Brooklyn's Progress
June 2004

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce today announced the nine winners of the 2004 Building Brooklyn Awards.  The annual Building Brooklyn Awards recognize recently completed construction projects that have had a positive impact on the borough’s economy and quality of life.

“Brooklyn is booming with new construction across the borough,” said Brooklyn Chamber President Kenneth Adams.  “This year, our Judging Committee selected nine excellent projects out of a large and competitive field of nominees.  These awards remind us how much new investment is driving development all over Brooklyn.”

The nine winning construction projects are:

Peter Jay  Sharp Center for Opportunity in the Community Facility category – renovation of a 75,000 square foot knitting factory into transitional housing for 400 homeless men; state of the art computer labs, office space and an industrial kitchen; transformation of an adjacent garbage dump into a recreational area.

Brooklyn Historical Society in the Cultural Facility category – restoration and modernization of a national historic landmark that is home to one of Brooklyn’s leading educational and cultural institutions.

The Waverly School of the Arts, P.S. 156/I.S. 392 in the Education category – renovation of the first gifted and talented school in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville community, which also functions as the community’s main civic building; state of the art facilities include a 450-seat auditorium, a recording studio, computers and pre-wiring for internet service.

Blue Ridge Tea and Herb in the Industrial category – renovation of an old manufacturing building maintaining the building’s façade while modernizing the interior for manufacturing and offices.

Carriage House Condo Office Interior in the Office category – conversion of a former carriage house into mixed-use condos with three residential units and two commercial levels, delivering a variety of essential services to the immediate business and residential Park Slope community.

Brooklyn Bridge Park/Main Street Playground in the Parks and Open Spaces category – conversion of an asphalt parking lot into an urban oasis with sweeping views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the harbor, the East River and Lower Manhattan.

Elly’s Market in the Retail category – renovation to restore the building back to its original 1870’s American Victorian design with glass bays framed in delicate wood columns and ornamental work, contributing to the ongoing retail development of DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene.

Crown Heights in the Residential/1-5 Dwellings category – construction of 39 three-family homes in Crown Heights for first-time homebuyers; all units are priced as affordable housing and feature energy efficient appliances.

Services for the Underserved in the Residential/Multi-Family category – construction of a new 30,375 square foot apartment building providing services for 50 long-term shelter residents, using a design to blend into the Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone neighborhood.

Susan Doban Architect, PC, received honorary mention for 25 Elm Place in the Office category.  Ms. Doban converted a former vacant retail space into new office space for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.  She used the building’s historical high window openings and original details including its gilded columns to showcase Brooklyn’s past as well as create a setting for its future growth.       

A 10-member panel of Brooklyn-based architects, planners, economic development experts and city officials chose the winning projects.  Projects were judged on a list of criteria including: having an economic impact, making a significant improvement to the quality of life, providing critical neighborhood services and amenities, demonstrating a commitment to quality design and pre-existing architectural character, and demonstrating an aesthetic sensitivity to the surrounding community.

This year’s judges were:  Peter Mugazero, American Institute of Architects Brooklyn Chapter; Barbara S. Mishara, Barbara Smith Mishara Architect; Jon Benguiat, Brooklyn Borough President’s Office; Brendan Coburn, Coburn Architecture PC; Susan Hinkson, NYC Department of Buildings/Brooklyn Planning Office; Winston Von Engel, NYC Department of City Planning/Brooklyn Planning Office; Marilyn Gelber, Independence Community Foundation; Vincent Battista, Institute of Design & Construction; Matt Urbanski, Michael Van Valkenburg Associates, Inc.; and Susan Goldfinger, NYC Economic Development Corporation.

The 4th Annual Building Brooklyn Awards will be held on July 21 at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway.  The event is hosted by the Brooklyn Chamber and sponsored by Ingram & Hebron Realty, IKEA, Corcoran, ConEdison, HSBC, and Muss Development Company.

In addition to the nine construction projects that will be recognized at the event, this year’s honorees are Amanda Burden, Chair of NYC Planning Commission, and Thomas Renyi, Chairman of the Bank of New York. 

The Department of City Planning is responsible for the city’s physical and socioeconomic planning including land use and environmental review for projects.  Ms. Burden advises the Mayor, the Borough Presidents and the City Council on all matters relating to the development and improvement of the city.

Mr. Renyi is a distinguished financial sector leader.  He has successfully directed The Bank of New York’s transformation from a traditional commercial bank to a global leader in securities services.  The Bank of New York will be occupying the fifth to the twelfth floors of the recently completed Atlantic Terminal building.  It is bringing 1,400 office jobs to the Flatbush and Atlantic Avenue area.

For more information on the winning projects and the BBA event, click here or call Mack Tham at (718) 875-1000 ext. 138.