Where Neighbors Fought Tall Building in Williamsburg, a Rendering But No Construction

Construction was poised to begin on a long-delayed and controversial building here at 444 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg one year ago, but a recent visit revealed the project is still stalled. The property is the former longtime home of Marino Marble & Tiles, a family business headed up by Domenico Marino.

Deciding to cash in on rising property values almost a decade ago, Marino moved the tile business to a more commercial area nearby and started working on plans to demo the existing two-story commercial building and put up a 14-story apartment building with popular local architect Philip Toscano, whose offices are just around the corner.

But neighbors opposed the idea of 14 stories in the mostly low-rise area, where most buildings are old wood frame row houses only two or three stories high. Then the plan was scuttled by a 2009 downzoning, as earlier stories in DNAinfo and Greenpoint Gazette detail. Marino changed architects and plans, demolished the old building on the site, and last July told DNAinfo all the permits were in place and work would start that month.

But that didn’t happen.

A rendering is now up on the site, which shows a modern-style red and black color blocked brick building. A permit was finally issued in March, and the new plans call for a seven story building with 56 units and a total of 41,711 square feet. There will also be a 4,699 square foot retail space. The large and irregularly shaped lot goes back far into the block.

The architect of record on the permits is Italiano Salvatore of Queens. Workers did apparently start digging for the foundation earlier this year, DOB complaint records indicate, but a recent visit to the site showed little progress.

Neighbors have been active in calling in complaints about the site and a partial stop work order from May, since resolved, alleged excavation work was undermining a nearby building.

There are 84 complaints, an unusual number, especially for a building of its size. Some allege work without permit or shaking of nearby buildings.

If you’re interested in reading more about the history of this controversial development:

Seven-Story Apartment Building Coming to Graham Avenue [DNA]
Contextual Healing, Maybe [Greenpoint Gazette]