City preservationist think renovations of the old Domino Sugar factory in Williamsburg should make the building look even older.
The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, which has say over work on landmarked buildings, has asked developer Two Trees Management to go back to the drawing board for its East River mega-development and come up with a design that adorns the factory’s facade with old-timey features and shows more of the smokestack from Kent Avenue.
“They asked for those changes because they thought it would enhance the important architectural features of the building,” said Landmark Preservation Commission spokeswoman Elisabeth DeBourbon.
The commission was otherwise happy with Two Trees’ plans to turn the old factory into retail and office space, DeBourbon said.
“We always encourage the adaptive reuse of the city’s historical buildings,” said DeBourbon.
The old factory is the centerpiece of a massive development project that will including five towers, a park, and a community center.
Two Trees said it will see what it can do to appease the city sticklers.
“We thank the commissioners for their feedback and we’re taking their modifications into consideration to improve the plan,” said Dave Lombino, Two Trees’ head of special projects.
This is the first major bump in the road that Two Trees has encountered in its quest to get the new plan for the Domino development approved. So far, the plan has received major support from people who would rather see this design go through than have the previous, homogenous design that the city has already approved be built.
The commission will schedule a hearing once Two Trees submits new plans.
