Call it re-sizing history.
A developer wants to enlarge a landmarked Brooklyn Heights building to put in apartments, but first must get city approval to alter the historic structure.
“We’re in an exploratory process,” said Walter Marin, the project’s architect. “We are proposing something but it’s got to go through hurdles.”
Marin filed plans with the city on July 21 to build two more floors on top of the two-story building on Montague Street between Clinton and Henry streets, which clothing retailer Banana Republic occupied until it closed in April.
His proposal calls for nine units, with three on each of the top three floors and retail on the bottom level.
But since the building is in a historic district, the project needs to be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the agency in charge of ensuring new construction adheres to the distinct character of the neighborhood.
The submitted plans are very preliminary, according to Marin, who met with the Department of Buildings to get an idea of what needs to be done to get the greenlight and said he will be amending his application based on the agency’s feedback.
The landmarks commission will review the proposal once changes are made, before passing it on to the buildings department, which will make the final call on the project.
The building is located within Montague Street’s retail corridor, where the average rent is $188-per-square foot, according to a Real Estate Board of New York report.
Its owner, Eli M. Dweck, did not return a request for comment.
