on Tuesday.

Marin Architects presented to the LPC a proposal to add two levels to the two-story property located at 135 Montague Street to make room for condo units, YIMBY reported.

While the architectural firm planned to preserve the limestone facade at the front of the building, it planned to remove a part of the second story in the rear to create an outdoor terrace for a second-floor apartment. An outdoor rooftop space was also planned for the new fourth-floor addition.

Originally built in 1920, 135 Montague Street is a retail property formerly occupied by Banana Republic and currently home to a City MD clinic, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The developer, Eli Dweck, is looking to transform the building into a mixed-use property with a ground floor commercial space and eight residential units above.

At Tuesday’s hearing, LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said the proposal was “overwhelming” to the 30-foot-tall building, the Daily Eagle reports, but added that the LPC “would be open to a smaller, shorter addition.”

Also on Tuesday, the LPC approved the 29-story tower planned for 550 Clinton Avenue following revisions to the proposal—mainly to the part of the project involving the restoration of the adjacent landmarked Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew located at 520 Clinton Avenue.

Initially presented in January, the LPC requested changes to the proposal, particularly to the materials that would be used in the restoration of the church’s facade, according to another Brooklyn Daily Eagle report.

Li/Saltzman Architects’ revised plans include sourcing brownstone from England to fix areas in the facade that “absolutely must be replaced,” or using stone salvaged from another church in Brooklyn.

Morris Adjmi Architects, who designed the tower portion of the project, also made subtle adjustments to their plans, reducing the “twisting” appearance on the lower levels of the modern structure.

The base of the 312-foot-tall tower spans from Clinton Avenue to Atlantic Avenue and around the corner of Vanderbilt. The project will replace the popular bar, Hot Bird located at 546 Clinton Avenue, which opened in a former auto shop in 2010, according to Eater.