The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce today announced the 14 winners of the 2006 Building Brooklyn Awards competition.  The annual Building Brooklyn Awards recognizes recently completed construction projects that have had a positive impact on the borough’s economy and quality of life. The winning projects will be honored July 18 at the Brooklyn Museum.

“Brooklyn is booming with new residential, commercial and retail construction in almost every neighborhood.  This year, our Judging Committee selected fourteen excellent projects out of more than sixty nominations.  These awards remind us how much new investment is driving development all across the borough,” said Brooklyn Chamber President Kenneth Adams.

A nine-member, independent panel of Brooklyn-based architects, planners, economic development experts and city officials selected the winning projects.  Projects were judged on a list of criteria including: overall aesthetic and design, positive economic impact, improving 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.

The Brooklyn Chamber is proud to announce the 14 winning projects:

The Jewish Children’s Museum in the Arts and Culture category:  The Jewish Children’s Museum is a brand new 50,000 square foot building. It is an interactive, multi-media repository of cultural narratives and artifacts, as well as an urban community center that will encourage an understanding of Jewish history and culture through collective instruction and interaction.  (Crown Heights)

Rheingold Gardens Partnership Homes in the Brownfield Redevelopment category: This is a $22 million project that maximizes the use of abandoned lots.  This newly constructed community consists of 57 two-family units, 4 three-family units and 30 condominium homes for a total of 91 homeownership opportunities.  (Bushwick)

Dodge YMCA in the Community Facility category:  This $12 million new construction is the first new YMCA built in the borough of Brooklyn in 75 years and serves downtown Brooklyn as well as the surrounding neighborhoods.  (Downtown Brooklyn)

Higgins Hall – Pratt Institute School of Architecture in the Education category:  Higgins Hall is a 140,000 square foot academic building, occupied by Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture. (Clinton Hill)

Downstate Advanced Biotechnology Incubator in the Industrial category:  The Downstate Advanced Biotechnology Incubator is an important part of a plan to create an Advanced Biotechnology Park Adjacent to SUNY Downstate Medical Center and to develop biotech manufacturing in Brooklyn. (Prospect-Lefferts Gardens)

Waterfront Media, Inc. in the Office category:  This is a new office space for a rapidly growing, fast paced media company that has been transformed into a fun place to work.  (DUMBO)

Marion & Hopkinson Playground Reconstruction in the Parks & Open Spaces category: The new design connects the upper and once abandoned lower portion of the park, creating active recreational spaces for adults and children of different age groups. (Ocean Hill)

United States Courthouse in the Public Works category:  The cost of this project was $200 million; the building is comprised of two basic architectural elements consisting of a 15-story tower and a six-story link structure. (Downtown Brooklyn)

Slot House in the Residential – 1 to 5 Dwellings category:  The Slot House is one of a recent number of modern infill projects in the neighborhood. This project underwent a renovation of 1,000 square feet and created a two-family residence.  (Fort Greene)

DeKalb Avenue Apartments in the Residential – Affordable category:  The newly constructed five-story building measures 55,000 square feet and contains 64 units. DeKalb Avenue Apartments houses approximately 120 residents. (Clinton Hill)

Studio 322 Condominium in the Residential – Multi Family category:  Studio 322 is a newly constructed residential building with six luxury units. The project created approximately 50 jobs for the 18 to 24 months it took to build.  (Brooklyn Heights)

Almandine Bakery in the Retail category:  The renovation of an existing two-story pepper factory space has created an elegant modern bakery and retail space. (DUMBO)

United States Post Office and Courthouse – Honorable Mention for Unique Adaptive Reuse:  The newly redesigned building accommodates four primary tenants: the US Bankruptcy Court; the US Postal Service; the US Attorney’s Office; and the US Trustee.  (Downtown Brooklyn)

Brooklyn Academy of Music – Exterior Restoration Honorable Mention for Unique Restoration:  A major restoration and modernization of the 1908 building.  This $8.3 million rehabilitation project is a significant community resource and catalyst for attracting new residents and businesses.  (Fort Greene)

For more information about the winning projects and the Building Brooklyn Awards event, please click here or contact Mack Tham at 718 875-1000 ext. 142, or at mtham@brooklynchamber.com.