Kent Street Rentals With Bold Design Add to Greenpoint Building Boom

A mixed-use apartment building with a striking look is rising on the site of a block-long lot at 44 Kent Street in Greenpoint, across from Transmitter Park, adding to that neighborhood’s post-2005 rezoning building boom.

The project has topped out, and stands six stories. Windows have been installed, and some of the facade of the building has begun to go up.

The building has a modern look with a white panel extending along the top of the retail space, creating a strong horizontal rhythm and emphasizing the storefront. The materials look to be a mix of cream-colored stucco, wood or brick and, at the base, rusty Corten steel.

The designer, ND Architecture, has established a reputation for creative design on a typical budget. Principal Nataliya Donskoy is a former protege of architect Robert Scarano.

The building is set to contain 42 rental apartments and one commercial unit. Residential square feet will total 27,247, with an average apartment size of about 770, according to DOB permits and the architect’s site.

The retail space will measure 1,910 square feet and “attract shoppers and bring new life to this quiet area,” according to the architect.

There will be underground parking for 27 cars, a roof terrace, and a shared recreation area, according to building permits.

The developer of the building is Midwood-based Loketch Group, run by father and son duo Moishe and Pinny Loketch, according to reports.

The architect’s other projects in Brooklyn include a variety of mid-size buildings, such as rentals at 146 S 4th Street in Williamsburg topped by rusty Corten steel-clad high bay windows that resemble giant cornices looming over the brick building.

The development team on the project isn’t the first to make an attempt at redeveloping the property. Developers Cayuga Capital and Davis Companies bought the property for $5.2 million in 2012. The previous architect of record before Donskoy was Hustvedt Culter Architects.

They then sold the building to the current group in 2014 for $8.75 million.

The property, which occupies stretches along West Street between Greenpoint Avenue and Kent Street, was formerly an empty lot.

The building’s construction is a sign of a changing Greenpoint. The neighborhood has seen significant development in recent years following a 2005 waterfront rezoning.

Also rising on the waterfront is the sprawling Greenpoint Landing. It will bring 10 large buildings, some of them condos, and thousands of new residents to the area.

[Photos by Susan De Vries]

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