Jed Walentas and Christopher Sharples celebrate the impending opening of 325 Kent Avenue, the first building to open at the site of the former Domino Sugar refinery.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is set to shed another layer of its industrial past this summer with the opening of a 16-story rental building on the site of the former Domino Sugar refinery.
The first building on the 11-acre site, scheduled to open in July, is a rental at 325 Kent Avenue. Situated on the east side of the street, it will be the only building in the redevelopment project that does not sit on the waterfront.
The sprawling redevelopment is in its early stages, but the developer is pleased with its progress, said Jed Walentas, a principal at Two Trees Management Company. ‘We started less than two years ago,’ Mr. Walentas said, ‘so we’re going at a pretty good pace. I hope the entire development outperforms people’s expectations.’
From Kent Avenue, the front of the building looks like a big square with a hole in the center. However, as you look at the structure from the north, south and east, it becomes clear that it is layered, with slopes and multiple outdoor terraces.
Christopher Sharples, a principal at SHoP Architects, said he understands how some might think placing terraces at the rear of the building, rather than toward the water, would seem counterintuitive.
‘Kent Avenue can handle the scale of a large building facade,’ Mr. Sharples said. ‘But residents in the rest of the neighborhood don’t need to have all the light blocked.’ – Kaya Laterman, NY Times
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Rental Building Rises on Domino Sugar Site, NY Times